Ogden Elementary
School's Go Green Team
Receives National Recognition
Students at Ogden Elementary School have
been taking a "green" approach. The school's Go Green Team, led
by faculty advisor Mindy Nicoll, has worked throughout the
school year implementing go green techniques and educating the
students and staff about going green. The Go Green Team's work
has paid off. The team has received the following honors by the
NEED (National Energy Education Development) Project:
-Finalist for Elementary Rookie of the
Year at the National Level and
-Finalist for Elementary School of the
Year in North Carolina
Team members will travel to Washington,
DC, June 26-29, 2009, to be honored at the NEED Project's 29th
Annual Youth Awards Program for Energy Achievement. While
attending the awards conference, students will have the
opportunity to meet other school team winners from across the
country and learn more about school-based conservation efforts.
Ogden's Go Green Team is student driven
and consists of third and fourth grade students. The students
meet every two weeks to conduct energy conservation activities.
They also learn about both renewable and non-renewable resources
and their advantages and disadvantages. Since the team is
student driven, the students come up with activities to help
educate their fellow classmates, as well as staff, on why it is
important to save energy at school and at home.
The following activities are just a few
examples of how the Go Green Team has implemented conservation
methods at Ogden throughout the school year:
- Conducted weekly classroom energy
audits. Each classroom was "graded" and either received a
green-the best, yellow-okay, or red-the worst report card on
its door for the class' energy conservation efforts. The
energy report card would state what the team found left on
(such as the lights, computers, etc.) after the school day
was over.
- Emptied classroom recycling bins
during their energy audits at the school's recycling center.
- Made informational posters about
ways to save energy here at school and at home. The posters
were displayed throughout the school, including staff
workrooms, hallways, and classrooms.
- Created "energy grams" with
messages on ways to save electricity and help the planet.
- Made solar houses out of recycled
paper boxes. They used solar energy from the sun to run
lights and fans inside the houses to demonstrate that solar
energy can be used in our everyday lives and there is no
pollution as a result.
- Read books to multiple kindergarten
classes on Earth Day and helped to educate them on ways to
save energy. They also distributed solar beads to each class
to help teach them about solar energy from the sun.
Ogden's Go Green Team hopes to continue
its work next school year as they continue to educate students,
parents, and staff about the importance of conversation and how
the smallest efforts can help our planet stay green.
For more information about Ogden's Go
Green Team, contact Mindy Nicoll at (910) 686-6464. For more
information about the NEED Project, log on to:
