Wissahickon Charter School (WCS) works to educate the next generation of environmental stewards through use of an integrated, service-learning based, sustainability-focused environmental education curriculum. Established as a public charter school with the mission of creating an environmentally-focused community of learning designed to stimulate the intellectual, social, and civic development of each child, WCS first welcomed 200 students in grades 1-5 in 2002. Since that time, the school has expanded in number and grade level, now providing a stimulating, environmentally-focused educational experience for a diverse and stable enrollment of 408 students in grades K-8. An overwhelming majority of students are minorities (96%) and 78% come from low-wealth families.

Families choose WCS for its academic excellence, warm and engaging school community, and the promise of a safe and supportive educational environment for their children. At present, the school maintains an enrollment waiting list of 600 families ,Aei a testament to families' belief in the school's approach. Nurturing Informed and Engaged CitizensWCS delivers an integrated curriculum that uses the environment as an organizing theme, thereby catalyzing student interest, organizing their learning, and demonstrating the connectedness of topic areas. By using the environment as the lens through which WCS introduces all content areas, WCS students better understand that all issues have an environmental impact, are interrelated, and both affect and are affected by humans and their creations.

WCS utilizes a variety of pedagogical tools to foster student ownership of and engagement in their own learning. Through its frequent and consistent use of experiential learning projects, students are able to develop their own approaches to environmental problems, understand the real-world applicability of their learning, and become engaged citizens of the world beyond the classroom walls. Teachers design and implement curricula drawing on the resources of the Wissahickon Creek and its watershed, community gardens, and other aspects of the local, urban environment. Learning activities include: analyzing soil, planting and cultivating seeds, harvesting vegetables, researching food's origins, and analyzing human impact on the environment (particularly water). As a result of their integrated, experiential learning-based curriculum, students are well-equipped to lead more sustainable lives within their own communities; moreover, they are eager to share the importance and immediate relevance of their learning with their families, neighbors, and friends.

Promoting Sustainable Living,

At WCS and in the Community, Wissahickon Charter School has implemented a number of new initiatives to enhance learning at the elementary and middle school levels. Over the course of the spring 2007 semester, WCS students engaged in several environmentally-focused experiential learning projects designed to educate participants about sustainable environmental practices, increase the school's effective use of natural resources, and raise awareness of the importance and ease of sustainability among students' families, neighbors, and communities.

Manufacturing Alternative Fuel

Supported by an Environmental Protection Agency grant, middle school students at WCS designed and built, two processors to convert used vegetable oil into an alternative fuel that can be used to power buses. Under the guidance of SmartFuel, an initiative dedicated to assisting students in this process, students designed and built the processors. They will be producing biodiesel fuel comprised of vegetable oil (80%) and methanol or ethanol (20%). WCS will make the environmentally-friendly biodiesel fuel available to its various partner organizations.

In addition to the processor's design and operation, students will establish and implement a community-wide collection strategy to ensure a consistent supply of used vegetable oil for use in the production of biodiesel fuel and, in the process, will educate community members about the utility and sustainability of this practice. Students will also prepare and host monthly educational seminars through which they will explain the project's importance and process to community members.

Harnessing Solar Energy

To increase the school's sustainable use of natural resources and decrease its reliance on fossil fuel, WCS installed 24 solar panels on the school's roof. As a recipient of a PA Energy Harvest grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, WCS utilizes the solar photovoltaic system to generate 6260 kilowatt hours each year.

In recent months, students have conducted a wide variety of projects to prepare for the installation of the solar panels. For example, students built cars fueled by solar energy, demonstrating their power at the school's community-wide Earth Day celebration, where students spoke with celebration attendees about the recent developments in solar technology. Committed to educating their families and peers about issues of sustainability, WCS middle school students will also participate in the conceptualization and installation of the school's new on-site educational kiosk containing various resources informing students, teachers, parents and community members about the benefits of solar energy use.

Participating in City-wide Sustainability Planning

In addition to hands-on projects, WCS and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society are providing students with an opportunity to participate in a city-wide sustainability dialogue and planning process. Middle and high school students, recruited by WCS from schools across the city, will participate in GreenPlan Philadelphia, the City's blueprint for sustainable open space, through a citywide youth summit to be held on February 22, 2007. In small groups, students will share their concerns about open space, suggest improvements that could be made to existing open space, and discuss various options for creating new open spaces. Through this process, student input will help shape public policy.

WCS' Regional and Environmental Impact. In undertaking these projects, WCS expects to manufacture up to 2000 gallons of biodiesel fuel and generate 6260 kilowatt hours of solar energy each year.

More broadly, as a result of their engagement with sustainability issues, WCS students are equipped to:

1. Decrease their reliance on harmful environmental practices in their schools, neighborhoods, and homes;
2. Participate in civic debate and city planning about sustainability issues;
3. Inform families and communities about the importance of and possibility for sustainable living; and
4. Lead by example.

In addition to quantifiable outcomes, WCS teachers consistently report that students are eager to initiate and engage in sustainability-focused projects, to the extent that they will give up their recess to participate in such projects.

Through its sustainability-focused curriculum, WCS is educating 400+ students and families to be active and responsible stewards of their urban environment. The Greater Philadelphia Sustainability Award is an opportunity to recognize the breadth and depth of WCS' impact on this region.