Eco Smart Education
Eco Smart Education
Schools spend more than $8 billion per year on energy nationwide, second only to spending on books and computers. SEI’s staff partner with schools and universities on a number of greening initiatives, from helping to make school and campus buildings more energy efficienct, to working alongside instructors to test new approaches to sustainability education. Our work in Eco-Smart Education spans K-12 through higher education.
Higher Education
SEI’s partnerships with colleges and universities target three primary impact areas: greening of the campus, greening of the workforce, and greening of the curriculum. Greening of the campus efforts help staff and students to optimize the operational efficiency of their institution and to make it a showcase of sustainability. Workforce greening programs engage students and area employers to support community climate planning, goal setting and implementation. Through curriculum greening efforts, SEI consults with college/university faculty and staff to design and pilot multi-disciplinary applied learning models. These approaches provide for local, applied learning opportunities for students and real benefits for local communities, while advancing sustainability education.
K-12 Education
SEI develops and facilitates quality educational programs about energy and sustainability for youth. Through classroom activities as well as informal education programs after-school and over the summer, youth become environmental stewards, and in doing so, leaders in their schools and communities. Our educational approach is to focus on project-based and service learning activities, so that students develop their skills in scientific reasoning and make connections between behavior, society, and environmental consequences. SEI also trains teachers and provides comprehensive training manuals in the areas of energy and resource efficiency, climate change science, renewable energy, and green careers. SEI has also refined a process for engaging school stakeholders to collaborate on campus greening initiatives at the schoolwide or school district level.
SEI News - Eco-Smart Education
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Completed Eco-Smart Education Programs
