 | Athenian Gets 70% of its Energy from Solar Power! Environmental stewardship has been a core value of The Athenian School since it was founded in 1965. As one of the pillars of Round Square, environmental stewardship is practiced, modeled and encouraged in many ways throughout the curriculum and in campus initiatives. Athenian is a member of the Green Schools Alliance, a consortium of public and private schools working together to conserve resources and reduce greenhouse emissions, and is also a full-credited member of the Contra Costa Green Business Program. |
Solar Energy
Perched on the hillside above the baseball fields is a solar array in the shape of an "A" that provides 65% of Athenian's electricity needs. In addition, solar panels that heat the pool are installed on the roof of the gym, solar panels on the roof of the Dase Center and the Center for the Arts provide electricity for those buildings. Track the Solar A’s daily production. (ID = athenian; password = owls.) Track the Dase Center's daily energy use.
Recycling
Nearly 60% of Athenian's hauled waste is recycled content. About 10% of previously hauled waste is composted. Students participate in campus-wide recycling efforts and recycling bins are paired with landfill bins all across the campus.
Water Conservation
Nearly 2 million gallons of water was saved annually with the installation of the Estakhri Family Sports Field, an all-weather field with recycled infill. In addition, water-saving plumbing fixtures, micro water heaters and landscaping policies add to the School's commitment to reduce water usage. |
Environmental Stewardship In the Curriculum | Middle School Curriculum In the Middle School, the environmental stewardship pillar is woven into the curriculum of the science and elective classes, as well as ... |
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| Upper School Curriculum In the Upper School, the environmental stewardship pillar is included in the curriculum of the applied science, physics, biology, visual design, art of architecture and environmental science classes. In addition,... |
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| Conservation Club An Upper School student-run environmental club actively works to implement energy and waste savings measures on campus. |
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| Garden Projects Athenian's organic garden is a showcase for sustainability and features an Earth Tub composting system, drip-irrigation and a chicken coop. Students delivered 1,200 pounds of produce... |
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| Athenian Wilderness Experience |
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| Electric Car Project This project is an ambitious ACE-funded program that will help a conventional automobile kick the gas habit and provide a green campus shuttle vehicle. We will take an existing gas-powered car, remove the engine and supporting infrastructure... |
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Bioswale ProjectStudents in the environmental studies class designed and created the bioswale project to re-direct water runoff from the hills. |
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| View a video of Athenian students in action. |
| Track the performance of the Center's solar array. |
| Learn how permaculture works. |
| Learn more about Athenian's solar "A." |
| From the Fall 2009 issue of The Athenian Magazine. |
| | Community Environmental Pledges for Sustainability Athenian Environmental Awards Acterra Environmental Award for SustainabilityAthenian earned Acterra's 2013 Business Environmental Award for Sustainability. Read the press release. |
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Green Ribbon SchoolAthenian was named a Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in April, 2012. Read the press release. |
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Diablo Magazine Eco-AwardThe Athenian School won the the Best in Show: Contra Costa Eco-Award from Diablo Magazine in March, 2012. The award is given to schools that lead the way in the green revolution. From the magazine: "One of the ideological pillars Athenian was founded upon in 1965 was environmental stewardship, and nearly all of the Danville school’s 463 students get involved with an eco-friendly project of one kind or another—whether that’s converting a teacher’s old beat-up Honda into an electric car; creating biodiesel in the science labs, with the goal of converting the school’s buses to Willie Nelson’s favorite fuel; making the campus more water-efficient by putting in perennial plants that require less water and improving catchment; or working with the school’s organic garden and its two-ton capacity composter.
If the curricular and student-led efforts weren’t enough, Athenian also partnered with Tioga Energy and RCA Solar to install an array of solar panels (in the shape of an A) on campus. The panels now provide more than 60 percent of Athenian’s power. And almost 60% of the school’s hauled waste gets recycled. The school has been certified by the Contra Costa Green Business Program—no surprise, given the way green seems to flow through Athenian’s veins.
“We work hard at it,” says John Harvey, a Spanish teacher who manages the composting and the garden. “I guess, above all, we do it because we think it’s the right thing to do. That’s the ultimate answer.”
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| EPA Green Power Partner Athenian has been named a Green Power Partner by the Environmental Protection Agency in recognition of our efforts to reduce the risk of climate change through green power purchasing. |
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| WRAP Award In 2009 and 2010, Athenian won the Waste Reduction Award from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) for improving the environment by reducing landfill waste. |
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| School of the Year Award Athenian won the School of the Year awarded by Sustainable Contra Costa on September 29, 2010. |
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| ACE Grant In 2009, Athenian was the recipient of a grant from the Alliance for Climate Education to implement various green programs, such as converting a car from gas to electric. |
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| Sloat Garden Grant In June 2010, The Athenian School received an Adopt A Garden Grant from Sloat Garden Center in Danville for use in the permaculture garden. |
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| Ebmud.com WaterSmart Success Stories series |
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