Sustainable Schools

Presented by Lori StoleSustainable Oregon Schools Initiative

Zero Waste Alliance

Oregon Board of Education

March 19, 2009

What IS a Sustainable School / District?

It’s one that -• Has reoriented curriculum for sustainability

• Facilities and operations support this education as a laboratory for, and model of, sustainable practices. – resulting in the added benefit of:

• reduced cost• reduced environmental impact and• reduced risk

What IS a Sustainable School / District?

See Topic Table

Green vs. SustainableGreen

• Detail Focused (recycling)

• Ecological only

• Tactical (increase recycling)

• Subjective -Success not defined

Sustainable

• Whole Systems Focus (resource management)

• Triple Bottom Line -Social Equity, Environment, Economics

• Strategic (result in no wasted money, resources, negative social impacts)

• Objective -Success clearly defined (Zero waste. All resources stay in the system.

The Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative - “SOSI”

•Striving to help Oregon’s interested K-12 schools and districts integrate sustainability into their teaching, operations and culture.

•Unique in the Nation

SOSI Steering Committee• Central Oregon Environmental Center• Coastwide Laboratories• COSA• DHS, Oregon Public Health Division• David Douglas School District• Environmental Education Assoc. of OR.• Gladstone School District• Metro• North Central ESD• Office of the Governor • Oregon Department of Energy• Oregon Education Association• Oregon Green Schools Association

• Oregon School Boards Association• Oregon School Employees Assoc.• OSU 4H Wildlife Stewards• Portland General Electric • Portland Public Schools• Portland State University, Graduate School of Education• Riverdale School District• Salem-Keizer School District• Siltronic Corporation• Catlin Gabel School• West Linn/Wilsonville School District• Willamette ESD

www.sustainableschools.org

How can YOU help Oregon move K-12 sustainability efforts forward?

• Recognize the importance of education for sustainability.

• Help others recognize how critical the K-12 sector is to state sustainability goals.

• Integrate sustainability concepts into state education standards

• Lead an effort to develop a statewide education for sustainability plan

• Be involved with the Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative (SOSI), which provides a focal point for all aspects of sustainability.

Sustainability Is..• A Journey

• A culture change

• A systems approach to everything we already do

• The direction of Oregon Government, Business, and Higher Education

K-12 needs to join them!

Interest is Growing

• Schools, school districts and ESDs becoming increasingly involved.– Gladstone School District– Corvallis School District– Seaside School District– Also West Linn-Wilsonville, Beaverton, Bend-

LaPine… – Multnomah ESD– Also Linn-Benton-Lincoln, Clackamas, Lane, …

Imagine if:

• Every Oregonian brought an in-depth, working knowledge and value of sustainability (environmental, social AND economic) to their post-K-12 life (job, college or home).

• The K-12 infrastructure, large enough to accommodate 20% of the state’s population every day, left no negative sustainability impact.

• The millions of $ spent by the K-12 system to procure, then dispose of wasted material, energy and water resources was instead available to provide more teachers.

• Oregon’s K-12 system was internationally recognized as THE sustainability leader.

Contact:

Lori StoleSustainable Schools Program Manager

One World Trade Center121 S.W. Salmon St., Ste 210

Portland, OR 97204Tel: 503-307-4067Fax: 503-279-9381

lstole@zerowaste.orgwww.zerowaste.org

Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative

www.sustainableschools.org