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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Our Environmental teams are making major improvements to the auditoriums in the William Dick School and Fox Chase Elementary. Thanks in part to funding from the University of Pennsylvania, we are able to engage in more “soup-to-nuts” construction projects and take advantage of necessary asbestos work to greatly improve the spaces for the school communities….
During the recent past, the Operations Work Order System has been the subject of interest for some of our external partners and the general public. The Environmental Office hired a first-ever dedicated person, Ananth “Sham” Vinjamuri, to track and manage environmental work orders. Under his charge, we successfully closed out/completed 2,547 work orders by identifying…
During the collaboration efforts between Environmental and Facilities to re-activate mechanically inoperable House Fan Systems during the past winter. The Environmental team had to thoroughly inspect and, if needed, abate any environmental hazards in order for a house fan to be mechanically reactivated and function. During the recent summer construction season, the Environmental team supported…
Megan is the District’s Sustainability Manager. She has been working with the School District of Philadelphia in the Office of Environmental Management Services since 2008. She began her career as an Environmental Scientist, in 2014, she transitioned her focus to develop and manage the District’s Sustainability Program. Megan also manages the Lead in Drinking Water…