Sarah Roberts teaches third and fourth grade at the South Shore Public Charter School (SSPCS) in Norwell, which serves more than 30 communities. When one young and unassuming student brought to school a magazine advertisement to become “The Greenest School in America,” entering the competition was an easy decision. With Sarah as a leader, students at SSPCS had already begun a green initiative months before.

Sarah explains that a large function of the SSPCS mission is service, whether it is to the community or to the environment. The incorporation of academic skills is also important. In the spirit of this mission, Sarah attended a 4-day professional development workshop in Auburn, Maine where she learned how to teach children the concept and execution of service while honing or acquiring academic skills.

While in Maine, Sarah discovered the KIDS Consortium, which gives “Green School Mini Grants.” She applied for and received a grant from the KIDS Consortium to implement with her students a green project, or, in her case, multiple projects.

“The service learning model,” Sarah says, “hands the project to the kids so they themselves investigate needs. . .” The children spent more than a month studying their school environment to decide what green projects would serve their community best. Ultimately, they concluded that there was too much waste in their school . . . thus the inception of the SSPCS “Waste Watchers” program. This program consisted of five teams:

• The “Saving Electricity” Team: This team initiated the installation of motion sensor electricity in the bathrooms so that the lights will go on only when a student opens the door.
• The “Saving Water” Team: This team built a gutter for the school shed that directs water into what has become the iconic green barrel (see picture); they use the water to water their outdoor and indoor gardens.
• The “Paper Saving” Team: This team solicits paper from local companies when they no longer have use for it . . . for instance, if they have changed a logo.
• The “Saving Plastics” Team: This team collects the plastic forks and spoons from lunch and washes them, so they are not only recycled but also reused prior to recycling.
• The “Saving Compost” Team: This team collects apple cores, banana peels, and other biodegradable foods to add to the grant-funded school composter.

These operatives included academics for the students to apply to real-life situations. The light sensor and the gutter projects were science and math lessons. Coincidentally, the math lesson the children used to build the gutter for the shed was the current math lesson in their math books.

Sarah also says, “Another component of the SSPCS mission is to share information. . . ” So, entering the “Greenest School in America” competition was a perfect way to disseminate information about their green initiatives. To demonstrate what they have achieved and continue to achieve, Sarah and the children submitted to the contest a mock news broadcast detailing their projects. (See “Ride with Pride . . . Join our Team . . . Go Green!" video above.)

The SSPCS was excited to learn they were chosen to be in the top ten (out of 550) schools for their green initiatives when, on April 27^th, Fox News arrived live to announce that they were number one! They presented Sarah and her students with a $20,000 school-makeover check, $3,000 in student scholarships, and a $500 school-supply gift. And, it is hard to believe but it is true that they brought a model of the $200,000 hybrid school bus that is being custom built for them! This school bus produces 65% less emissions than an average school bus. Lastly, they received a rock concert on their school grounds.

In the beginning of June -- as part of the KIDS Consortium grant program -- Sarah and eight of her students will travel overnight to the University of New Hampshire. They will present what they have achieved along with schools from all over New England. Sarah stresses that, for her students, the presentation is not a matter of rote memorization. They live everyday with what they present and therefore need not memorize. They speak of what has become a significant cause in their daily lives.

Sarah and her SSCPS students will also attend the Department of Education Service Learning At Holy Cross in Worcester. They will team with the Conservation Law Foundation for Earthfest at Boston’s Hatch Shell. They would have had these opportunities despite the contest, but the contest has earned them publicity in South Shore Living, the Boston Globe, and the Wall Street Journal.

Sarah describes the efforts and success of her third- and fourth-grade class as representative of the entire South Shore Public Charter School. For example, upper classmen video taped and edited the mock news broadcast that caught the attention of the judges of “The Greenest School in America.” And green initiatives take place beyond the walls of her classroom, the Veggie Van being a perfect example. The seniors at SSCPS manage the Veggie Van project, a van solely powered by vegetable oil that transports the students for every field trip.

 
As if Sarah and her students were not busy enough, they have created a special edition rain barrel with their handprints on it (see picture) to include in their school auction. They are also initiating a fundraiser; they will sell rain barrels and composters in partnership with New England Rain Barrel. For every one SSCPS sells, New England Rain Barrel will donate $10.00 to the school.

The deserving winners are also selfless, treating their win as a win for not just their school but a win for Massachusetts. Children from 30 communities attend the South Shore Charter Public School, and they are proud of the diversity, proud enough to share their title – “The Greenest School in America” – with all of the commonwealth.

By Erin Heffernan

Erin Heffernan is a photographer in Scituate. Her Wink South series, "Shutter to Think", explains how looking at life from a different angle, even if it's via the viewfinder, can offer valuable lessons (and sometimes comic relief!).