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Sustainability Committee

LightbulbDistrict 64 established a Sustainability Committee in spring 2014 to revitalize its focus on environmental sustainability efforts at the schools and District level.

The group springs from the work of an earlier Green Team (see below), which operated during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years.

The committee works to identify ways to enhance and build upon environmentally friendly initiatives already in place, and to develop and coordinate the accomplishment of specific goals throughout the District.

Mission:  The District 64 Sustainability Committee promotes an understanding of the impact of our individual and collective actions on the environment and one another. We provide leadership for environmental protection by focusing on two goals:

  • Establishing, communicating, and consistently implementing the process for recycling at each school (classroom and lunchroom), and
  • Identifying the action steps for reducing waste in our lunchrooms.

Membership includes representatives from all schools and offices, the community, and school and District administrators.

To expand its understanding of the 3-e's of Sustainability, the committee hosted a presentation on April 10, 2014 by Mary Allen, Recycling and Education Director at the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC).  Ms. Allen provided an overview of things District 64 should consider when developing a sustainability plan, and offered a specific focus on strategies for waste reduction to reduce its content and toxicity.

Resources for Sustainability

Solid Waste Agency for Northern Cook County
Everything you ever wanted to know about waste reduction, reuse and recycling.

Illinois Green Schools Programs
Illinois has several programs that are designed to improve the ability of schools to provide a safe and healthy environment for all those who use their facilities and to educate the next generation on the value of caring for the environment.

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Activity
Lights for Learning Program -- Schools earn a 50% profit and a free educational assembly or classroom presentation about energy conservation by selling energy efficient Compact Fluorescent Light (CFLs) bulbs.  CFLs can last up to 10 times as long as an incandescent bulb while using 75% less energy.

Healthy Schools Campaign
Advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure that schools are healthy learning environments.

Teacher Resource References

Monthly tip sheets help incorporate Green Team topics.  Each 1-page guide includes a short list of facts, several suggested discussion ideas, and web sites for more information.

The Health of our Earth is Everyone's Responsibility -- Emissions (October)

Develop Empathy towards the Earth -- Shopping Bags (November)

Strategies to Reduce Holiday Waste (December)

Lunch-Time Recycling and Waste-Free Lunches (February)

Know About and Reduce Your Use of Electricity (March)

District 64 Green Team Committee:
Past Reports & Project Sampler

The Green Team operated during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years.

  • Report: Update on Green Team Committee to the Board of Education February 9, 2009 (PDF of memo)
  • Report: Green Team Committee Update to the Board of Education May 10, 2010 (PDF of memo)
     

2009-10 Projects

Clear out your clutter -- a great New Year's Resolution!
Check out these local, recycling drop-off points for eyeglasses, ink cartridges, CFL bulbs, rechargeable batteries, and pop tabs from cans. Here's the list.

For other recycling locations, visit: www.swancc.org

Lunchroom recycling underway at all schools
Here is a list of items that are acceptable for recycling by Lakeshore. Recycling Do's & Don'ts for Lakeshore (PDF)

Recycle paper at 5 schools
Earn money for our schools and the PTOs by bringing paper to the Abitibi recycling bins at 5 schools (Emerson, Franklin, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Washington). Just drop-in your newspapers, magazines, catalogs, mail, office paper, paperback books, hardcover books (cover removed); please -- no cardboard or phone books. Learn more about this project

  • January 2010 Project - Cell Phones for Soldiers   

    Informational flyer on this project (PDF)
     
  • April 2010 Project - Recycle old athletic shoes

    Just drop ‘em off and put ‘em back in the game! Old athletic shoes still have “game” – if you choose to recycle them instead of sending them to the landfill. For the second year, all District 64 schools and offices will collect old athletic shoes for recycling during the month of April by Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program. Normally, old sneakers are thrown away in the garbage and end up in a landfill. Through this unique program, Nike will shred old athletic shoes into “Nike Grind,” a material that goes into making new sports surfaces and fields, such as basketball and tennis courts, soccer and football fields, and running tracks.  District 64’s Green Team Committee is working with the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC), one of Nike’s 28 official collection partners nationally, to collect shoes to be converted into Nike Grind.

Together We Discover, Learn, Grow & Care

At D64, our mission is to foster opportunities for discovery, engagement, and growth for all students. We accomplish this by nurturing interdependence, appreciation of differences, and care for self and others.

This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.