Denver, March 24, 2008 – Washington D.C.-based Earth Day Network (EDN) picks Ellis Elementary as one of only 3 schools nationwide to receive a "Green Makeover" as part of Hands On Earth Day 2008 and to promote their GREEN Schools Campaign.
EDN school greening efforts aim to improve both the physical and learning environments, while also encouraging action against multiple environmental problems. It promotes hands-on, interdisciplinary learning through projects that benefit the school and increase green space and biodiversity in the community, such as outdoor, living classrooms, refurbishments with certified green building materials, or green roof installations.
The school-wide conservation efforts will also include projects inside buildings. These action-oriented projects encourage students to learn leadership skills, engage environmental issues, and make conscious choice changes that lead to better environmental stewardship. This process catalyzes civic momentum for better communities by those involved, students, teachers, administrators, and volunteers, while rallying communities around their schools as centers for citizen action.
Ellis students identified environmental issues in their own community earlier this year. They have been working with FrontRange Earth Force to define strategies for addressing the issues. EDN’s "Green Makeover" will address some of the students’ concerns and build on their projects.
Monday, April 21, 2008, volunteers will carry out most of the work for the makeover throughout the day. Students will take part in an "Earth Day Fair" from 1 to 3 in the afternoon. They will partner with community organizations to educate each other and the larger community about environmental issues and the changes being made at the school.
Visitors are encouraged to attend the Earth Fair from 1 – 3 p.m. Monday, April 21.
About Earth Day Network
Earth Day Network seeks to grow and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable planet. It pursues these goals through education, politics, cultural events, and consumer activism. Earth Day Network has a global reach with a network of more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries. More than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities, making it the largest secular civic event in the world.
About Ellis Elementary School
"Ellis is a neighborhood school serving students in Early Childhood Education through 5th grade from east and southeast Denver. Our focus continues to be literacy with students demonstrating their ability to apply reading and writing skills in all curricular areas. The diversity of our school community provides a richness that we feel is unique. Within our school population are students representing over 30 countries and nearly as many different languages. School-based assessments and state standardized achievement tests reflect academic achievement by our students that meet or exceed district performance."
– Mr. Khoa Nguyen, Ellis Elementary School Principal