Green School Leads by Example

High school students in Franklin, Tennessee are forming good environmental habits they can take home to their families.  Tree-planting, birdhouse building and water sampling are typical projects for science students at Centennial High School.  In addition to their book learning, students are expected to get hands on experience, especially if they're in one of teacher David Schklar's ecology or AP environmental science classes.  

TP3 Flag Presented to Centennial High School
by Cynthia Rohrbach and Curtis Hopper with TDEC
to Ecology Teacher David Schklar

Schklar's leadership in stretching young scientists' minds and extending lessons beyond the classroom have helped make Centennial a notable TP3 school.  TP3 stands for the Tennessee Pollution Prevention Partnership.  Centennial also earned the Outstanding Partner award in 2011 from the local Transportation Management Association's Clean Air Partnership, as well as being the only high school in the nation to be a recognized partner of the Stewardship Action Council.  Schklar says "The environmental projects conducted by the students at CHS continue to improve our environment and community, while learning about sustainability."

For several years, the school has been covering the basics like recycling food and beverage containers from school events and making home football games waste free.  Students are involved in indoor air quality monitoring.  In the wider community, some students assisted with water sampling to help determine the health of the local watershed.  "We're teaching good environmental habits," said Schklar proudly.