West Utica Student Council President Greenifies School

Name: West Utica Elementary School Student Government President Shourya Verma

 Green Dream:

Verma and the student council helped West Utica win Evergreen status two years in a row at the Macomb Intermediate School District Michigan Green Schools program. The county recognizes schools for their work in promoting environmental responsibility. The schools earn their status by earning points for their recycling and green initiatives.

Here are just some of the things the student government has done to go green:

• The school adopted Taz the bobcat from the Howell Nature Center and the California flying squirrel.

• West Utica continues to recycle paper.  Every Friday, the student government gives up their recess to empty recycling bins from every classroom.

• The school reuses magazines and newspapers for other projects.

• The school media center updates its print and nonprint ecological materials regularly.

• West Utica hosts a visit by an ecological spokesperson, an endangered animal species show or similar presentation.

 The school has instituted an energy savings program which consists of the following:

• Unplug all electronic devices over extended breaks.

• Thermostats in classrooms are adjusted to their lowest setting over extended breaks.

• Close all windows and use window treatments.

• Lights in rooms are turned off when unoccupied.

• The school has a printer cartridge recycling program through which the school earns money by selling the cartridges to one or more companies that buy from schools.

•  The school has a birdhouse habitat project.

• The school observes Earth Day on April 10.

•  The school recycles Capri Sun juice boxes in the lunchroom.

•  The school's classes visit Internet sites where clicking saves rain forest habitat.

• The school recycles computer and electronic waste through the appropriate district procedure.

•  The school recycles batteries.

• The school and students compost food/organic waste.  This is used to feed the worms in the compost bin located in the courtyard.

• The school buys recycles, biodegradable, locally produced and/or less toxic materials.

• The school/students participate in activities promoting the health of the Great Lakes Watershed.

• One of our teachers teaches a unit on alternate energy.

• The school recycles metal/cans.

• The school recycles cellular phones and receives money for the phones from recycling companies.

• The school recycles clothing.

What green infinitives would you like to see that are not currently in place?

I would like to see Adopt An Environmental Vision Statement or Planet Pledge. Our school should produce its own vision statement, which lays out what the students and/or school community are striving to achieve.

The Environmental Vision Statement or Planet Pledge should be displayed in various places within the school.

I would also like to conduct a school environmental survey to identify priorities for action, beginning with conducting a review of your school's environmental impact.

I would like to integrate Greening into the existing science, art, humanities, math, language arts or electives’ curriculum. Using the school as a hands-on laboratory offers opportunities for real-world problem-solving.

Why is it important to practice green policies?

Going green is important because humans rely on the earth's ecosystems to survive. When we reduce waste in all forms and live well within the boundaries of natural systems, we ensure that future generations will survive and thrive. The world has a fixed amount of natural resources—some of which are already depleted. As population growth greatly strains our finite resources, there are fewer resources available. If we intend to leave our future children and grandchildren with the same standard of living we have enjoyed, we must preserve the foundation of that standard of living. We save for college educations and other things, but what about saving clean air, water, fuel sources and soil for future generations?