The Center for the Environment at Catawba College has assumed the leadership of the N.C. Green Schools program, a nonprofit organization that promotes sustainability in the state's schools from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
The Reading, Riding Retrofit: N.C. Green Schools Program began in 2009 under the auspices of Asheville Buncombe Sustainable Community Initiatives Inc. based in Asheville. It was developed to encourage and recognize green initiatives in North Carolina schools.
The program helps teachers connect and share ideas, offers resources and tools to help them start green initiatives and recognizes schools that meet specified goals.
Wear
Center Executive Director John Wear calls the program "a good fit" for the Center. Its National Environmental Summit for High School Students and Campaign for Clean Air have promoted sustainability in North Carolina schools for years. Countless other programs have educated children about the natural environment.
"It's a need we can fill," Wear says. "It will also be a value-added educational opportunity for our students."
Katie Ferrell has joined the Center to coordinate the effort. "I'm super-excited about this partnership," she says. "The Center has so many connections around the state that it will infuse the program with new energy."
The resources that both organizations bring to the table will strengthen the program's network, says Ferrell. "We'll be able to reach out to more schools to increase sustainable practices."
