2009 Philadelphia Sustainability Awards – Schools & Universities

Across the Philadelphia-area, students of all ages are being immersed into the green world.  Starting their green education at a young age will have magnificent results on the attitudes of the next generation.  There are already a great number of youngsters who are doing their part, and moving their schools in the right direction. 
The 2009 Philadelphia Sustainability Awards feature a number of school and university programs that seek to make the world a Greener place.  Some ideas originated from the students, while others came from the top, however, regardless of where the ideas come from, we should not hesitate for a moment to congratulate them on their innovations.  To learn more about any of the nominees, click on the project name for its Sustainability Narrative Profile on PhiladelphiaSustainabilityAwards.com.
The Nominees –

• The Commodore John Barry Elementary School – The Commodore John Barry Elementary School opened its doors to students for the first day of school in September 2008. Due to a severe fire in the original school, the building was deconstructed and students were dispersed to several elementary schools throughout the City of Philadelphia. The new school, anticipating LEED-NC v2.2 Gold certification, serves as a model learning environment, bringing students and community together while acting as a catalyst for improvement of the surrounding West Philadelphia neighborhood.

• Philadelphia University - The Green Design/Build course at Philadelphia University was taken by the inaugural class of the Masters of Science in Sustainable Design Program in the summer of 2008. The course consisted of a sustainable design and construction project for Weavers Way farm which taught students about the entire sustainable design process from charrette through integrated design, into materials procurement, and was finalized with construction. The completed wash station now provides a useful and tangible product for Weavers Way Co-op, the community, and anyone that eats and enjoys produce from this urban farm.

• Drexel University – Launched as a student initiative in March 2008, and supported by the President’s commitment to make Drexel University a sustainability leader, “Drexel Green” has energized students, faculty, administrators and trustees to examine all aspects of university operations. Committed to accessibility and transparency, it has placed on its website Drexel.edu/Sustainability virtually all of its presentations and reports, thereby offering a roadmap to the 84 other colleges and universities in the region.

• Drexel University – In the spring term of 2008 a new multi-disciplinary program of study was created by Drexel Faculty members Sherman Aronson, Gena Ellis, and David Kratzer, with assistance from their students Jameson Detweiler and Akshita Sivakumar. The program was called Drexel Smart House Student Design Phase II, and the course ran for 10 weeks with 26 students from architecture, interiors, engineering, and graphic design. Each week the faculty and guest experts presented design and technical information and case studies focused on many aspects of green design and smart technology.

• Microsoft School of the Future – One of the most advanced high schools ever conceived, the School of the Future is the result of a unique collaboration between the School District of Philadelphia and Microsoft Corporation. The school, which enrolls about 750 students in grades 9-12, is a state-of-the-art example of a progressive and research-based curriculum, integrated technology, and environmentally advanced construction. Daniel J. Keating Company was the General Contractor on Microsoft School of the Future and the project was completed in 2006.

• Sustainable Energy Fund’s Solar ScholarsTM Program – Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF) developed the Solar ScholarsTM Program to promote the advancement of renewable energy and sustainability education programs in Pennsylvania colleges and universities. The program has two major parts- the Solar ScholarsTM Summer Conference, and the Solar ScholarsTM PV Grant Program.

• Temple University - Since 2003, Temple University’s Computer Recycling Center has pursued a pioneering approach to electronic resources management; one that embraces sustainability’s triple bottom line: environment, equity, and efficiency. Computer and other electronic equipment is either refurbished and reused within the university and surrounding community, or recycled locally at a facility in Camden, New Jersey. The entire operation is very efficient, using modest fees and a small staff to manage a large volume of equipment.

GREENandSAVE.com is a free resource for anyone that wants to save energy, money, and the environment. The articles, product reviews, online tools, and return on investment calculations are researched from a diverse range of public and private sector sources. Overall, the company is passionate about saving money as well as creating healthy homes, offices, and lifestyles.

For more information on the Philadelphia Sustainability Awards, check out their website at PhiladelphiaSustainabilityAwards.com.  Just because you’ve already graduated from school doesn’t mean your education is through; for a jump start on a possible new career or part-time work in the “Green Industry”, check out Green Collar Job opportunities through the Eco Academy.