Car-less School Days
About three years ago I helped jump start the Alternative Commuter Fund Drive (ACPD) at the school I teach at. The ACPD is a simple idea to move further in the direction as a school in leaving less of a carbon footprint behind.
During the month of May our community of parents and students pull together to take the pledge to either car-pool, bus, bike, or walk to and from school. The family committed to the green cause then collects sponsors to donate a particular amount per mile that goes towards a family opting to take an Alternative route (i.e. walking, carpooling, busing, biking, etc.) to and from school. At the end of the month the family calculates the total amount of miles for a given month, collects money from the sponsors, and the dollars earned go towards becoming a more sustainable school. The school then takes the money raised during the month to implement environmental-based curriculum or to support the school in investing in greener standards, such as weatherizing the building, installing CFL lights, upgrading doors and windows, etc.
Students walking, biking, busing, or bicycling with their parent/guardian/nanny also learn about their decisions in the world is important and meaningful to making change. Students can get directly involved by calculating the distance they travel to and from school, keep track of the miles, promote what their doing through gathering sponsorships, and support the sustainable growth of their school. For a school considering becoming a “green school” or has already made considerable strides, an Alternative Commuter month can empower those in the school community to tread lighter when it comes to commuting, share in the greater green cause with the younger generation, and raise the right amount of “green” to shoot for more sustainable strategies.
In our third annual ACPD, our Community School is poised to purchase eco-friendly flooring and a dual flush toilet. We’re also wanting to revitalize our play yard to spruce it up with gardens and a rain barrel for students to access water for stirring up projects or for watering plants. And I think such an idea has the potential for growth at other schools.
