April 22, 2008

Contact:		Shannon Parthemer, Community Relations & Communications Coordinator
		(425) 702-3300

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Redmond, Wash. – Five students from Redmond High School have earned the 2007 President’s Environmental Youth Award for Region 10, sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The students are: Zach Doleac, Emily Guo, Joseph Hegge, Jamie Hall, and Laura Wang. The award was presented by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush on April 17 at the White House.

In response to a question posed by teacher Mike Town, these five energetic students developed a program that challenges teachers to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide generated in the classroom through transportation, recycling, electricity, and heating. In its first year, the “Cool School Campaign” reduced 72 tons of CO2. Now in its second year, the campaign is expecting an even greater reduction in energy use.

The students began the project by asking each teacher in the school to complete a pre-survey that introduced the "Cool School Campaign" and provided simple tips on how to reduce energy usage. The students asked teachers to sign a pledge to reduce 1,000 pounds of CO2 during the year in their classrooms. (In 2008, the goal has been increased to 2,000 pounds, based on the outstanding 2007 results.) Once the teachers signed the pledge, the students provided a poster for the classroom and a ream of 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper. The posters added a competitive spirit to the challenge and helped encourage other teachers to sign the pledge. The students educated teachers on how to take simple steps to reduce energy usage. Small changes, like turning the temperature down a few degrees, using only two of the four sets of ceiling lights, car pooling, turning off DVD players at the power strip, and drinking coffee out of reusable mugs, meant a big reduction in CO2 emissions. In the first year, the teachers' actions saved the school district $7,500 in recycling and electricity costs.

 

The “Cool School Campaign” has generated interest district wide and has produced measurable environmental results. The campaign, which is interactive and involves the entire student population, not just the staff, has been introduced at 17 other schools and at the district’s administrative offices. Students continue to offer training to support the cause. The success of the students' efforts prompted the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and Puget Sound Energy to provide financial assistance to train additional teachers. The students also had a chance to have their results presented to the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Los Angeles, California.

The five students and Town traveled to Washington D.C. April 15-20 to accept their award, and to meet with representatives of congress and senate or their staff members. They were honored during a ceremony held in the Rose Garden of the White House. A complete video of the awards ceremony is available here. They also addressed the crowd at an Earth Day rally on the capital mall on April 20.

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About Lake Washington: Lake Washington School District is a high-performing public school district serving Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish, Washington. It is the sixth largest district in the state of Washington, with over 23,000 students in 49 schools.