At The Walker School we are committed to integrating environmental stewardship and sustainability throughout our campus. Our goal is to educate our students, faculty, staff, and parents on the environmental impact of our actions. We strive to infuse personal decision making with sustainability values.
We are making strides daily to reduce our carbon footprint. Our focus is on continuing to develop strategies to lower our consumption of natural resources. Due to efforts on multiple fronts last year, we were able to reduce our power consumption by about 10% over the 2010 calendar year. Our faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to turn off lights, printers, and classroom AV equipment. During 2011, we began centralizing controls on our HVAC systems and automatic shut-off of our computers. We now have virtual servers which lower power usage and cooling needs. Lighting and water retrofits, as well as an Energy Star purchasing policy, are being instituted. For the last several Februarys, we have participated in the Green Cup Challenge, a national month long energy reduction contest among independent schools. We are competing again in 2012. In February 2011, were able to reduce our kilowatt usage by almost 17%. The Walker School is striving for the prestigious national recognition as an Energy Star rated school.
Our comprehensive recycling program allows us to divert from our waste stream such items as; construction materials, paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, aluminum, batteries, fluorescent bulbs and ballasts, printer/copier cartridges, cell phones, and electronic waste. As a result of the recycling initiative, we have been able to reduce the number of waste dumpsters on our campus.
We have partnered with the Georgia Clean Air Campaign to reduce idling on campus. Parents are asked to turn off their engines during afternoon carpool. A bus and carpool transport system for our students is in place. Our maintenance department now employs the use of chemical free cleaners to also aid in cleaner air.
The Walker School has an environmental sustainability committee comprised of faculty, staff, and parents. Our students are actively involved in our sustainability efforts, from our fourth graders collecting paper to our middle school beginning an organic garden to our high school students beginning a composting program. We have environmental clubs in the lower and middle schools whose members are learning and teaching others how their actions can truly make a difference.