22 Jan Grant Funding Awarded to Local Schools for Sustainability Projects

From the City of Austin Office of Sustainability:

Local Austin students are going green. With a little guidance and a lot of passion, K-12 students are participating in interactive, hands-on projects that ensure their school’s Bright Green Future. Some of these projects include rainwater harvesting systems, organic gardens, and bicycle academies. The City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability has announced grant funding for 24 new and exciting projects at local elementary, middle, and high schools. The Bright Green Futures Grants program is sponsored by the Office of Sustainability and funded by Austin Resource Recovery, Watershed Protection and the Public Works Department.

The following projects are this year’s recipients of Bright Green Futures Grants:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS:

Cycle Academies at Joslin, Brentwood, Gullet, Reilly, Lee, Maplewood, Widen and Blanton Elementary Schools will encourage students to ride their bikes safely each day.

Blackshear Elementary’s Schoolyard Project will remind students in a creative way about the importance of conservation as they walk along an educational trail to enter the school.

Students participating in Patton Elementary’s Mini Habitats with Ollas project will capture water runoff from AC units and direct it to clay ollas, which will water a garden planted with native plants.

Foundation Communities' Ecosmarts Program will educate students about resource conservation in the areas of water, waste, energy, and indoor air quality.

Hoping to address campus erosion issues, the Lee Elementary Roadrunner Rainwater Collection Systemwill capture rainwater from buildings and use it to water gardens and trees.

Mills Elementary’s Rain Cistern to the Rescue project will collect rainwater runoff from the school roof that has eroded the school yard and trail.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS:

Kealing Middle School’s Cycle Academy will focus on bike safety and maintenance skills, and promote an action-oriented, healthy lifestyle.

The Game of Village: Mission G.I.V.V.E at Austin EcoSchool is a year-long project that allows students to explore an environment in full, including the cultural, social, geographical, and political forces that have an impact.

Installation of the Rainwater Harvesting System at Austin Achieve will provide a unique solution for their school garden that addresses limited freshwater resources.

Covington’s Texas Native Plants and Animals will convert an empty area subject to erosion into a colorful grass meadow full of native ornamental grasses and wildlife.

The Green Tech Academy at Small Middle School’s will install an irrigation system that uses green water from cisterns and downspouts; a rain garden will be created at each downspout. Additionally, the school will be able to install a Heritage Garden to promote sustainable gardening and cultivate native foods for the roughly 43% of students who identify themselves as Hispanic.

Clint Small’s Aquaponics Garden and fish tank will reduce the school’s carbon footprint and provide students with high-quality, healthy foods.

The Rain Garden at Bertha Sadler Means will capture and treat stormwater runoff while serving as a demonstration garden for students to learn about watersheds and methods for protecting them.

Grant funding will provide improvements to the current Garden Club, Skills for Living class, Native Plants class and PTA Campus beautification program as part of the Bailey Bear Garden Project.

Lamar’s LMS Mini Farmers' Market Project will sell vegetables, herbs and chicken eggs to the campus community once a month, while also educating the community about the benefits of local, organic food and urban farms.

HIGH SCHOOL:

The Aquaponics Garden at Crocket will demonstrate a sustainable way to grow food using little water that is entirely organic, with no chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

About Bright Green Future Grants
Sponsored by the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability, and funded by Austin Resource Recovery, Watershed Protection, and the Public Works Department, Bright Green Future Grants is a competitive program that provides funding for school-based sustainability projects. Launched in 2012, the grants program was designed to recognize and support innovative projects that will inspire students to become lifelong environmental stewards. This year, the Bright Green Future Grants program received 46 applications for funding consideration; 24 projects were selected for grants up to $3,000 by a panel of judges composed of Office of Sustainability staff, representatives from funding departments, and community members who serve on the City’s Environmental Board, Electric Utility Board, Sustainable Food Policy Board, Water and Wastewater Commission, and Zero Waste Advisory Commission.  For more information, visitwww.austintexas.gov/brightgreenfuture.