DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 063 177 SE 013 857

AUTHOR Wright, Donald L.TITLE Sketches of Local Action Programs for School

Environmental Education.INSTITUTION Project RARE, Blue Bell, Pa.PUB DATE Jun 72NOTE 19p.

EDES PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29DESCRIPTORS Action Programs (Community); Educational Programs;

*Elementary Grades; *Environmental Education;Innovation; Interdisciplinary Approach; *ProgramDescriptions; *Secondary Grades

ABSTRACTSeventeen elementary and secondary schools from

throughout the five-county Southeastern Pennsylvania region wereselected fr cm 67 applicant schools to receive grants for Local ActionPrograms of environmental education. Included in this booklet is aresume of each of these programs. Information specifies program name,school name and address, program leaders, number of students andgrade levels, geographic and demographic descriptions of the school,and a synopsis of program goals and activities. The programs areadministered through Project RARE (Knowledgeable Action to RestoreOur Environment), an ESEA Title III Project. (BL)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.EDUCATION & WELFAREOFFICE OF EDUCATION

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO-DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROMTHE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIG-INATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPIN-IONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILYREPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY.

SKETCHES OF LOCAL ACTI ON!. PROGRAms;.FOR SCH5OL :ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION .

.

ConduCted by ,Local-.-Sch.00ls-. _. from January to Ju-rie 1972 ;

Under 'the auspicesof:

INTRODUCTION

Seventeen elementary and secondary schools from throughout the five-countySoutheastern Pennsylvania region were selected from among 67 applicant schoolsto receive grants for Local Action Programs of environmental education. The

operating grants of up to $7,000.00 in support of each Local Action Program arebeing awarded during 1972 under federally-funded Project KARE (KnowledgeableAction to Restore our Environment), #71-7155, Section 306, ESEA Title III.

Allegheny WestCCA

:* LOCAL ACTION PROGRAMS(LAPs). .

Rhodes Middle:SchOal/PhiladelphiaStrawberry Mansion *Junior ,Fllgh Sch.O.O1/

Phi ladelphia'Friends SeleCt SC1i091.*BeIrnont Hills,SchO0.1/LOwer.MeriOn,-P0!'kWay ProgratnShariWeiod School* P1:410delpliia*Benjcimin'franklin:tIish:SCE,100.PI:410de,101.1Wedniiit Street:Sch:0:01/1:*.itChestnutiivOld

Neumann.:'SchOC',WeittOwn' LowerCentral. BucksWeSt.

DOMESECO ValleyFacing the Problerri...Glass,Has Nine LivesOperation _Clean SweepOperatiOn-ECOLOperation THETA

PLANPl0nned DevélOpment or Urban

Sprawl . .

POF

Project EFFECTProject REFUse

William Tennent.High.SC enienniC11.

.UpPer Dublin. High; Schixil/UPpe^r,Dublin...,,,,tower. Moreland Middie.SchOO1'.LOW41- =

Moreland TownshipRoinan.CatholiC'

*SteWart ooR-SCAPE

School Environment ContaminationStudy

To ImprOve the Goose CreekWatershed

e0er:

Arch locetel*!orristown:Arep.,

LAP Name: ALLEGHENY WEST --A Bicentennial Community

LAP School: Rhodes Middle School(Philadelphia School District 04)29th and Clearfield StreetsPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania 19032Mr. Jacob Hoffman, Principal221 - 0850

LAP Leaders: Mr. Jacob Hoffman, LeaderMrs. Edith Gladden, Co-LeaderMr. Bernard Korn, Co-LeaderMr. Bruce Ryan, Co-Leader

LAP Students: All 1400 students of the school ,grades 5 through 7.

Descriptors:

Synopsis:

Rhodes Middle School, which is non-graded, and its feeder elementary schoolsare located in an inner-city area ofthe City of Philadelphia.

Air, water, and noise pollution, aswell as deterioration of living conditions,compose the prime environmental concernsfor the LAP. Based on these prime areasof pollution, students have organized "StudentTask Forces" to mobilize their attacks on theproblems. Chief constructive citzenshipactivities are locating local causes ofpollution in the community and in the schoolitself, and then applying pressure on community,City, and State agencies which might bebrought in for corrective action where theirown efforts require extension. The studentsare also studying suburban communities in orderto determine how littered streets, abandonedcars, and crime are controlled.

LAP Name: CCA (Community for Constructive Action)

LAP School: Strawberry Mansion Junior High School(Philadelphia School District 114 -- Model Cities)32nd Street and Ridge AvenuePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania 19132

Mr. Edward Gillespie, PrincipalPO 5 - 3034

LAP Leader: Mr. Eugene S. Bivins, Ill, Leader

LAP Students: Approximately 50 students in grades 7through 9.

Descriptors:

Synopsis:

Strawberry Mansion Junior High Schoolis a public urban school grades 7 - 9with an enrollment of 2700 students andis located in the Philadelphia Model CitiesArea.

The LAP focuses on problems related to aneconomically-deprived, urban area: over-crowded living, crime, exploitation/ Pestinfestation, lack of political awareness,and poor health conditions are among theobserved environmental concerns. Chiefobjectives of the students are to achieveawareness of these problems among communityresidents and to establish and offer to themvarious alternative solutions in over-comingthe problems. Students, working with variousorganizations such as the Urban League, andCommunity Health Services, deal directlywith the environmental problems and their victimsat local levels. Petitions are circulated amongthe residents for signatures of support. Thepetitions serve to educate the residents and tomake them aware of their environmental problems.

LAP Name: DOMES (Direct Observation MotivatesEnvironmental Sensitivity)

LAP School:

LAP Leader:

LAP Students:

Descriptors:

Synopsis:

Friends Select SchoolThe Parkway and 17th StreetPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania 19103Mr. G. Lnurence Blauvelt, Headmaster561 - 5900

Mr. Bruce Waddington, Leader

A total of 328 students in grades3 through 11.

With 550 students in grades K - 12, theschool is located in center-city Philadelphia,and is conducted as a co-ed, privateacademic institution under the directionof two Philadelphia Monthly Meetingsof Friends.

Deterioration of the various ecosystems ofthe environment surrounding the schoolprovides the chief concern of the students.The prime objective of the LAP is to achievestudent awareness of the vital inter-relationshipsof man and nature in an urban setting. Students

are engaged in a variety of studies: growth ofvegetables indoors; identification of city-hardyplants on lots and along streets; observation ofthe effect of paving materials on soil productivity;monitoring of air, water, and noise pollutionlevels; construction of a portable dome forenvironment simulation; the conduct ofrecycling projects; and recording on film theschool neighborhood before the approachingredevelopment of the area. In broad terms,working throughout the local urban environment,the students seek to investigate and analyzeactual environmental problems in relation tohistoric , sociologic, and ecologic backgrounds.

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LAP Name:

LAP School:

LAP Leaders:

ECO VALLEY

Belmont Hills Elementary School(Lower Merion School District)School Street (Belmont Hills)Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19127Mr. James Werkiser, PrincipalMO 4 - 0395

Mrs . Sa I I y Fricke , LeaderMrs . Bonnie Atwood , Co- LeaderMrs. Judy Satzberg, Co-Leader

LAP Students: Approximately 75 students in grade 5.

Descriptors: Belmont Hills School is a public elementaryschool with 500 students in grades 1 - 6and is located in a suburban area ofMontgomery County contiguous with theCity of Fhiladelphia.

Synopsis: Students are concerned about illegal dumpingof refuse by local truckers. Principal objectivesof the LAP include reclamation of the dumpingsite, preservation of the site for nature studiesand prevention of dumping refuse at othernon-developed sites in the area. Interrelatingphysical and social science disciplines, studentactivities focus on achieving community aware-ness for the problem as well as utilizhg communityresources in correcting the damage already doneto the study site. Fences are being erected,nature and access trails are being established,and students are being trained as guides, andover-seers, of the trails and study pond.

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LAP Name:

LAP School:

FACING THE PROBLEM

Philadelphia Parkway Program(School District of Philadelphia)C/O The Franklin Institute20th Street and The ParkwayPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania 19103Dr. Leonard B. Finkelstein, Director448 - 3761

LAP Leaders: Mrs. Jane Marter, LeaderMrs. Winifred Kempton, Co-LeaderMrs. Ida Davis, Co-Leader

LAP Students: A total of 180 students with approximately45 students selected from each of foureducational units of the Parkway Program.

Descriptors: The Parkway Program, an innovativeco-ed project, draws a total of 800students from all eight public schooldistricts in the PhiladelphiaIntermediate Unit.

Synopsis: The students view unwed pregnancies, venerealdisease, unwanted and improperly cared forchildren, and over-population as importantenvironmental concerns. The aim is to educatestudents regarding the medical and socialimplications of these concerns. Initially,students participate in intensive classroomdiscussions with representatives of City andcommunity agencies which are "facing theproblem". Additionally, the students are beingplaced in work/learn situations with communityagencies such as Planned Parenthood, AmericanCancer Society, The United Fund, and TheDepartment of Public Health, working fourhours per week on actual cases and fieldresearch. Students in each unit of the ParkwayProgram are establishing information centersfor conducting awareness drives in the unit andin cooperating suburban high schools. Additionally,inservice training programs are being conductedfor Parkway staff and interns.

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LAP Name: GLASS HAS NINE LIVES

LAP School:

LAP Leaders:

LAP Students:

Descriptors:

Synopsis:

Sharswood Elementary School(Philadelphia School District 13)2nd and Wolf StreetsPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania 19148Mr. Rocco Gigante, PrincipalDE 4 - 1506

Mrs. Isabel Bushkoff, LeaderMrs. Joyce Kail, Co-Leader

A total of 640 students in grades K - 6,including 2 classes of retarded children.

A public elementary school, SharswoodSchool is located in a high-populationdensity, inner-city area of Philadelphia.

Students identified discarded glass as aserious problem in their neighborhoods.Broken glass litters streets, alleys,vacant lots, and the schoolyard. The

LAP aims to alert the community to theenvironmental hazards of broken glass;to lessen the amount of glass in theneighborhood; to teach pollution awarenessto the students of the school; and topromote community-school cooperation.Major activities include "OperationTypewriter", a multi-media informationapproach to achieving community awarenessand cooperation, and the collection ofbroken glass during a clean-up campaignwhereby proceeds from students recyclingefforts will be reinvested into the LAPactivities.

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_AmL

LAP Name: OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP

LAP School: Benjamin Franklin High School(Philadelphia School District 02 -- Model Cities)Broad and Green StreetsPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania 19130Mr. Leon Bass, PrincipalLO 7 - 7045

LAP Leader: Mr. Charles Staniskis, Leader

LAP Students: A total of 72 students, 24 each fromgrades 10 - 12.

Descriptors:

Synopsis:

A public high school , grades 10 - 12,with a total enrollment of 1700 malestudents, Benjamin Franklin serves asection of the Philadelphia Model CitiesArea.

Student environmental concerns includerat infestation, lead poisoning, abandonedcars, noise and air pollution, graffiti,gang problems, and population density.The chief objective of the LAP is to achievea cleaner, safer better-informed community.Student activities are geared to providingall-out attacks on each environmental concernby student/community action groups. This isbeing provided on three levels: 1) an "actionline" to handle telephone calls for help fromcommunity persons, 2) a liaison group to referhealth and sanitation problems to appropriatecity agencies, and 3) an information disseminationgroup to generate community awareness forenvironmental problems.

LAP Name: OPERATION ECOL (Environmental Comparisonof Localities)

LAP School: Walnut Street Elementary School(Darby-Colwyn Joint School District)6th and Walnut StreetsDarby, Pennsylvania 19023Mr. John B. Marino, PrincipalLU 6 - 1812

LAP Leaders: Mr. Curt Weldon, LeaderMr. John Dreyer, Co-Leader

LAP Students: A total of 50 students in grade 6.

Descriptors: Walnut Street School is a public elementaryschool with 600 students in grades K - 6in a suburban area of Delaware Countycontiguous with the City of Philadelphiawhich shows many urban characteristics.

Synopsis: Student concerns lie in the deteriorationof the Darby and Cobbs Creek as recreational,educational, natural , and aesthetic settingsfor the citizens of Darby and Colwyn. Primaryobjective is to assay and develop the combinedcreek watersheds through joint school/communityefforts. Student activities involve in-depthinvestigation of the creek pollution, comparisonanalyses of creeks in non-urban settings, endeavorsto clean up the creeks, and establishment ofstudy sites on the creeks for utilization by studentsand community groups. Students also areinitiating an environmental-education programto inform local citizens of the pollution problemand ways by which they might contribute tosolutions.

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LAP Name:

LAP Schools:

LAP Leaders:

OPERATION THETA

Chestnutwold Elementary School(Haverford Township School District)Loraine StreetArdmore, Pennsylvania 19003Mr. Richard Schaefer, Principal446 - 4570

and:

Blessed John Neumann School (R.0 .)Radnor Road and Highland LaneBryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 19010

Sister Ann Rosaire, Principal525 - 9013

Mr. Harry Ernst, LeaderSister Ann Rosaire, CoordinatorMr. Richard Schaefer, Coordinator

LAP Students: A total of 400 students in grades 1 through 6.

Descriptors: Both co-ed elementary schools, one publicand one parochial, with 525 students, servesuburban communities of Delaware Countyclose to the City of Philadelphia.

Synopsis: The students are alarmed at the rapid depletion ofnutritive elements in soils at selected sites inHaverford Township. During extensive field andlaboratory studies of these soils, the primaryactivities are to illustrate "before and after"effects of man's abuse of soils, to examine theresults of treating planted soils with variousnutrients and radiation, to carry out field populationstudies, and to compare data with that obtainedby students in an urban school-. The chiefobjective of the LAP is to help the students under-stand the effects of soil/abuse on dependentplant and animal life.

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LAP Name:

LAP School:

PLAN (Preservation of Land And Nature)

Westtown Lower School(Westtown School)Westtown, Pennsylvania 19395Mr. Earl Harrison, HeadmasterMs. Jane Watt, Principal399 - 0123

LAP Leaders: Mrs. Katherine T. Frysinger, LeaderMs. Margaret Lippincott, Co-Leader

LAP Students:

Descriptors:

Synopsis:

A total of 131 students in grades Pre-Onethrough 6 (each grade averages .19students).

Westtown School, a co-ed, non-publicschool with 131 students in grades K - 6,is operated by the Philadelphia YearlyMeeting of Religious Society of Friendsand is lo..ated in rural Chester County..

Primary environmental concerns of thestudents relate to the ecosystems whichare found on the school campus . The

purpose is to examine carefully eachecosystem in its present conditions, andto restore those which have been abused.In this way, a unique variety of naturalhabitats are being maintained and usedby Westtown students as well as youngstersfrom other schools in Chester and DelawareCounties. A feasibility study is also beingconducted to determine if an old mill onthe premises is suitable for use as an ecologycenter and a connecting hiking and bicycletrail might be coordinated with the environmentalplans of West Chester Area School District.

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LAP Name: PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OR URBAN SPRAWL --the impact of transportation

LAP School: Central Bucks West High School(Central Bucks School District)West Court StreetDoylestown, Pennsylvania 18901

Dr. David Spahr, Principal345 - 1661

LAP Leaders: Mr. David Horne, LeaderMrs. Pat Tarler, Co-Leader

LAP Students:

Descriptors:

Synopsis:

A total of 375 students in grades 10 - 12with participants drawn primarily fromscience, mathematics, and social studiesclasses.

Central Bucks West High School is a publicschool with 1460 students in grades 10 - 12which is a part of a large suburban schoolsystem located in central Bucks County.

Phase I focuses on the transportation needs ofresidents in central Bucks County. At least90 percent of the labor force in this areacommutes to jobs outside their local communities,many of which are in urban areas. Primaryactivities include analysis of existing andprojected rail and highway demands , study ofthe effect of planned transportation improvementson local ecosystems and the business community.Particular emphasis is being placed on the impactof a major highway bypass on natural systems andresources, and critical features of the area . Chiefobjective is to devise and propose with localplanning bodies alternate methods of providingfor future transportation needs through mass transitsystems.

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LAP Name: POF (Planning Our Future)

LAP School:

LAP Leaders:

LAP Students:

Descriptors:

Synopsis:

William Tennent High School(Centennial School District)Street and Newtown RoadsWarminster, Pennsylvania 18974Mr. James Exum, PrincipalOS 2 - 7100

Mr. Ulysses F. Biffoni , LeaderMr. Robert Romano, Co-Leader

A total of 2106 students in grades10 through 12.

A public senior high school with 2500students in grades 10 through 12,William Tennent High School is locatedin a high population-density area ofsuburban lower Bucks County.

Students identified several areas ofenvironmental concern: air pollutiondue to incineration, water pollution,contamination during food processing,noise pollution, over-population, andesthetic aspects of ecology. Local

objectives of the LAP entail attemptsto influence the re-design of zoning laws,to eliminate local pollution menaces fromthe community, to establish a course forevening-school adults on environmentalproblems, and to conduct an on-goingcommunity-information program. Principalactivities involve the establishment ofvarious "Eco-Groups" for field projectsrelating to the selected pollution areasincluding ineffective sanitary landfills,rat infestation, and air particulates.Many activities are being video-tapedfor use by schools throughout the five-county region.

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LAP Name:

LAP School:

LAP Leaders:

LAP Students:

Descriptors:

Synopsis:

PROJECT EFFECT

Upper Dublin High School(Upper Dublin School District)Loch Alsh and Ft. Washington AvenuesFt. Washington, Pennsylvania 19034Mr. Frank Gilronan, PrincipalMI 6 - 5600

Mr. David Waltman, LeaderMr. Daniel Jaycox, Co-LeaderMr. William Ritter, Co-Leader

A total of 60 senior high school students ingrades 10 - 12 and 30 elementary schoolstudents in grades K - 6.

Upper Dublin High School is a publicschool with 1258 students in grades 10 - 12and is part of a suburban school systemlocated in central Montgomery County.

Students are concerned that run-offs andeffluents entering stream systems tributaryto the Wissahickon Creek are detrimental towater quality. Chief objectives are to monitorlocal streams in conjunction with monitoringof the Wissahickon Creek by students in urbanPhiladelphia schools. Collected data willenable the students to determine the influencesof Upper Dublin's industrial and residentialareas on the environmental quality of the water.Twenty-four field-testing stations are beingestablished along the Sandy Run, Pine Run, andWissahickon Creeks. After computer analysisof the data, sociological and recreationalimplications will be investigated. This informationwill then be utilized to support positions forcommunity action to abate pollution of thecreeks.

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LAP Name: PROJECT REFUse (Revitalize the Environmentfor Future Use)

LAP School: Lower Moreland Middle School(Lower Moreland Township School District)2551 Murray AvenueHuntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania 19006Mr. Edward Coss lett, PrincipalWI 7 - 2200

LAP Leaders: Mrs. Jacquelyn Volk, LeaderMr. Thomas Wittkamp, Co-LeaderMr. Roger Fetterman, Co-Leader

LAP Students: A total of 43 students in grades 6 through10 with the remaining student bodyparticipating in auxi I iary LAP activities.

Descriptors: Lower Moreland Middle School is a publicschool grades 6 - 8 with 748 students enrolledand is located in a suburban area of MontgomeryCounty contiguous with the City of Philadelphia.

Synopsis: The major environmental concern is thepolluted discharge from a township-operatedsanitary landfill into a tributary of thePennypack Creek. Local objectives of theLAP include encouraging students to applyclassroom knowledge to solving actualcommunity problems, helping students developrealization that they might be agents of changein their communities, and recognizing theneed for equity in the planning of service areaswhen planning local residential areas. Principalactivities involve an analytic comparison of thesanitary landfill relative to successfully-operatedlandfills in the area, student production of adocumentary on the sanitary landfill for communityviewing, and coordination of efforts by localorganizations to reduce the polluted dischargeand to plan for more concerned allocation ofcommunity services.

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LAP Name: R-SCAPE (Roman Students Concerned AboutPreserving the Environment)

LAP School: Roman Catholic High School(Ardhdiocese of Philadelphia)Broad and Vine StreetsPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania 19107Rev. Charles V. Gallen, PrincipalMA 7 - 1270

LAP Leaders: Rev. William J. Paul, LeaderMr. Gerald Gibbons, Co-Leader

LAP Students: A total of 20 students in grades 9 through 12.

Descriptors: Roman Catholic High School is an academicparochial school with approximately 940male students enrolled in grades 9 through12 and is located in inner-city Philadelphia.

Synopsis: The prime environmental concern of the studentsis pollution of the Manayunk Canal and theWissahickon Creek at their confluence with theSchuylkill River. As a student arm of theSchuylkill River Anti-Pollution Alliance, theLAP aims to instruct students and their communityin the consequences of water pollution. Students

perform biologic and chemical analyses of thewater at the study site and in laboratories,provide watch-dog groups to monitor effluentsand discharges into the river, and carry ondialogs with student and community groupsconcerning efforts to preserve the environment.

O. '

LAP Name: SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT CONTAMINATION STUDY

LAP School: Stewart Junior High School(Norristown Area School District)Marshall and Selma StreetsNorristown, Pennsylvania 19401Mr. Harry Spangler, Principal277 - 1000

LAP Leaders: Mr. Thomas J . Fennessey, Jr., LeaderMrs. Deanna Rosenbaum, Co-Leader

LAP Students: A total of 300 students in grades K - 6,200 students in grades 7 - 9, and 100students in grades 10 - 12.

Descriptors:

Synopsis:

Norristown Area School District is a publicschool system composed or urban and suburbanareas in Montgomery County. Primary studentactivities emanate from the junior high schoolwith 950 students in grades 6 - 9, but takeplace in all schools in the area includingparochial schools.

Students and teachers performed surveyswhich verified that their individualschools are potent polluters of their localenvironments. Accordingly, the LAP focusesin Phase I on substantiating further throughscientific research the pollution output (air,water, noise, and land) for each school building.In Phase II, the students will analyze their datain order to offer recommendations and potentialsolutions to school authorities. Key activitiesduring Phase I include total paper-output surveys,water-usage tracings, sanitary-landfill inspections,land-usage studies, and noise-level analysis.Pilot demonstrations relating to Phase I resultsare being video-taped in the LAP school forpresentation and discussion in other schools andto community groups in order to generate awarenessof the contaminated school environment.

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iAP Name: TO IMPROVE THE GOOSE CREEK WATERSHED

LAP School: Paoli Pike SchoolWesttown-Thornbury SchoolE . N. Peirce School(West Chester Area School District)

Central Offices:

320 North Church StreetWest Chester, Pennsylvania 19380Mr. Harold H . Wingerd, Superintendent696 - 2570

LAP Leaders: Mr. Walter B. Knighton, LeaderMr. Edward Goldberg, Co-Leader

LAP Students: A total of 510 students in grades 5 and 6of the three schools.

Descriptors: West Chester Area School District, a publicschool system in Chester County, containswithin its boundaries rural, suburban, andurban attendance areas. Accordingly,each LAP school differs demographically.Total K - 6 enrollment for the threeschools is 1190 students.

Synopsis: The primary environmental concern of thestudents is the extensive pollution of Goose

Creek and its Watershed. The campus foreach LAP school borders on the creek. Chiefactivities of students include analysis of theextent of pollution, development of a hikingtrail along the creek, establishment of twooutdoor classrooms, development of anenvironmental study site, and the conduct of

a citizen alert program concerning theenvironmental abuse of the creek. Students,therefore, are achieving a first-hand understandingof the pollution problem while at the same timecontributing toward community efforts to cleanup the Watershed area.

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