Details

What is it?

The goal of the Sustainable Oregon Schools (SOS) Initiative is to move Oregon’s K-12 school districts and their schools toward a comprehensive state of sustainability, guided internally by a system for its implementation and management, and supported externally by resources from a permanent statewide program. It aims to prepare the coming generation to successfully manage and even reverse current trends, while helping schools to better manage these priorities now.

It will engage a large, broadly representative group of stakeholders that choose to participate, including schools and school districts, school associations, non-profit organizations, businesses, government agencies, parents and individuals. This group will develop the comprehensive set of topics and issues that lead to sustainability for K-12 schools.

Interested schools can choose to utilize the tools and resources that will be developed through this initiative to review their current operations and then to select one or more topic areas to pursue based on a variety of benefits as described below. Assistance will be available for these efforts as needed.

Examples of the diverse topic categories include energy, water, material waste, landscaping, toxics, food and wellness, transportation, purchasing, community involvement, cultural proficiency, sustainability education for students and staff, high performance facilities and many more. Representative samples of topics are shown in the diagram below. Not all topics shown below will be addressed by this initiative.

Why is it important?

The concept of sustainability means meeting current needs without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. A growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates our society is damaging the balance of our natural systems. Current trends in climate change, pollution and resource depletion will impact our children’s and grandchildren’s ability to live safe and healthy lives. The state of sustainability is achieved by managing environmental, social and economic activities.

Schools around the state are experiencing wonderful successes by implementing various aspects of sustainability. A La Pine school improved indoor air quality and thereby reduced absenteeism due to asthma. A Portland middle school has integrated sustainability within its curriculum with such successes as very high employee retention, a waiting list for admission and numerous awards. Salem schools implemented an energy conservation program which resulted in substantial cost savings and national recognition.

These individual efforts are valuable, but schools can experience even greater benefits by embracing a comprehensive vision of sustainability, just as businesses and governments are now doing. These other organizations are looking at the whole system, developing an internal understanding of sustainability and setting long-range goals that they wouldn’t have identified without this approach. This initiative creates tools and resources for schools and school districts to move toward that comprehensive vision, and helps them with implementation.

What Will It Do?

1. Identify, invite and engage a diverse group of stakeholders, who contribute their knowledge and work jointly to develop the resources. They will be brought together via an e-newsletter, events and in smaller topic-focused working teams.
2. Develop a comprehensive vision of sustainability for K-12 school districts and schools. Stakeholders will identify school-related activities that impact sustainability from such diverse categories as buildings, sustainability education for students & staff, purchasing, cultural proficiency, transportation, food and wellness, resource use and much more. This vision will provide a framework for the tools and resources developed.
3. Create a comprehensive Sustainable Oregon Schools website, which will be a focal point for school sustainability. It will outline the comprehensive vision of school sustainability, and will have a section for each topic area identified as part of this vision. Each section will contain the criteria for sustainability in that area, case studies and links to relevant projects and organizations. The site will contain all of the resources developed by the initiative.
4. Develop a sustainability assessment tool for schools and school districts. Topic teams of specialists in up to 15 of the topic areas impacting school sustainability will develop measurable sustainability criteria. The combined result will be a comprehensive assessment tool which will help schools and school districts understand sustainability, assess their current status in all categories, identify next-step projects that will move them toward sustainability and measure their progress. The assessment tool will be beta-tested and revised as needed.
5. Develop model systems for both a school district and an individual school to begin and manage their progress toward sustainability.
6. Develop a state-level sustainable K-12 schools award program, which will provide recognition of successes while generating interest among schools.
7. Provide education, outreach and support to schools and school districts in order to increase interest in the initiative and to identify those that would like to participate.
8. Lay the foundation for a permanent state sustainable schools program. At the conclusion of this initial multi-year effort the pieces for a permanent program will have been developed and momentum to use them begun. The initiative will transition to a permanent program that maintains the resources, continues to engage the stakeholders and continues to assess needs and track successes. A minimum level of staffing will be retained for this purpose.

How Will It Be Done?

The Initiative begins with a multi-year effort to become established:

Year 1. Share the project and concepts of sustainability with the stakeholders. Form topic teams. Jointly define school sustainability and create an assessment tool and a toolbox to help schools move toward sustainability. Plan and implement the workshops.

Years 2 and 3. Continue education and motivation via the presentations, the annual conference and awards. Market the initiative and its toolbox, and provide support for their use.

The initiative is guided by a diverse steering committee and staffed by the Zero Waste Alliance. Stakeholders will provide input and will participate in topic teams that develop the pieces of the toolbox.

What Are the Benefits?

The SOS initiative will increase the number of schools and districts that are beginning to address sustainability. As individual projects from the various topic areas are successfully completed and shared, it will motivate others to initiate similar improvements. As schools and districts establish systems to manage their sustainability progress they will be able to gain momentum by involving everyone, setting priorities, working toward long-term goals and assessing progress. They will experience such benefits as reduced costs, risk and environmental impact, and increased academic performance, community support, and personal health. Students, with their experience and knowledge of sustainability, will be better prepared to lead the future. Oregon will be a national leader in sustainability and will provide a unique model for the nation.

Who Are Some of the Endorsers?

Organizations:

• Office of the Governor
• Oregon Department of Education
• Oregon Sustainability Board
• Portland Public Schools
• Beaverton School District
• Klamath County School District
• Lake Oswego School District
• Oregon PTA
• Environmental Education Association of Oregon
• Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
• Oregon Department of Energy
• Portland State University, Leadership for Ecology, Culture and Learning
• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
• Oregon Environmental Council
• Portland Office of Sustainable Development
• Oregon Green Schools Association
• Oregon Nurses Association
• Norm Thompson Outfitters
• Oregon Natural Step Network
• Oregon Coast Sustain
• United States Environmental Protection Agency
• Catlin Gabel School
• Business Education Compact
• SOLV - Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism
• LSW Architects
• Clearing Magazine
• Lean Path, Inc.
• Chinook Book
• reSource
• Zero Waste Alliance

Individuals:

• John A. Kitzhaber, M.D., former Governor, State of Oregon
• Bill Bradbury, Chair, Oregon Sustainability Board and Secretary of State
• Al Davidian, retired superintendent
• Dilafruz Williams, Professor, Portland State University
• Jenna Train, Nike
• Jerry Green, Administrator for Facilities Operations and Maintenance, Beaverton School District
• Jack McGowan, Executive Director of SOLV
• Meeky Blizzard, Advisor for Livable Communities, Congressman Earl Blumenauer's office
• Joe Zenisek, Teacher, Molalla High School
• Larry Beutler, Director and Editor, Clearing Magazine
• Andrew Shakman, Lean Path, Inc.

Join the Endorsers, download and sign the Endorsement Form (PDF 184K) and email it to schools@zerowaste.org or send it to

The Zero Waste Alliance
Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative
One World Trade Center
121 SW Salmon Street, Suite 210
Portland, Oregon 97204

Why Zero Waste Alliance (ZWA)?

ZWA’s mission is to support organizations in the creation of a more sustainable future. ZWA has a proven track record of working with broad stakeholder groups to accomplish innovative, far reaching goals as demonstrated by the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool project. This multi-year EPA-funded national project to develop and implement an electronics assessment tool benefited from ZWA’s management of the collaborative process, ensuring a successful product outcome that all parties support.

The SOS project is based on this type of broadly-inclusive, multi-stakeholder model. In addition, ZWA associates have many years of experience working on sustainability projects in schools and businesses. The Zero Waste Alliance is a program of the International Sustainable Development Foundation. (http://www.zerowaste.org)

For Additional Information

Download the following documents,

• Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative Summary (PDF 552K)
• Benefits to Schools Summary (PDF 182K)
• Benefits to Business summary (PDF 160K)

Or, simply contact us.