Merging Environmental Education and Character Education at the Elementary Level

Ben Franklin Elementary SchoolChris Turnbull, Principal

Megan Umbach, School Counselor

School Issues to Address • Bathroom tomfoolery

• Cafeteria ballyhoo

• Hallway shenanigans

The perfect storm of needs and opportunities:

It all started with a trip to Taiwan

Why sustainability as a vehicle for character?

• Empathy • Teamwork• Ownership• Relevance• Community/Global Awareness

School Theme

• Take Care• Yourself• Each Other• School• Earth

School Song

School Theme

• Take Care Pledge

School Rules

• Focus groups• Cafeteria• Hallways• Bathroom

Take Care Recognition Program

How to Grow a Green Friendship!

Jian An Elementary

• Friendship• Skyping• Mascot trading• Wiki

Sharing a Native American chant with our friends:

BF EPA

• Student driven• Grade-level goal

• PreK and Kindergarten – reduce & reuse• 1st – water• 2nd – recycling• 3rd - energy

BF EPA

• Grade level representatives• Milk carton recycling• Meetings with EcoTeam • Thursday recycling• Water usage• Solar Panel monitoring

• Report out to school

1st Grade Streamkeepers

• “Our stream”• Local • Community partnership• Monthly monitoring

Recycling Vultures & 3R’s

• Student created• 3R’s Thursday Recycling Fact• Counting and tracking milk cartons• Organize “trash-free” lunch• Reusing household items • Worm garden

Community Involvement

• Kids meeting with Taiwan

dignitaries• Princeton Environmental Fair • EPA dignitaries

• Outdoor Classroom

S.N.A.P. Space

Science, Nature, Art and Pondering

Work In Progress

April 24, 2012 – BF EPA Earth Week Celebration

Representative Rush Holt will help us celebrate this years’ accomplishments. Students will report out on our progress and dignitaries will be invited to share the experience and talk to/ read to the students.

How will you adjust to the 21st century?