by Amy Jolly | September 1, 2015
ECO2school, the Center for
Climate Protection’s award-winning youth leadership program for high school
students, is excited to begin a partnership with the Department of Health
Services for their Safe Routes to School program. Funding is through CalTrans with
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality monies.
Students in Sonoma County are
doing their part to plan and implement emission-reducing actions on their
school campuses. Thousands of students have participated in the program since
it began in 2003. In the 2014-15 school year, students saved 20 tons of
greenhouse gas emissions, a 33% improvement from the previous year. There was
an 11% increase in active transportation (such as biking, walking, and
skateboarding) and a 26% increase in alternative transportation (such as
carpooling and public transit).
Student action is being rewarded:
80% of CCP’s Youth Advisory Board members were accepted at their first choice
university. Also, ECO2school won the Breathe California Clean Air award for
educational excellence. Our ECO2school
manual, which will enable others to replicate ECO2school, is garnering
national attention.
Thank you to the Sonoma County Board
of Supervisors, for their support of this program. We particularly extend our
gratitude to Shirlee Zane for her ongoing support and vision, which has helped
the program to flourish.
We are seeking other funding
opportunities that will enable us to serve all high schools in Sonoma County
that want a youth climate leadership program.
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Amy Jolly is the ECO2school Program Manager for The Climate Center.