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Category: Environmental

GreenFutures Sense.Able Schoolyards Initiative

GreenFutures Sense.Able Schoolyards Initiative

For the last year, GreenFutures, the District’s sustainability program, has been working closely with teams from Capital, Curriculum and Instruction, Fairmount Water Works (FWW), and Interpret Green to develop a schoolyard sensor project called the Sense.Able Schoolyards Initiative. GreenFutures recently received funding through an FWW Grant from Spark Therapeutics to develop an integrated teaching and…

EAC is Beginning its Third Year!

EAC is Beginning its Third Year!

The Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) is beginning its third year of meetings to help keep community advocates and stakeholders informed about the District’s plans and progress on environmental work. The Council meets with the Office of Environmental Management & Services quarterly. It engages with representatives from across the city – parents, community members, union representatives,…

District ​​Filed Lawsuit Challenging Environmental “Best Practices” Law

District ​​Filed Lawsuit Challenging Environmental “Best Practices” Law

The School District of Philadelphia has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the City’s new environmental “best practices” law. Board of Education President Reginald L. Streater, Esq., explained in a statement that the District took this extraordinary step because the new law could threaten the opening of many District buildings at the start of the next…

OEMS adds Environmental Field Auditors and AHERA Management Planners

OEMS adds Environmental Field Auditors and AHERA Management Planners

The Office of Environmental Management and Services welcomes two new AHERA Management Planners and two Environmental Field Auditors to the TEAM. Lauren Pickett and Catherine Curia have joined the District as AHERA Management Planners. They play a critical role in helping the District document its mandated asbestos management for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In…

EPA Awards $5M to District to Expand Hydration Station Installations

EPA Awards $5M to District to Expand Hydration Station Installations

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded nearly $5 million to the District to support our efforts to provide equitable, abundant access to chilled, filtered drinking water by installing more hydration stations in our schools and buildings. The $4,999,658 grant announced Oct. 11 will cover the purchase and installation of 755 new filtered hydration stations. The…

Coming soon: Greenscapes Guide for Greening Schools

Coming soon: Greenscapes Guide for Greening Schools

Nearly two dozen educators braved the July heat wave to learn more about the urban watershed and how to incorporate the Philadelphia water story curriculum into their classrooms. The Fairmount Water Works and District developed the curriculum and was supported by the Green City Clean Waters Initiative of the Philadelphia Water Department. The District’s Greenscapes…

EAC Puts Focus on Lead-Safe Program

EAC Puts Focus on Lead-Safe Program

What does it mean to be “Lead Safe?” That was the main topic of discussion at the July 25 meeting of the Environmental Advisory Council. Jen Donovan, who leads the District’s Lead Safe Program, offered an in-depth look at the Lead Safe Certification Program and its goal of reducing lead-based paint hazards by keeping classrooms…

GreenFutures’ Earth Month Contest Helps Schools Find Ways to Reduce Litter

GreenFutures’ Earth Month Contest Helps Schools Find Ways to Reduce Litter

Litter has connections to many aspects of everyday life. It can cause pollution, spread disease, and harm wildlife. Litter in schools is also unsightly and can be demoralizing for students and staff and reflect poorly on the school’s quality and safety. That’s why the School District of Philadelphia’s Sustainability Program, GreenFutures, has teamed up with…

EAC Welcomes New Members

EAC Welcomes New Members

The Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) welcomed four new members at its quarterly meeting on April 25. The Council brings together representatives from across the city to hear about the progress of the School District in maintaining environmental goals. Hydration stations and lead-in-water testing topped the agenda, and District Sustainability Manager Megan Garner provided a thorough…

EAC Begins Its Second Year

EAC Begins Its Second Year

The School District of Philadelphia is making progress toward meeting and maintaining our environmental goals, and Steve Link, Director of Environmental Management & Services, shared an important update with the Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) during its first quarterly meeting of 2022 on January 24. The goal of the EAC is to communicate with representatives from…