National group holds sustainability summit in Carson

The Green Schools National Network on Sept. 26 and 27 held a Site Summit at Empire Elementary School and Eagle Valley Middle School to empower educators on implementing successful sustainability programs in their schools.

Administrators and teachers from Carson City and Reno campuses, including Carson Montessori and Lemelson STEM Academy of the Washoe County School District, toured Empire and Eagle Valley and learned about current projects, potential grants and action plans.

David DenHartog, manager of academics, partnership and strategy for GSSN, and Mark Korinek, GSSN strategy coach and former director of operations for the Carson City School District, organized the summit with CCSD staff members from sites who help lead efforts.

“With some of the other schools in the network across the country, Carson City is really a leader in the state for sure and in the country,” Korinek said.

The summit allowed for discussion amongst teachers and administrators about current strategies or potential structures that could be used to help students learn about environmental literacy with the help of local partnerships.

Adrienne Wiggins, computer science teacher and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) coordinator at Empire Elementary who has championed green efforts at her school and has been recognized for encouraging students and staff to use various strategies. Wiggins shared simple ways her students developed habits, practices and mindsets they instilled to become more environmentally optimistic and caring so they’re reducing their carbon footprint within their own school or at home.

She also emphasized the importance of helping to create high engagement in the classroom through STEM activities, such as a sustainability program, or through any subject of interest so that students want to be in school.

The summit highlighted Carson City School District’s initiatives with its solar panels, the Greenhouse Project and electric buses, Korinek said. Discussion also talked about opportunities to overcome common challenges to start up ideas or programs at most sites, which usually require funding. But schools have an opportunity to work with the Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology and its designated STEM program staff to assist staff get the proper training and the grant funding, and Carson City School District has applied for a large grant to help with these goals, Korinek said.

Its work also included Eagle Valley into the fold since most of its students who helped to grow the seeds of a sustainability program at Empire have promoted to Eagle Valley and continued the work there. EVMS Principal Lee Conley has been supportive of the efforts to implement a STEM program that encourages student involvement in sustainability efforts, Korinek said.

“The progression from elementary school to middle school is a great progression, and that’s what we planned for in our leadership summit five years ago,” Korinek said. “And one of the last things on our list of goals was to provide a STEM greenhouse at Eagle Valley. It was Mr. Conley’s dream to have that, and the program was getting much more robust.”