Thursday, January 27, 2011

Calling All Seattle Elementary Schools


If you’re looking for a way to become a WA Green School or simply interested in improving your students’ health through better air quality, we invite you to apply to participate in CoolMom's No-Idle Campaign: Turn the Key, Be Idle Free
CoolMom is a local non-profit that empowers families to take action on climate change. With a grant from the City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment, we can engage 3 elementary schools in the Seattle area to be a part of the No-Idle Campaign, Turn the Key, Be Idle Free. We plan to help you decrease car idling in your school zones by 65%, a goal which will improve the air quality in your school zone, leading to healthier children and fewer green house gas emissions.
If selected, your school will receive “no-idle” signs for your school zone, educational materials for parents and community members, grade appropriate curricula for students, and incentive prizes for drivers caught not idling in the school zone. This campaign will help interested schools meet objective 4 of the Washington Green School program: Transportation and Outdoor Air Quality. However, schools not participating in WA Green Schools are encouraged to apply.
Participating schools will be asked to provide support for the campaign through school-wide involvement, including: helping teach curricula, student participation in tracking the idling habits of their own parents or caregivers as well the people who drop off and pick up other students, and developing (along with CoolMom) incentives for school-wide competitions. No financial commitment is needed from your school.