Durham, N.C. — Durham Public Schools held a competition among its 45 schools to see which could conserve the most energy and save the most cash.
Bethesda Elementary School took home the prize – $2,000, which represents a certain percentage of the money the school saved the system.
"They said if you're willing to work hard with us to save money, we're willing to share some of the savings with you," Principal Doris Walker said.
Overall, 13 schools saved nearly $100,000 in energy costs last year. That represents more power than is needed to run an elementary school for a year, school officials said.
At Bethesda Elementary, creating those big savings took the help of everyone, Walker said.
"We have about 650 students and a staff of about 100, so when everybody starts thinking about it, it makes a big difference," she said.
The school got a new energy-efficient chiller, but also made smaller changes that added up: keeping outside doors closed and using fewer lights when possible.
"We have skylights, so we don't always have to have our hallway lights on," Walker said. "The gym lights take up a lot of energy. They're very powerful lights. So if we can run one bank, instead of three banks, that makes sense."
Teachers incorporated the energy-saving message into their lesson plans, challenging students to recall the steps they have taken and why. Students said they're taking that message home.
"When you turn off the lights at school, you can turn off the lights at your house," second-grader Jussaiya Baptist said.
"Don't really use the air conditioning. You can open the window. Don't waste it," second-grader Ricky Council said.
Walker said she hopes these energy conservation lessons last a lifetime.
"These are very impressionable years, and if we can teach 5-, 7- and 10-year-olds, we've got them for life," she said. "That's my goal."



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First, a "religion" is a belief in the supernatural and/or a supernatural deity. So, Humanism is not a religion. Or, can you get the IRS to give them the same tax exemptions that churches enjoy? ;-)
Second, this site says that they just want to educate everyone. And, this will combat ignorance...without "violence" and without "chaos".
Why would anyone be against this?
Is this what's is has come down to? ...that people don't want children to be educated?
Here's a quote from there: "[education] is categorically the one thing that we must bring to our neighborhoods, our people, our families, our world, other countries...The enemy of humanism is not faith; the enemy of humanism is hate, is fear, is ignorance.”
November 24, 2009 1:36 p.m.
feelings, nothing more than feelings. typical lib
November 23, 2009 3:10 p.m.
even a stoped clock is right twice a day. you are continually wrong. we have just discovered a massive oil find in the gulf of mexico. ANWAR is the size of the State of SC and the propoded drill site is the size of Reagan National Airport. And due the harsh conditions drilling would be only able six months out of the year. Due to the cost of oil, drilling for oil shale is now cost feasible. Yet, exo-freaks protest but continue to drive their hybrids whose batteries require mining for rare minerals. Again, blasted hypocrits!
November 23, 2009 3:08 p.m.
http://americanhumanist.org/What_We_Do/Education_Center/Teacher_Corps
November 23, 2009 2:59 p.m.
That seems high - I have no idea what the standard is, however. If this is standard then I know how to cut lots of expenses!
- Mark
November 23, 2009 2:33 p.m.