The
Alliance for Leadership and Interconnection (ALLY), a citizens' group formed to advocate for
Cincinnati Public Schools' (CPS) Green and Healthy Schools Program, will host a reception, program, and tour at the
Pleasant Ridge Montessori School and Community Learning Center, Ohio's first LEED certified public school.
"Green & Healthy Schools a
s Learning Tools", to be held April 23 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., will introduce the concept of how a school's physical environment can be integrated into its curriculum and will highlight the ways in which CPS is leading the country in sustainable design.
LEED for Schools national chair and Sustainaissance International president Robert Kobet will be the featured speaker.
"Robert Kobet identifies three systems of ecology: natural, human, and builecologies," says Tevis Foreman, a consultant for ALLY. "In order to offer the best outcomes for using the schools as learning tools, Kobet suggests that we explore the relationship between these systems of ecology. The necessity of integrating environmental education empowers learners to think about ecological patterns, systems of causation, and to ultimately recognize and make informed decisions about their relationship with the natural world."
Ohio Lt. Governor Lee Fisher and Robert Knight, project manager at
GBBN Architects and sustainable design coordinator for CPS, are expected to attend.
"ALLY led introductions to partners throughout the community with shared missions to provide critical momentum for CPS going green," Knight says. "Ultimately, this saved CPS significant time and effort."
Students of the school will lead visitors on a tour of the building, following their participation in a
Leaders-in-Training program in which ALLY volunteer educators and architects from
SHP Leading Design and GBBN Architects will instruct them on the building's sustainable features.
All proceeds from the event will go toward the development of educational resources that further ALLY's mission.
Admission is $20 for non-ALLY members and $15 for ALLY and PTO members. A $5 discount is available to those who register by April 21. Children and CPS faculty can attend for free.
Registration is available by calling (513) 541-4607 or by e-mailing
[email protected].
Writer:
Kevin LeMasterSources: Ginny Frazier, executive director, ALLY; Tevis Foreman, consultant, ALLY
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