• BELONG: Becoming Empowered by Living Our Natural Gifts

    A sustainability plan for Erie's Public Schools

     

    Plan Mission
     
    The district believes that sustainability, through ensuring personal, community and environmental health, is one of the great challenges our children will be faced with in their lifetime. It is therefore incumbent upon us, as an educational institution, to help prepare our students for this challenge by teaching our students about the meaning and methods of sustainability.

    Vision (Purpose Statement)
     
    To have a district-wide sustainability program;
    In a way that focuses on understanding of, and action in, personal, community and environmental health; 
    So that students are best able to fulfill their potential in a greener, 21st century world.

    Plan Values
     
    Student & Human Centered:  The needs and insights of those that contribute and benefit the most are of high priority and are included in the design of solutions.
     
    Enriching Education:  Opportunities exist across all grade levels for a synergy of programs with curricula that connect with systems inside and outside the classroom.
     
    Diverse & Equitable:  Recognize and maximize the variety of potential connections for learning and ensure a fair implementation across the entire district.
     
    Community & Collaboration:  Ally with individuals and organizations outside of the classroom to enrich the plan, provide service learning opportunities, and instill civic pride.
     
    Measured & Managed:  Ensure longevity, high-performance, and informed decision making of the plan through reviews and modifications that catalyze progress.
     
    Approach
     
    The plan follows the seven petals of the Living Building Challenge:  Health, Beauty, Site, Materials, Energy, Water and Equity. 
     
    Crosscutting themes are: culture, curriculum, community and commitment.
     
    An Advisory Board, comprised of cross section of staff, students, parents and community members, advise administration, educate staff and students on team activities and skills necessary to support programs, identify technical and funding resources available and annually benchmark plan progress and make modifications as necessary. 

    Environmental Leadership Teams (ELT’s) at the building level will ensure Advisory Board programs are properly implemented, provide feedback to Advisory Petal Board on program development and implementation and develop and coordinate environmental programs.

    Petal Teams, consisting of students, teachers and support staff, will incorporate developmentally-appropriate environmental initiatives into the curriculum.   Interdisciplinary content and activities will be given priority.

    Timeline

    The pilot program will be initiated in the fall of 2014 whereas one project will occur at each grade level K-12 in as many different schools as possible.