University, DLES win 2009 Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards
Janel Shoun |
| David Lipscomb Elementary School outdoor classroom. |
| The Village, one of two "green" complexes on campus. |
Latest green development
at Lipscomb University
Everything green at Lipscomb University
Everything green at
David Lipscomb Elementary
Lipscomb University and the David Lipscomb Elementary School have been selected to receive the 2009 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards for excellence in green schools higher education and k-12 schools.
The Tennessee Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards are the most prestigious environmental and conservation awards in the state. For 23 years, the awards have been presented to individuals and organizations that make great contributions to the conservation of our wildlife and related natural resources, the natural elements upon which all life depends.
“These award winners truly have taken environmental stewardship to a new and innovative level, setting an example for all Tennesseans,” said Governor Phil Bredesen. “I am extremely proud of this year’s diverse group of honorees – including school children, grassroots organizers, public and private universities and industry leaders – demonstrating that each person can make a difference in protecting Tennessee’s natural resources.”
Lipscomb University was noted by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for the 2007 establishment of the Institute of Sustainable Practice, designed “to advance the practice of sustainability through education, research, training and service to the community and the world.”
The university was also praised for its efforts to become a green campus, especially the use of energy-saving geothermal heating and cooling systems in all new construction and the renovation of the Burton Health Sciences Building according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold standards.
To see more about Lipscomb’s green advances click here.
The David Lipscomb Elementary School was lauded for its Monarch butterfly program, the construction of an outdoor classroom, recycling efforts and their designation as a “performer” school by the Tennessee Pollution Prevention Program, the highest level a school can achieve in the program. There are only three “performer” schools in the state and David Lipscomb in the only private school to reach “performer” status.
To see more about David Lipscomb Elementary’s green advances click here.
“I am honored that the governor has chosen to recognize the work of our entire Lipscomb family to advance a more environmentally sustainable community,” said Lipscomb President L. Randolph Lowry, who also serves as co-chair of the Nashville Mayor’s Green Ribbon Committee on Environmental Sustainability.
“At Lipscomb we are striving to prepare a new generation of sustainability leaders who will work within all aspects of the business world and society, to model responsible sustainable behaviors and practices in their communities and professions and to be a catalyst for convening conversations about sustainability issues.”
Lipscomb’s Green Future
Lipscomb University’s Institute for Sustainable Practice announces the debut of the new Master of Science in Sustainability, offering graduate-level courses in technical specialties such as food security and nutrition, green building principles, sustainable site practices, and renewable energy. The new program will begin offering courses in the fall semester 2009.
“The new master’s program was developed due to students requesting more science and technical course options in addition to the current fundamentals of sustainability and green business courses. Six of sixteen graduate sustainability students who have filed applications for the fall have already chosen the Master of Science curriculum as their preference,” said Dodd Galbreath, director of Lipscomb’s Institute for Sustainable Practice.
“At the Institute for Sustainable Practice, we want to do for the sustainability movement what centers for information technology and new IT academics did for the information revolution. Without professionals who are both equipped to deliver sustainability solutions and who can provide the leadership to expand the movement, Tennessee may not enjoy the progress and benefits we all deserve,” said Galbreath.
“Sustainable business and living represents a holistic approach for all aspects of society. The addition of technical specializations in sustainability simply reflects President Lowry’s commitment to broaden our program so that sustainability professionals can also excel in engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, environmental science and agriculture.”
Green Lipscomb University
| Lipscomb President L. Randolph Lowry served as co-chair of Mayor Karl dean's green Ribbon Committee to develop a plan for sustainability in Nashville. |
| Lipscomb's sustainability director Dodd Galbreath with the distributor of a solar water heater at the Green Expo in April. |
Since establishing the Institute for Sustainable practice in 2007, Lipscomb University has:
- Supported four summits on green business and public policy and coordinated two green product and service expos;
- Invested $21 million in green building on campus;
- Provided members of the Lipscomb Board of Trustees and senior executive team with travel to Vermont where they learned about the early formation of the sustainability and green business movements and how to apply these concepts in Tennessee;
- Sent staff to be trained by the Gore Climate Project to give faith-based climate change presentations;
- Signed the Evangelical Climate Initiative;
- Spent more than $200,000 to raise environmental standards in its academic labs, facilities and energy plants;
- Established trayless dining to save water and food waste and improve nutrition education in the dining hall;
- Constructed a new multi-modal parking garage with adjacent metro bus access on the former site of the university tennis courts and elevated the courts to its roof to reduce site impacts;
- Preserved mature trees on campus and replaced trees lost to last year’s drought;
- Installed advanced dark light strategies on campus to reduce light pollution;
- Provided technical input, assistance or promotion to the City of Chattanooga’s Green Committee, the Tennessee Department of Tourism, Cumberland River Compact and the Nashville Mayor’s Green Ribbon Committee; and
- Provided free meeting space for community discussions on sustainability issues to groups such as Kilowatt Ours, Urban Land Institute of Tennessee, Lightning 100’s Team Green Engage Green program, the Cumberland River Compact, the Food Security Network of Middle Tennessee and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Middle Tennessee Chapter.
To see more of Lipscomb University’s green efforts click here.
Green David Lipscomb Elementary
Students at David Lipscomb have long been active in environmental education. Each grade level emphasizes specific aspects of natural science, including the life cycles of ants, butterflies, chicks, and frogs, animal habitats, migration, plant growth, natural resources, and recycling. In recent years, the school has constructed on outdoor classroom, enhanced its in-school and community recycling efforts and revamped its curriculum to meet the standards of a state-designated “performer” green school.
Each grade focuses on one of five state-designated environmental areas:
- Kindergarteners focus on land and water conservation by participating in the Monarch butterfly program and developing a rain garden.
- First graders focus on waste reduction by studying recycling and carrying out recycling collections.
- Second graders focus on air quality in interactive labs.
- Third graders focus on hazardous waste by conducting a community household hazardous waste pick up day.
- Fourth graders focus on energy conservation.
“It is our hope that through outdoor learning experiences, ongoing projects, and the additions we have made to the science curriculum, our students as well as their families will understand the importance of being good stewards of the earth's natural resources. We proudly accept the Governor's Award and look forward to continuing our work toward becoming more green,” said Sharon Farmer, principal of DLES.
The Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards for green schools is awarded annually to recognize:
- Schools that encourage pollution prevention projects on their campuses while increasing the environmental awareness of students and staff;
- Effectiveness in addressing issues relating to air quality; energy, land, or water conservation; hazardous materials management; or solid waste reduction; and
- Participation by the student body, staff, faculty, and community.
“Because our environment impacts everything we do from recreational activities to the health of our communities, it is important to recognize those who work so hard to protect it,” said Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke, who announced the awards today. “We are pleased to honor these fine Tennesseans who have gone the extra mile to not only preserve and protect, but to teach others how to enhance the condition of our shared environment.”
The 14 winners will be recognized for their achievements and positive impact on the state’s natural resources in an awards ceremony to be held in Nashville on June 12.