The National Wildlife Federation and EcoRise will honor schools’ efforts in support of the monarch butterfly and sustainability
Event Details: Join San Antonio area students and staff, elected officials, local organizations, EcoRise, and the National Wildlife Federation to celebrate school sustainability and student innovation
What: San Antonio Student Sustainability Showcase – Second Annual
When: Tuesday, May 1, 2018 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Where: Confluence Park (310 W. Mitchell St., San Antonio, TX 78204)
San Antonio, TX – The second annual Student Sustainability Showcase – hosted in partnership by National Wildlife Federation, EcoRise, and the San Antonio River Foundation – will highlight and celebrate student-driven sustainability projects from districts across the San Antonio region, including San Antonio ISD, Ft. Sam Houston ISD, Northside ISD, North East ISD, and New Braunfels ISD. Students will present their ideas and projects, including outdoor classrooms, pollinator habitats, water conservation efforts, and composting initiatives. This free, public event celebrates the next generation of green leaders and connects educators with organizations committed to sustainability.
Student projects featured at this year’s showcase have been granted funds from either EcoRise’s Eco-Audit Grant program or National Wildlife Federation’s Monarch Heroes Grant program. Both organizations aim to cultivate eco-literacy and make conservation and ecology a part of academic study and campus culture.
In its second year of partnership, National Wildlife Federation and EcoRise have seen student empowerment and ownership blossom:
“I like going to the showcase because we get a chance to share everything we’re doing at my school to help butterflies,” said Corbin M. at Martin Elementary in Northside ISD. “We also get to learn what other schools are doing. I love being a citizen scientist!!” Martin Elementary, a National Wildlife Federation Monarch Heroes school, now has 360 square feet of pollinator habitat on their campus.
“EcoRise has offered a wonderful experience for my students.” said Diana Koon, a teacher at Pease Middle School. “My kids had to create a vision for an outdoor classroom and develop a plan to make it happen, such as working out all of the logistics and coming up with a budget. Through research and real-world application, I believe they have a greater appreciation and ownership in their project. Best of all, they are so proud of themselves!” Thanks to EcoRise Eco-Audit Grant funds, 48 square feet of previously unused outdoor space will be converted to a functional outdoor classroom by Pease Middle School Students.
EcoRise and National Wildlife Federation are grateful to the community partners that make programming in San Antonio possible. Funding for EcoRise’s Student Innovation Fund is provided by the City of San Antonio, and general EcoRise programming is made possible through the support of HEB, Rackspace, and North East ISD. Funding for the National Wildlife Federation’s Monarch Heroes program in San Antonio is generously provided by HEB, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Joan & Herb Kelleher Foundation.
About the Sponsoring Organizations and their Programs:
The National Wildlife Federation: The National Wildlife Federation works to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world. The National Wildlife Federation is the U.S. host for the international Eco-Schools program, a network of 50,000 K-12 schools in 62 nations. The Monarch Heroes program was developed in Texas in 2014 to address monarch butterfly population decline by increasing pollinator habitat on school campuses.
EcoRise: The mission of EcoRise is to inspire a new generation of leaders to design a sustainable future for all. EcoRise’s Eco-Audit Grant Program awards funds to help K–12 students green their school. Over $25,000 has been awarded to more than 60 student projects around the U.S. this year alone.
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Contacts:
Karen Bishop, NWF
512-610-7761
bishopk@nwf.org
Kristi Hibler-Luton, EcoRise
(512) 569-3124
kristi@ecorise.org
