Dec. 19, 2018 - Championship status usually ends at gold, but for this environmentally friendly program in the school district, being on top means being green.
The Green Champions program started in 2009 as the brain child of Susan Carew, Director of Energy and Utility Services. Through the program, "Green Champions" are created at participating schools. They work to reduce the school community's carbon footprint by "championing" green practices such as installing occupancy sensors in rooms with lights, collecting rain water with barrels and reusing green 5-gallon wax buckets as classroom recycle bins.
"The collaboration between operations and academia is what makes us stand out," said Carew. "I'm their champion, and they're my champions."
Carew is passionate about energy conservation and says the school district saves nearly $6 million each year with the help of the 31 schools that participate in the Green Champions program.
The next big step for Green Champions...to have one Green Champion sponsor and club at each public school in Duval County.
"Our objective was to change the culture, and at the schools with Green Champions, we have absolutely done that," said Carew.
With the help of the Green Champions program in Team Duval's schools, Duval County Public Schools has been awarded the Gold-Florida Green Award for the second year in a row.
Congratulations and a big thank you to all who make Team Duval a more environmentally friendly space. To learn more about the Green Champions, visit their website.
Comments