Environmental Sustainability Council

Environmental Sustainability Council Education Task Group Thursday November 9th, 2017, 4:37 – 6:07 p.m., Gage House Draft Minutes Call to Order Members: Sarah Beaman Bayldon (Chair); Stacey Evans; Katie Deal (ESC Student); Evelyn Duross (ESC Student); Niharika Singhvi (ESC Student); Hannah Traubermann (ESC Student); Naomi Goodwin. Staff: Kate Walker (Environmental Programs Coordinator and Staff Liaison) Public Comments • Operation EarthWatch Planning In-school coordination • Participation rate: over 100 at Thomas Jefferson. Low at Mt Daniel (56 down from 77). Unknown at St James. • ESC School representatives offered to give presentations to students at Mount Daniel and St James to increase participation (to be co-ordinated via school contacts). Kate will lend props for these presentations (inflatable globe and a string of previous years EarthWatch t-shirts). • Kate to develop survey to go in morning announcements to get feedback from parents to increase participation (eg: What's stopping your child from participating in EarthWatch? 1. too busy, 2. lost paper, 3. not a priority, 4. too hard, 5. other (space for comment)). • Activity sheets • Upcoming themes: December - Water, January - Renewal, February - Wildlife. • Katie will look at possibility of providing activity sheets available for completion online (eg: via Google Forms) as an alternative to increase participation. • Naomi to update draft December activity sheet to include T-Shirt design theme as "Celebrating 25 years of Operation EarthWatch" and to change November to December in the heading. • Naomi to include a question in one of the winter activity sheets that measures some environmental variable (eg: snowfall) as the first of a longitudinal data collection project drawing attention to climate change. Once approved the same question is then to be included as a question in subsequent years during the same month as first asked. January activity sheet to include a question regarding New Years’ resolutions and another regarding what students saw/did over the winter break. Website • Sarah not ready to put pictures on the website yet but will forward them to Katie when she is. • Naomi to take over updating role from Kate. Kate will provide log-in details to Naomi.  • Evelyn will talk to Mr Knight at FCCPS regarding getting the Mason computer club (Cyber Patriots) to work on it or any other options for getting students to improve the website (eg: student service hours). • Naomi has drafted an FAQ's page for consideration which she will forward to Sarah and Kate for review. 25th Anniversary Party planning: • ESC School representatives will contact Seve in person on their next early release day to book a room at Thomas Jefferson for the party (booking approved conditionally by Principal if OK with Seve). • Hannah has information on past students for Falls Church but not for St James - she will contact St James school contact for information re anyone who can help with getting contact information. She'll use Google forms and Anu could help with the sign. • Hannah will also use Reference USA at Mary Riley Styles Public Library to find alumni by the end of next week. • Kate will send letters to families still in Falls Church who participated in the past. Sponsorship: • Stacey suggested an environmentally focused performer/presenter be sponsored to present at the party to attract attendees. Kate said that we currently have 13 sponsors and we can ask for a slight increase in sponsorship to cover the party and we can invite new sponsors. • A volunteer will have to collect the money before it is needed for t-shirt purchase in early April (Kate can no-longer undertake this role). • Kate will get a spreadsheet of all local businesses to Stacey and Naomi who will identify child relevant businesses to approach for sponsorship. • Clare and Dons could possibly be asked to help with getting food donations from local businesses instead of being asked for a monetary donation. Stacey suggested approaching Trader Joes and Giant for food donations (Sarah said to approach the Giant early in the month as they have a monthly limit as to how much they can donate). • Kate will create an Operation EarthWatch letterhead for the groups use for letters to sponsors. • Other Business • Kate said that as a long term project we should explore how to make Operation EarthWatch a Non Profit so others can benefit. • Kate away November 17 - 30. Naomi away all of December. • Next Meeting • Thursday December 14th, 2017 at 4:15pm.