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Earth Day and MCPS Environmental Sustainability Updates

Posted On May 09, 2022
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MCPS Environmental Sustainability Updates
MCPS is Seeking Great Ideas to Help Protect the Environment

MCPS wants to hear student voice on your ideas to better support the Montgomery County Climate Action Plan. Please send your ideas to the team by using the QR code below.

To learn more: https://mygreenmontgomery.org/

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How Did Your School Celebrate Earth Day?

Earth Day was April 22 and we want to learn what your school did to celebrate Earth Day and helped to raise awareness and educate others about sustainability practices. Share your school’s Earth Day activities by emailing them to sustainability@mcpsmd.org.

The Board of Education Discussed Policy Changes to Policy ECA: Sustainability

On April 21, 2022 the Montgomery County Board of Education discussed proposed amendments to Board Policy ECA, Energy Conservation, to meet requirements in Maryland law and to align with the Montgomery County Climate Action Plan. The policy has been available for comment since Jan. 13. Students, staff, and community members were asked to provide feedback by April 7, 2022.

The changes to the policy included a new title to reflect a focus on sustainability: Policy ECA, Sustainability.

The draft established a sustainability framework and decision-making priorities that:

  • identify actions that can be taken immediately and longer term to reduce the generation of greenhouse gases and consumption of nonrenewable resources;
  • equitably and strategically deploy resources, and utilize design strategies and retrofits to make new and existing buildings more sustainable, resilient and efficient;
  • actively manage energy and water consumption with enhanced monitoring technology;
  • increase the generation and production of solar energy and use of other renewable energy sources;
  • include waste reduction and greenhouse gas emissions in decisions related to purchasing;
  • convert or replace MCPS vehicles from diesel and gasoline to electric, hybrid or other more efficient or cleaner-fuel vehicles; and
  • infuse sustainability concepts across school curricula in accordance with Maryland State Department of Education Environmental Literacy Standards.

To see the Board discussions, please check out the video recording. The policy discussion begins around minute 16:30.  https://mcpsmd.new.swagit.com/videos/170485