DC STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MARKS EARTH DAY BY ESTABLISHING A GREEN PRACTICES COMMITTEE
Washington, DC – In an effort to reduce waste, protect the environment, and better align the District of Columbia State Board of Education’s “green” efforts with best practices followed by government agencies and schools nationwide, the State Board recently established a Green Practices Committee.
Comprised of Board members D. Kamili Anderson (Chair, Ward 4), Monica Warren-Jones (Ward 6), and Karen Williams (Ward 7), the Committee intends to pursue the following objectives this year:
- Expand the scope of environmentally friendly practices and programs within the Office of the State Board that reduce its carbon footprint and energy consumption; and
- Establish sustainability goals for the State Board's operations, prioritizing and tracking staff and State Board member progress toward attaining them.
Areas of interest include:
- Improved recycling and waste-management efforts;
- Auditing of energy use within the office; Conscientious selection of business supplies;
- Increased implementation of green business practices, including reducing reliance on printer materials and increased use of technology;
- Promotion of and support for environmental education; and
- Greater collaboration with the District Department of the Environment (DDOE).
The Green Practices Committee and other State Board members plan to attend and represent the Board at several of the Earth Day activities planned throughout the region this month. They will be gathering information on the state of school-based green practices and initiatives, and working to forge partnerships with environmentally focused groups.
“Even though the Office of the State Board currently engages in numerous green practices,” Committee Chair Kamili Anderson explained, “we will be constantly looking for ways to improve our practices in several areas. We hope both to learn from others and to set a good example.”
For more information, please contact the State Board at [email protected] or at 202.741.0888.
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