Terry Husseman
Sustainable Schools Awards

The 2007-2008 Award Winners

This year 47 schools shared $36,025 in Sustainable School Awards! The awards will be distributed during the awards ceremony on May 22, 2008, at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will be held in the auditorium of Office Building II on the Capitol Campus in Olympia.

Seed Award

The intent of this category is to encourage schools to take steps necessary to embrace the five areas of sustainability and to assist with costs involved in initial start-up of basic sustainability programs or improvements of programs or projects that move them closer to sustainability. This year we selected the following applicants for this award:

Boston Harbor Elementary-- Thurston County. Students worked with their Parent-Teachers Association to raise half the funds they need to build a compost staging area. This award provides additional funds of $2,130.
Central Valley--Spokane County. This school is going to use its $250 award to support mixed-paper recycling efforts.
Chautauqua Elementary School, King County. This $500 award will help Chautauqua provide an educational component to their solar irrigation system.
Cowlitz County Youth Services and Loowit High have partnered together on an organic gardening program that helps “at risk” youth to contribute to the community by growing and sharing their produce with others. These youth will learn about the environment and how to produce the organic food and plants to share through this $2,000 award.
Discovery Community School and Carl Sandburg Elementary Schools, King County. These schools plan to use their shared $720 award to purchase worm bins, classroom bins, reusable dishes, garden tools, and mulch.
Edison Elementary, Skagit County. Edison would like to start a composting program in the cafeteria. This $2,300 award will help purchase bins for cafeteria waste, gloves, durable dishes, and educational materials.
Evergreen Elementary School, Snohomish County. Evergreen is interested in adding a worm factory, compost tumbler, and rain barrel to their schoolyard habitat. This $1,000 award will help purchase the needed supplies.
Ferndale High School, Whatcom County. The school has a recycling program that is just starting to flourish. With this $600 award the school will be able to purchase some much-needed recycling collection containers.
Islander Middle School, King County. Islander wishes to convert its school cafeteria from disposable food trays to durable food trays, thereby eliminating a substantial component of waste generated daily during lunch periods, using the $1,500 award.
Lynden High School, Whatcom County. Lynden would like to start small by recycling paper and cardboard, but once established, plan to include additional recyclables. The $800 award is for classroom recycling bins, a large paper collection bin, and marketing materials.
Lydia Hawk Elementary--Thurston County. Lydia Hawk would like to establish a pesticide-free gardening and composting learning lab. This $500 award will help the school to purchase the supplies to get started.
Prospect Point Elementary--Walla Walla. With the support of the Future Farmers of America, science classes, and local farmers, all the school needs is some garden tools, pavers, seeds, and materials to get its organic garden project off and running. This $1,000 award will help the school purchase those materials.
River's Edge High--Benton County. A student-initiated recycling project includes educational elements. The money they earn from recycling is reinvested into the program. This award of $1,500 will be used to purchase organic garden supplies.
Sacajawea Elementary School--Benton County. The school would like to transform part of their campus into an outdoor classroom featuring native plants and an organic garden containing samples of crops grown in the local area. This award of $600 will help the school purchase a composting bin and garden supplies.
Seth Woodard Elementary--Spokane County. The school will use the $1,000 award to increase the recycling program and to expand the organic greenhouse. It will also help purchase recycling containers and native and perennial plants and seeds.
Stanwood Middle School, Snohomish County. The students at Stanwood are highly involved in the operation of their recycling program. They even develop the public service announcements and action plans. Their $1,000 award is for recycle bins and field trips to a landfill and recycle center.
Talbot Hill Elementary, King County. Talbot will use its $200 award to purchase supplies for collecting and sorting, composting, and reusing recyclables, while educating their school community about the importance of sustaining the earth and its resources.
Wapato High School--Yakima County. The sophomore classes who run this program will use their award of $2,000 for composting equipment and organic gardening supplies.
Washington Elementary, King County. The school will use its $1,000 award to build a worm bin and to purchase composting and recycling equipment.
West Valley High School--Spokane County. The school would like to use its $1,500 award to expand the current recycling program to include as many materials as possible and to educate their students about the benefits of recycling. West Valley hopes to create a school atmosphere whereby students and faculty support and are involved in ongoing sustainability practices.

Sustainable School Award

To apply for this category a school must exhibit elements including, but not limited to, the following five areas of sustainability: Resource/Energy Conservation, Biological Diversity, Waste & Toxicity Reduction, Social Harmony, and Health & Wellness. This year we selected the following applicants for this award:

Adams Elementary School--Spokane. Students here are adamant about protecting our earth and its natural resources for future generations. They want their community to be one that will take steps to prevent global warming. They received $100.
Burton Elementary School--Clark County. Students have transformed their school grounds into thriving, productive organic gardens that attract insects and wildlife. In addition to their landscaping program, Burton now composts cafeteria waste and recycles, earning them $200.
Edgerton Elementary School--Pierce County. Run by industrious sixth-graders, this program includes recycling, energy and water reduction, and environmentally friendly cleaning products. They have community support and in turn, support their local Girl Scouts with money from aluminum can recycling. They earned $100.
Knolls Vista Elementary--Grant County. This school has a waste reduction and recycling program that gets the community involved. Knolls Vista has even partnered with local government and private businesses to promote waste reduction, earning them a $100 award.
Lister Elementary--Pierce County. Lister’s EnviroKids program strives to reduce waste and educate the students, faculty, and neighborhood community. Students take a direct role and gain hands-on experience in waste reduction. They earned $200.
Marcus Elementary School--Benton County. This program started small, but in eight years has grown to include recycling paper, aluminum and cardboard, as well as recycling tennis shoes and electronics. The fourth-grade students operate the program in partnership with the local high school. They receive $100.
Mount Baker School District No. 507, Whatcom County –

Acme Elementary, Whatcom, $375 - Mt Baker Junior/Senior, Whatcom, $375 - Kendall Elementary, Whatcom, $375 - Harmony Elementary, Whatcom, $375

In Mount Baker, each school participates in the recycling program and promotes re-use and toxic-free practices. Recent additions to environmental programs include a food composting program they call “Food to Flowers” and a district-wide energy awareness program that educates everyone about how to save energy by making simple changes in school buildings and at home.

New Market Skills Center--Thurston County. New Market’s Environmental Explorations classes started a campus-wide recycling program in October. In November, they connected with the Culinary Arts students and started a composting program. They receive $200.

New Market also received a $1,000 Environmental Curriculum Award for its Environmental Explorations curriculum. Students identify, investigate, and analyze environmental problems to evaluate the risks associated with these problems. They explore alternative and sustainable solutions for preventing and solving problems.

Olivia Park Elementary School, Snohomish County. This program has reduced the amount of waste generated at the school by recycling multiple materials. It also contributes to the education and awareness of staff and students about sustainability principles, waste reduction, global warming, and recycling, earning an award of $100.
Olympia High School--Thurston County. This school’s program includes waste reduction and recycling. It provides students with reusable water bottles and helps cafeteria staff to reduce the use of disposable food containers and utensils, earning $275.
Sakai Intermediate School, Kitsap County. This past year the school increased recycling efforts by including cans and bottles from the Coho Cafe. The school reduced waste, and will be trying to reduce even more by including a complementary compost program. They receive $200.
Secondary Academy for Success, King County. Students and staff are involved in environmental projects at the school and at a sustainable farm in Woodinville. Activities at the farm include removing blackberries without using toxic substances, building paths, spreading woodchips from onsite pruning, and sustainable farming. They earned $275.
Trout Lake School--Klickitat County. This school has been practicing recycling and waste reduction since 1991. Over the years, this program has evolved into a multi-faceted, easy-to-maintain program that benefits the school, the community, and the environment. They’re awarded $375.
West Valley City School--Spokane. Students help run their recycling program and conduct food waste data reports daily. They grow organic produce and raise trout for release in Liberty Lake. They are also involved with the community through service projects such as stream cleanups and habitat restoration. They earned $275.

Creative Environmental Curriculum

The Environmental Curriculum category encourages schools to develop original curricula to teach environmental awareness in Washington schools. This year we did not receive any qualifying applications for this category.

New Market also received a $1,000 Environmental Curriculum Award for its Environmental Explorations curriculum. Students identify, investigate, and analyze environmental problems to evaluate the risks associated with these problems. They explore alternative and sustainable solutions for preventing and solving problems.
River’s Edge also received a $1,000 Environmental Curriculum Award. The Columbia River Studies curriculum helps students understand the connection between natural systems and human activities as they investigate the reasons for salmon population decline in the Northwest.

What are the school awards?

The Sustainable Schools Awards program reflects our vision of a sustainable environment. We hope these awards will encourage Washington State public and private schools to continue having positive impact by embracing the concept of environmental sustainability.

If your school has been participating in resource conservation and sustainability, or is interested in participating then it could be eligible for a award from Ecology.

The Terry Husseman Sustainable School Awards program (originally called the Outstanding Waste Reduction and Recycling Awards) has evolved in pace with changing policies and practices in both the public and the private sectors. The importance of waste reduction as a facet of a fully developed resource conservation or sustainability program continues to grow. This award program recognizes Washington State Public and Private schools for their successes managing materials and wastes in a sustainable fashion.

For more information on the awards program, criteria, or ideas to foster sustainability in your school, contact our Awards Coordinator, Michelle Payne, mdav461@ecy.wa.gov or (360) 407-6129. The Awards Coordinator is available to help guide you through the application process, to provide you with local resources, and to answer any questions you may have about the awards program.

Additional Resources

Recycling, Reuse, and Waste Reduction Opportunities

Other award/grant programs

Grants for Environmental Education in the Northwest: The region 10 EPA has a great compilation of "Grants for Environmental Education in the NW". This resource is wonderful because it has a compilation of 50+ granters and lets you know what they do and do not cover. For a copy of it contact the local EPA office at (206) 553-4973 or 1-800-424-4EPA.

Other Web Sites

Great Web Sites for Students

Ecology appreciates your comments and suggestions for improving the guide and application packet. Submit your comments and suggestions electronically through our online comment form or by email to Michelle Payne at mdav461@ecy.wa.gov. Written comments may also be mailed to Michelle Payne, Dept. of Ecology, SWFA Program, PO Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600.

Terry Husseman Sustainable Schools Awards