November, 2006
“Enlightened” Eighth-Graders Think Global, Act Local
Service Learning Project Aims to Reduce CO2 Emissions
PALO ALTO, CA, November 21, 2006 – Eighth graders at Palo Alto’s Keys School are doing their part to reverse global warming. The students recently completed a grass-roots, environmental awareness campaign encouraging local families to replace more than 700 incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient, compact fluorescent light bulbs – a simple yet significant switch with the power to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 70,000 pounds in one year!
Working with a local hardware store, students obtained and sold – at cost – hundreds of Greenlight Ultra compact fluorescent light bulbs, which use roughly one quarter of the energy of traditional light bulbs. The project, conceived of and executed wholly by the students, integrated their science studies and service learning – education gleaned through community service.
“In class, we are studying the activities that contribute to global warming and their environmental impact,” says Andrea Shearn, Keys science teacher, who also encouraged her students to watch the global warming documentary, ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’ over their summer break. “The students wanted to raise awareness of the issue by doing something to demonstrate the real difference individuals could make. Their goal was to get five compact fluorescent light bulbs into the homes of every Keys School family.”
Having wrapped up the month-long campaign, students are currently in the process of organizing and distributing the energy-saving light bulbs.
Established in 1973, Keys School (2890 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto) is an independent, K-8 school offering a broad, hands-on curriculum that fosters high academic achievement and emphasizes balanced growth - intellectually, physically, emotionally, and socially - for every student. Within a diverse and supportive community, Keys is committed to maintaining a caring and creative environment that encourages children to take intellectual risks and to treat others with respect and empathy.
