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Harding High School

1540 6th St. , St. Paul, MN 55106
Earth Club

Earth Club was established in 2004 with 6 students. Every year we have grown. This school year, 2008-09, we have had 150 students do at least one activity and we have over 80 active members. We meet every Friday. Our purpose is to have student active in their neighborhood and gain knowledge about the environment. We do this by partnering with several organizations including: Ramsey Washington Watershed District, Hands On Twin Cities, Community Education, Partners for Violence Prevention, Department of Natural Resources, Friends of the Mississippi, Great River Greening, East Side Community Design Center and others. Service Learning ane volunteering are very important to our mission. In 2007-08, we held 58 events, had 213 student participate in at least one event, totaled 1425 volunteer and service learning hours.

We use our greenhouse to grow herbs, vegetables, native plants, oak trees and experiment with different growing methods. Plants are sold or used at our facility. This year we are starting tomato plants for Crosswinds School. Crosswinds will use the tomatoes in their school lunches.

Harding Earth Club: Changing the World for Future Generations
Jill Danner, jill.danner@spps.org, 651-793-4700 x1141

A Classroom Experiment

Energy efficiency

Phase one – Model Classroom: As a project springboard, a selected room at Highland Park Senior High School will be altered in order to improve energy efficiency, thereby reducing the carbon footprint. Alterations will include an exchange of lower wattage and longer life light bulbs, window edge insulation with possible drapes to reduce winter heat loss. A custom-made heat deflector will be installed to redirect radiator heat, which rises to an unusual dead space in the room ceiling.

Students will be involved in the model classroom project. Energy savings through light bulb replacement will be estimated, based on wattage reduction. Yearly savings will be projected for the classroom. School-wide savings will then be estimated, based on number of classrooms. Energy-savings will be emphasized as a direct connection to reduced carbon footprint.

Phase two – Students in science classes will estimate their home energy savings based on the classroom model data. Classes will challenge each other to reduce the carbon footprints that they make in their own homes. Students can estimate this by purchasing lower wattage light bulbs at a discounted price from school. Other energy saving measures will also be encouraged. The total energy savings (and resulting carbon footprint reduction) will be calculated for all of the students’ homes in the city.

Phase three – Once the classroom challenge has been carried out smoothly, a school wide challenge between homerooms will be conducted. Similar calculations of energy savings and carbon reduction can be made for the entire school and its families.

Phase four – Highland Park students will advertise their results to other schools and community members throughout the city. By this time, an environmental club at the school will hopefully be started. This club can estimate the overall impact of their efforts to the community surrounding Highland Park, and continue to promote carbon reduction strategies.

The grant funds will be used to help purchase energy saving materials such as light bulbs and insulation. Student interest and involvement will help to determine the project’s success, as well as the projected and actual savings throughout the year.

 

Click to learn more ENERGY STAR Leader
St. Paul Public Schools – ISD 625
Ten Percent Improvement (2007)