Website and project videos coming by March 20; Projects start April 8
MARCH 5 – Let the green thinking begin! Five Gaston and Mecklenburg public schools have accepted the
Eco-Footprint Challenge to reduce their impact on the environment.
The winning schools in this friendly competition will receive
awards in late May, but everyone who takes part will benefit in this
STEM-focused effort to make learning these skills both relevant AND fun.
Our schools and projects
The five participating schools and their projects are:
- Catawba Heights Elementary School – Composting food waste to benefit the school’s vegetable gardens with the support of Gaston Cooperative Extension.
- Mountain Island Charter School – Creating a student-run information campaign to reduce the use of disposable materials in student lunches.
- Rankin Elementary School – Weighing and composting food waste to benefit the school’s vegetable gardens.
- River Oaks Academy – Reducing the school’s use of electricity.
- Whitewater Academy – Using a worm farm (vermiculture) to compost food waste for the school gardens.
What is the Eco-Footprint Challenge?
The Catawba River District has developed the Eco-Footprint
Challenge with support from the Piedmont Natural Gas Foundation. The Challenge
enables students and teachers to devise ways to shrink their building’s
eco-footprint – its impact on the environment as measured by the energy and
water consumed and wastes generated to operate the facility. Along the way,
students will learn new science, technology, engineering and math skills.
The Piedmont Natural Gas Foundation awarded a $50,000 grant
to the River District in February to develop an Eco-Footprint model for the 11
public schools serving our students and to give these schools the opportunity
to take part in the Eco-Footprint Challenge.
Next steps
- March 15 –Schools will develop their ideas into action plans by March 15 and create short videos to explain their ideas.
- March 20 – Students, teachers, parents and the community can track the progress of the Eco-Footprint Challenge on our new website, schoolecochallenge.org, and linked on-line video, photo and blog channels. The site will go live by March 20.
- April 8 – Students will begin carrying out their projects and recording results. Schools will report that data for six weeks beginning Wednesday, April 10. We will post weekly results each Friday on schoolecochallenge.org starting April. 12.
- April 8-22– Judges will visit the five schools during the statewide NC STEM Science Festival to see the projects in action. We will videotape each team’s brief presentation to the judges and post those videos on our web and video sites.
- And the winners are! May 20 – We will announce the winners of the 2013 Eco-Footprint Challenge and present their awards.
Why have an Eco-Footprint Challenge?
STEM learning is a critical component of the Catawba River
District’s work in advancing sustainable solutions for the 16,000-acre cluster
of communities that make up the River District, including northwest Charlotte,
Mount Holly, and Belmont.
The Eco-Footprint Challenge will engage many students from
families that are economically challenged and have limited opportunities to
engage in STEM learning beyond their schools. Educators say that students with
strong STEM skills by middle school are much more likely to pursue advanced
education in science, technology, engineering and math. Many of the best-paying
jobs in the global economy require those skills, as well. STEM experts within Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Gaston school
districts have been advising the River District’s leaders on STEM learning
projects for the past two years.
The Piedmont Natural Gas Foundation issued a grant making
the Challenge possible as part of the foundation’s community enrichment
initiative and its emphasis on STEM education.
Strategic Partners supporting the Challenge
The River District’s strategic partners, Piedmont National
Gas, Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville and Huber Technology, are helping stage
the Eco-Footprint Challenge with expertise and volunteers as well as resources.
The Piedmont Natural Gas Eco-Footprint Challenge is a
recognized component of the NC STEM Science Festival produced by the Morehead
Planetarium and Science Center at UNC-Chapel Hill. This is the second year
the Catawba River District’s school partnership has participated in the NC STEM
Science Festival.
Learn more about the Eco-Footprint Challenge
For additional information or to provide additional
financial support please contact
River District Executive Director Edna
Chirico at echirico@catawbariverdistrict.org or
704-562-8847.
About Piedmont Natural Gas Foundation
The Piedmont Natural Gas Foundation supports nonprofit
organizations throughout its service area and has invested more than $6 million
since the foundation’s start in 2004. The foundation provides support in a few key areas,
including environmental stewardship, energy sustainability, workforce
development and K-12 learning focused on science, technology, engineering and
math (STEM) education.
Within the STEM education focus, the foundation seeks to
develop high-quality leadership in schools and classrooms, plus programs that
help students develop science, technology, engineering and math skills
“critical to success in a global economy.”
• Learn more at http://piedmontng.com/ourcommunity/ourfoundation.aspx
About the Catawba River District
The Catawba River District is a regional, non-profit
organization dedicated to sustainable development and enhancement of a
16,000-acre area including parts of Mount Holly, Belmont, northwest Charlotte,
and the region’s watershed. The River District has been described as
a national model for public-private cooperation. Supporters range
from universities, schools and businesses to environmental advocates and
municipalities. Partners share a commitment to elevating the River
District through sustainable education, community development, and health and
wellness programs.
• Learn more at www.catawbariverdistrict.org.
