The Buzz: Green Groups
Parent groups across the country are finding creative ways to conserve resources and raise environmental awareness in schools.
January 2008
No-Idle Zones
The Blue Valley PTO/PTA Presidents’ Council in Overland Park, Kan., is working hard to implement “no idling” zones at student drop-off and pickup points. According to the Kansas City Star, a Girl Scout troop brought the idea to the council, pointing out that 10 percent of students have asthma that can be aggravated by car exhaust. Parent groups will pay for “no-idle zone” signs at participating school and promote the programs to parents.
Conservation Funds
In Lawrence, Kan., students at the K-6 Schwegler Elementary marked the institution’s 50th anniversary with an environmentally friendly fundraiser for the PTA, selling energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs and compost bags. The same day that the PTA launched the fundraiser, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius asked state residents to save energy by changing at least one light bulb in their home to the more energy-efficient bulbs.
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Eco-Conscious Efforts
The PTO at Chickering Elementary in Dover, Mass., began a “going green” initiative in the fall. The group formed an energy task force, gave students reusable water bottles, and sponsored a performance by Bash the Trash to teach the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle.
