Dunbarton chosen as the 2015 greenest school on earth
Dunbarton High School, built in the 1960s, has undergone a significant retrofit over the past five years, installing new energy-efficient windows, insulation and lower wattage lighting. The school offers a Specialist High Skills Major in Environment and engages students through coursework and extracurricular activities related to the school’s natural surroundings. Also a winner of the 2014 Greenest School in Canada competition, Dunbarton features an outdoor classroom for 40, a 500 square meter pollinator garden and a rooftop solar water heater. Students at the school are provided with stainless steel water bottles upon matriculation and are involved in projects such as organic waste removal and the Atlantic salmon restoration program. The school plans to utilize the $1,000 award to develop a school garden and construct 10 additional bee condominiums, to be shared with the local community.
The Center for Green Schools Greenest School on Earth
The Greenest School on Earth recognition is an annual announcement made by the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, highlighting a K-12 school that exemplifies how sustainability can be integrally woven into the infrastructure, culture and curriculum of a school.
THE CRITERIA
The jury selects willing schools for their impressive progress toward the following:
- Efficient use of resources and reduced environmental impact
- Enhanced health and learning among students, teachers and staff
- Emphasis on sustainability and resource-conservation education
THE PRIZE
The Greenest School on Earth recipients receive a $1,000 grant to initiate or enhance a school sustainability program.