Several metro Atlanta schools and the Georgia Institute of Technology are being honored by the U.S. Department of Education for environmentally-friendly efforts.
In Atlanta, Tech, the Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School and Paideia were named Green Ribbon Schools. The rest of Georgia was represented by Pharr Elementary in Snellville and the City Schools of Decatur.
Tech was recognized for sustainability initiatives, including a green cleaning program with a 56 percent reduction in chemical use from 2008 through 2014. The Atlanta Neighborhood Charter got kudos for LED lights, low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy efficient windows plus a farm to school program with a farm tended by middle school students. Paideia has one of the first LEED-certified school buildings in Atlanta with geothermal heating, and was recognized for community outreach by parents and students
Pharr, in Gwinnett County, has energy-efficient upgrades including occupancy sensors linked to air handlers plus lighting retrofits in all classrooms. Ninety percent of students walk or ride the bus, and outdoor learning areas cover nearly half the grounds, with a greenhouse and a garden fed by rainwater from the roof.
The Decatur school system just east of Atlanta, in DeKalb County, has cut its energy use and has a farm to school program with food grown at all schools, a vibrant “walk and roll” to school program and a curriculum infused with environmentalism. The school district has also eliminated use of “harsh” chemicals and cleaners.
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