April 15, 2014 (Sacramento):  Twenty-five SCUSD student-led green teams will compete for $1 million in Measure Q money on Tuesday, April 22, at the 2014 Project Green Event, held this year at Isador Cohen Elementary School.

Started three years ago, Project Green encourages students — in teams with teachers and parents — to learn about sustainable living by conducting green audits of their campuses. The audits are then used to craft student recommendations for facility upgrades that will improve energy and water efficiency and make campuses healthier places for students to learn.

At the annual showcase event, teams present their ideas to a panel of community experts that use rubrics to analyze the presentations. Last year, 11 SCUSD schools and McClaskey Adult Center were funded for such projects as solar tubes, new recycling bins, skylights and motion-sensor hand dryers.

The team from C.K. McClatchy High School scored highest for its presentation and report, which included a rationale for upgrading campus bathrooms with low-flow, dual-flush toilets, motion-sensor fixtures and hand dryers. The judging panel recommended allocations up to $150,000 for these projects.

“Project Green is a one-of-a-kind initiative nationwide,” says SCUSD’s Environmental Sustainability Manager Farah Wissinger. “SCUSD is allowing students to make decisions about capital improvements to green their school. Students will gain from this venture now and for the rest of their lives.”

WHAT:                 SCUSD’s 2014 Project Green Showcase

WHEN:                 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22

WHERE:               Isador Cohen Elementary School

                                9025 Salmon Falls Drive, Sacramento, CA 95826