Green Apple Day of Service

Boston Green Academy (BGA), a high school located in South Boston, celebrated 2013 Green Apple with an entire week of programming! BGA opened two years ago as an in-district Horace Mann Charter School with the mission to graduate all students prepared for college and the 21st century green economy. Administrators and teachers strive to integrate concepts of sustainability into classroom curriculum but students are also provided great opportunities to learn and explore outside the classroom walls. This past summer, one of BGA’s students held a summer green job as a Youth Energy Auditor. She took her newly acquired knowledge about energy conservation and renewable energy technologies back to BGA and helped organize Boston Green Academy’s Green Apple WEEK of Service event.

During this week of service, staff and students spent their daily advisory period educating themselves about the simple things occupants can do to reduce energy use and cut down on utility bills. Even in a building built ca. 1901, there are opportunities for energy savings!

They surveyed the school, looking for energy offenders like plugged in vampire devices and lights left on, looked in recycling bins for contaminates, researched energy saving tips online and created individual action plans to reduce energy use at BGA.  BGA was motivated by the school’s green mission; Youth Energy Auditor, Jose Honore’s enthusiasm; as well as the new Boston Public Schools Energy Conservation Campaign, which will be kicking off district-wide in October. Staff and students are excited to continue this energy education and track the building energy usage, comparing monthly energy bills with those from the same month last year. Stay tuned on our progress!

– Chamberlain Segrest, Boston Green Academy, Director of Green Programming

 

Green Apple Day of Service: 

On Sept. 28, 2013, the Green Apple Day of Service brought together thousands of students, teachers, parents and community leaders from around the globe to improve our school environments through service projects, education, community events and more. Our vast network of champions demonstrated the strength and breadth of our movement, leaving a meaningful and lasting local impact on our world’s schools.