Last week PWD picked up the pace of the green schools program with three fantastic events!
On Wednesday, judges gathered at the Fairmount Water Works to pick winners from the GreenSTEM Challenge. Students from three schools: George W. Nebinger, Albert M. Greenfield and Cook-Wissahickon, designed creative containers to hold environmental sensors that measure factors like soil moisture. Judges based their selections on creativity, use of materials and constructability to choose thee winning designs: a sword in the stone, a spider and a futuristic light-up, disco-esk dome. Visit GreenStem Challenge for images of the imaginative designs.
On Thursday, George W. Nebinger School hosted representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and PWD to celebrate the new green school yard. All three agencies helped fund and coordinate the project that removed pavement and replaced it with a rain garden. Music students welcomed the guests with a touching performance of “In the Jungle” and “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” before a discussion of the site and the Urban Watershed Curriculum.
To top off the week, students from Greenfield Elementary formed a human chain from Center City to the Schuylkill River in celebration of winning the Green Ribbon School Award. Awarded to Greenfield in 2013 by the US Department of Education, this award recognizes the school as a model educational community of green practices. The human chain of 500 people connected the city to the river through the outstretched arms of children, parents, teachers and everyone who took part!