Richard McKenna Charter School Project Leads to Installation of Onsite Wind Turbine

[Nathanael]

Another great story about students deciding the best way to generate energy for their school:



When alternative energy teacher Todd Thorn began teaching at the Richard McKenna Charter School in Idaho, he and his students embarked on a three year alternative-energy project that is impacting their community in a positive way.

According to Mountain Home News, Thorn asked his students to develop a “cost benefit proposal.”

The proposal would determine if a wind turbine or solar panels would save the school money, and establish how much energy would be produced using the alternative energy systems.

Link: http://www.energyboom.com/wind/richard-mckenna-charter-school-project-leads-installation-onsite-wind-turbine

[mzteris]

1. innovation is one of the hallmarks of Charter public schools -

There's a proposed AGRO-URBAN Charter Middle school in Madison -

"Math class might be in a tomato patch, science in a rain garden, and language arts in a greenhouse. But one thing is certain: Students at Badger Rock Middle School, a proposed year-round charter school for Madison's South Side, would be getting their hands dirty.

The idea for a year-round "agro-urban" school ringed with vegetable gardens and orchards is moving forward with an eye towards opening as soon as fall 2011.

. . . "If you're going to do music, you don't just study music history, you make music, right?" said Mark Wagler, a retired Madison teacher who is a member of the planning team for the charter school. "You don't engage in the cultural and natural world by learning about it, you begin to practice being a culturally responsible, engaged person who creates things."

. . . The school would be housed in the privately funded neighborhood center to be constructed for an estimated $7 million to $10 million, while the property would also include a working farm and a local business.

. . . "The words they liked were the words ‘budget neutral,' and I think that's probably what they're going to hold us to," Wagler said of the school board after supporters of the charter school presented their plan to the board. "The per-pupil cost is going to have to be similar" to students in other district middle schools.

The preliminary idea for Badger Rock Middle School is for students to use the surrounding grounds as a hands-on laboratory.

. . . The school would emphasize "culturally relevant" teaching, designed to bridge the achievement gap between white and minority students by helping teachers better understand their students' home culture. The concept is promoted by UW-Madison professor Gloria Ladson-Billings, who along with other university faculty is working on developing the charter school.

"We really think this would be a regional and national model for communities working together with school districts," said Brenda Baker, director of exhibits at Madison Children's Museum and a member of the school planning team. "MMSD will not be paying for the building. The Center for Resilient Cities, along with our group, will be fundraising for this project and for the whole operation."

Badger Rock students would attend school for 180 days, the same as others in the district. But instead of having a long summer break, when students often lose academic skills, students would be off for the months of August and December and have an extended Spring Break.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/article_ebbef0d6-ffee-11de-8360-001cc4c002e0.html


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Here's a group devoted to the development of "Green" charter public schools.

Welcome to a Community of Green Charter Schools!

Environmental education is flourishing in public charter schools in many states because charter schools can break the mold of traditional schools, which are often bound by organizational barriers and bricks and mortar. The environmental issues presently confronting our world have challenged each of us to fundamentally transform schools. You are the “public” in public education and, as such, you can make a difference by advocating for the creation of green charter school choices for young people in your community and state.

The Green Charter Schools Network is a new resource for you to connect with others who share your passion. By acting collaboratively with others through the GCSNet, you can play a leading role in improving education in the United States.

Educating for sustainability helps young people to gain the knowledge, skills, motivation and hands-on experiences to make the world a better place for everyone and everything.

Contact the Green Charter Schools Network to connect with others who are fostering the development of green schools throughout the country.

http://www.greencharterschools.org/


Find A Green Charter School in Your State

Use this interactive map to search for green charter schools and resources in your state. You are also encouraged to contribute ideas to this valuable network resource that will direct parents, policymakers and other Web visitors to current information about developments in your state. (Find fast facts about each state below the map.)

http://www.greencharterschools.org/vnews/display.v/ART/4ac63d0a35a37