Whole School Transformation

Warwick Valley Central School District

Overview

Warwick Valley Central School District was the first school district in New York State to win the prestigious Green Ribbon Award. CELF spent two years working with WVCSD to help integrate sustainability throughout the curriculum across all grade levels as part of a comprehensive Whole-School-Change initiative.

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CELF Prides Its Work in Sustainability Professional Development for Teachers and Administrators at Warwick Valley Central School District, a 2018 Green Ribbon Award winner.

WVCSD selected CELF as their professional development partner for the district’s EPA grant project, “Envirocation.” In addition to significant facility and operations energy upgrades, the project included goals to integrate environmental instruction and sustainability into the curriculum leading to those ideas and practices becoming part of the campus culture.

Over a period of 18 months, CELF worked with a core team of teachers and administrators, sharing Education for Sustainability (EfS) concepts as well as techniques for using EfS as an integrating context for student learning and community action. CELF provided onsite support throughout the 2015 and 2016 school years, as well as a three–day Summer Institute for teachers from the high school, middle school, and two elementary schools.

Project outcomes included:

  • Increased student environmental literacy: (a) greater awareness and knowledge of environmental issues; (b) enhanced critical thinking and problem-solving skills; (c) acting as environmental stewards.
  • Increased capacity of Warwick Valley Central School District teachers to integrate environmental education units into course content
  • Integration of environmentally-based cross-curricular units at all grade levels with a focus on alternative and renewable energy – solar in particular – woven into the Warwick curriculum.
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