The U.S. Department of Education honored a Blair school Thursday for its environmental protection efforts.
Otte Blair Middle School (OBMS) was named a Green Ribbon School. The school was among 27 schools, three early learning centers, five districts and five postsecondary institutions honored across the country for its innovative efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, improve health and wellness and ensure effective sustainability education.
Supt. Randy Gilson offered his congratulations to the school, OBMS Principal Chris Stogdill and teacher Scott Flynn who spearheaded the award-winning nomination.
“I want to take this time to thank Dr. Stogdill, Scott Flynn, Otte Middle School Students, Otte Middle School Staff and our Board of Education for their commitment to providing innovative learning opportunities where students solve the most challenging real world problems,” Gilson said. “Thank you for your efforts to make a significant impact on improving the world we all live in. I commend them for their leadership.”
OBMS partnered with the Washington County Recycling Association to place a recycling bin on school property in which sixth grade students collected materials from all classrooms.
OBMS also participated in the Trex Challenge for the recycling of plastic bags. The school finished first in the state for middle schools.
In August 2019, OBMS began a composting program run by students, using more than 1,700 pounds of food scraps over the course of the year.
“The partnership with Taher (Food Service) developed because we were looking at the amount of trash we were throwing away,” Stogdill said. “With anything, you try to look at your environmental imprint and that's one of the things that Mr. Flynn took off running with the kids. The kids really bought into it.”
The composting program was also developed out of the desire to add more exploratory classes and giving students more hands-on opportunities.
The students designed and built compost pile bins from pallets donated by the Washington County Recycling Center. Other local businesses and the City of Blair also donated supplies. Throughout the year, the students composted leftover fruits and vegetables from breakfasts and lunches.
“It's kid led. I steer and point, but they drive it. Some of the ideas they come up with are a lot of fun,” Flynn said. “It's fun watching that excitement and ownership. I think that's huge. When your'e involved in the learning and you own the learning, you're going to go far with that and that's what happened.”
The school had plans to develop a garden, but the COVID-19 pandemic put those plans on hold.
Flynn and Stogdill were quick to praise others at the school and in the district who have made efforts to be environmentally sustainable.
“That undercurrent was there,” Flynn said. “All Dr. Stogdill and I did was tap into something that was there and really bring it to the front with students.”
The district has recycled paper and cardboard, participated in an incentive rebate program for energy-efficient LED lighting, planted drought-resistant plants and trees, and decommissioned old school buses to be replaced with more efficient buses.
“Everybody is doing a little piece,” Stogdill said. “It's not anything that we did, we just tied it all together and said here's our story.”
Flynn agreed.
“I'm pretty pumped for all the people who have done all those things,” he said.
Newman Grove Public Schools also earned recognition. The district was named a district sustainability awardee.
