News Detail
Green Cup Challenge Continues!
Dwight-Englewood School is one of 116 schools across the U.S. currently competing to reduce their electricity consumption by participating in the 2012 national Green Cup Challenge® (GCC).
D-E Progress To-Date
Thanks to disciplined efforts across all three divisions of D-E, Environmental Club member Rachel Porth (and D-E's GCC lead student coordinator) reports the following results after the School's second week of participation:
> The School was down 6.5% in electrical use this past week, even better than last week. For the past two weeks combined the School is down 5.5%, which places it in the top 5 of the GCC's Mid-Atlantic division.
> School divisional standings are follows:
- 1st place Lower School -6.4%
- 1st place Lower School -6.4%
- 2nd place Upper School -1.0%
- 3rd place Middle School +0.5%
- 3rd place Middle School +0.5%
> Overall the School has saved 4700 kWh for these first two weeks of the GCC. This is the amount of electricity that a typical house would use in 6 months, and the equivalent of roughly 3 tons of carbon dioxide.
More about the GCC:
Now in its fifth year, the Challenge is timed to take place during peak winter energy usage, January 18 to February 15, and is
a project of the non-profit Green Schools Alliance (GSA). The competition is designed to raise awareness about energy conservation and provide concrete action towards reduction.
During the Challenge, students and school staff work together to implement energy-saving strategies; they take weekly readings of school electric meters, and compare the usage to a baseline from previous years' consumption. Data are entered weekly into spreadsheets on the GCC website, providing students with hands-on learning opportunities. At Dwight-Englewood School, tactics include keeping lights turned off in areas already well-lit by natural sunlight, such as the second floor hallway in the Klein Campus Center, and not using trays in the Dining Hall to reduce hot water use.
The Enviromental Club is taking their weekly measurements of electrical output at meters throughout the school's 40+ acre campus, and all three divisions of the School are involved. This year students are being reminded through creative original videos and signage that the Challenge is underway. The competition has a D-E-specific component; last year the Middle School earned the distinction of reducing the most energy use, by cutting their use of electricity by an impressive 20%.
Rachel Porth comments: “As the Environmental Club’s Coordinator of the 2012 Green Cup Challenge here at D-E, I am very proud of how we are doing as a school. Last week we reduced by 4.6% our electrical output, which is great progress compared to last year’s Challenge, and newer initiatives such as our "Trayless Lunch" days will further improve our results. I look forward to measuring our end results and sharing those with our community!”Now in its fifth year, the Challenge is timed to take place during peak winter energy usage, January 18 to February 15, and is
a project of the non-profit Green Schools Alliance (GSA). The competition is designed to raise awareness about energy conservation and provide concrete action towards reduction.
During the Challenge, students and school staff work together to implement energy-saving strategies; they take weekly readings of school electric meters, and compare the usage to a baseline from previous years' consumption. Data are entered weekly into spreadsheets on the GCC website, providing students with hands-on learning opportunities. At Dwight-Englewood School, tactics include keeping lights turned off in areas already well-lit by natural sunlight, such as the second floor hallway in the Klein Campus Center, and not using trays in the Dining Hall to reduce hot water use.
The Enviromental Club is taking their weekly measurements of electrical output at meters throughout the school's 40+ acre campus, and all three divisions of the School are involved. This year students are being reminded through creative original videos and signage that the Challenge is underway. The competition has a D-E-specific component; last year the Middle School earned the distinction of reducing the most energy use, by cutting their use of electricity by an impressive 20%.
Science Department faculty member and Environmental Club faculty advisor Don McNeil echoed Rachel's enthusiasm, and remarked: “I commend the Environmental Club for their efforts this year…it’s been exciting to see how they have made the entire school’s Student body more aware of energy output, and how this relates to broader global environmental issues. Club members have been visible with all 3 divisions, through producing an original video and prominent signage about the Challenge around campus. Reducing our carbon footprint is a School-wide issue, and this is an important and School-wide initiative that contributes to that effort."
Click here to learn more about the 2012 Green Cup Challenge.
Mailing Address: 315 East Palisade Avenue Englewood, NJ 07631gps: 81 Lincoln Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-9500 Email: d-e@d-e.org
Located in Englewood, New Jersey, Dwight-Englewood is a greater New York City area private school with a rigorous college prep curriculum for boys and girls in preschool through grade 12.