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Cool Schools

The Cool Agents Alliance is a unique program partnering real estate agents with Cool Schools. Through the Alliance, students in Sonoma County high schools participate in countywide initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change. Schools participating in Cool Schools in 2005-2006 are Analy High School, El Molino High School, Laguna Continuation High School and Windsor High School.

Megan Paladini "Cool Schools opened my eyes to job opportunities and helped me choose my major," said Megan Paladani, who now attends Cal Poly in the school's new Environmental Management and Protection program. "Much of what I learned through Cool Schools, like doing energy audits, I will continue at Cal Poly."
-- Megan Paladini, Analy High School graduate, 2004

What is Cool Schools?

Education. Cool Schools brings curriculum and solution-based activities to schools in Sonoma County, engaging students to take action at school and in the community to prevent global climate change.

Community. Sonoma County is a national leader in climate protection and sustainability. Cool Schools partners with non-profits, businesses, and cities to bring technical and informational resources from the community into the schools. Students benefit from interactions with city officials and civic leaders.

Action. Through partnerships between school districts and the Climate Protection Campaign, linking education with energy savings, schools save money resulting from reductions in energy use and the greenhouse gas emissions causing global climate change.

Benefits of Cool Schools

  • Helps schools save thousands of dollars per year through lower energy bills.
  • Reduces greenhouse gas emissions-helps keep the world from turning to toast!
  • Enhances student learning and civic engagement.
  • Builds confidence, poise, and maturity in students as they start planning for college and careers.
  • Engages students, teachers, parents, and school staff in an integrated approach to problem solving.
  • Offers hope for the future.
  • Creates a model program for other communities to follow.
Shelly Brown and Alan Siegle "Thank you for mentoring Katie through the Cool Schools program. Cool Schools made such a huge impact on her and gave her senior year focus and purpose. She gained knowledge and passion for environmental issues. Most impressive, however, were the changes in her confidence, poise and skill in making presentations. We were amazed by her command of the information and her ability to speak authoritatively to groups of parents, teachers, and community members. This was a new Katie!"
-- Shelly Brown and Alan Siegle, parents

History of Cool Schools

  • In 2003, we partnered with Strategic Energy Innovations in Marin to bring their school energy program to seven schools in Sonoma County.
  • Reduced school energy bills of West Sonoma County high schools by over $19,000 in 2003/04
  • Students have addressed the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, the Cotati, Petaluma, Windsor, Santa Rosa, and Sebastopol city councils, and the West County and Windsor high school boards, expressing their opinions about climate change.
  • Eight students representing eight cities in Sonoma County participated in the May 2005 Community Target Setting Workshop, alongside elected officials and business leaders, to recommend a greenhouse gas reduction target for the county, which has now been adopted through resolution by all nine cities and the county of Sonoma.
  • In 2005, students from five high schools and one elementary school participated in the state's "Reach for the Stars" program, funded by the CA Public Utility Commission, promoting energy efficient appliances and building materials at countywide events, through print and radio advertising, and through public speaking presentations to various community groups.

Student Voice

  • On June 6th students of Todd Seider's Casa Grande class made a presentation to the Petaluma City Council about reducing GHG emissions, organized by Voice of the Future Coordinator Kellie Noe. You can watch the presentation online. Click on June 6th, and then select "Presentations" on the pull down menu. Fast forward through the unfinished business item on demolition to watch the students' excellent presentation.

    Petaluma City Council Meeting/Casa Grande Video

  • Youth Activist Takes a Stand - One Cotati youth helps her city council to take a stand on global climate change.
 

 

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  Scott Johnson

Scott Johnson

Russian River Realty Co.

"As someone involved in both education and environmental concerns most of my adult life, I'm pleased to have the opportunity to support the Cool Schools program. It is essential that we prepare the next generation to live more sustainably in Sonoma County than we or are parents were able to."

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