Irvington High School in Fremont, CA is a finalist in the IC Bus Company's America's Greenest School competition.  Irvington, a National Service-Learning Leader School (2000) engages students in a wide-range of environmentally themed service-learning projects (described below).

Out of more that 2000 applicant schools, Irvington is the only finalist from California, and one of 10 finalists in the country.  Finalists are featured at http://www.americasgreenestschool.com/ This week the public is invited to vote for the winner.  The winning school will receive a hybrid school bus from the IC Bus Company for their district.  Voters can vote once per day each day this week and have a chance to win a $200 prize from IC Bus Company.

Irvington is a member of the Alameda County Office of Education's Service-Learning Waste Reduction Project (SLWRP: http://recycle.stopwaste.org/slwrp) and has extensive green credentials.  Perhaps the most inspirational part of their story is the extent of student leadership in their environmental efforts.  Students even wrote the application for this contest!

Irvington High School is a fantastic candidate for this recognition for a number of reasons:

1) As a member of the Service-Learning Waste Reduction Project, Irvington has led innovative practices to reduce waste in the community and on campus. Students created a "Green Commissioner" position within student government to evaluate student led activities for green practices. Over the last two and a half years, students have hosted E-Waste recycling events that have diverted over 200,000 lbs of e-waste from landfills. http://recycle.stopwaste.org/slwrp/Green%20Leadership%20Summit%20-%20Irvington%20High%20School.ppt

2) In 2007 Irvington High School was one of three organizations state wide to win "Best Overall" recognition from PG&E for the school's efforts to address the energy crisis at the time. Students conducted energy audits, designed and implemented energy saving measures and slashed the school's energy use by 33%. http://www.pge.com/about/news/mediarelations/newsreleases/q2_2007/070507.shtml

3) Also in 2007 Senior Kevin Shen worked with EarthTeam as part of his QUEST senioir exit project to develop a Carbon Footprint Calculator for schools in the United States: http://www.earthteam.net/about_us/Newsletters/ETNewsletterSpring07.pdf

4) Hundreds of 9th graders provide thousands of hours of environmental service-learning to the community through the 9th Grade Change project. Over the years, Irvington students have restored habitat, organized community recycling projects, taught ecology to younger students, stenciled storm drains and more while learning the scientific method and key research and reporting skills for 9th grade Science and English classes. http://www.fremont.k12.ca.us/219520121144158693/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=63059

5) Irvington worked hard to establish the first in the district sustainable green waste system for the school's kitchen- and has helped other schools adopt the model.

6) Irvington hosted the District Representative Council meeting this year where student leaders from around the district voted to adopt a district-wide environmental service theme for 2009-2010.

7) Irvington students led the restoration of Stiver's lagoon at Lake Elizabeth and helped transform a polluted area into an environmental science learning center for elementary school students.

8) The Irvington Campus is over 40 years old and is representative of the challenges and possibilities for older facilities to go green.  The campus's green efforts did not require the construction of new buildings, but the creation of student-centered projects that allow students to engage in environmentally conscious service-learning projects that help build life-long leadership, knowledge, skills, and habits.

Please support California's only finalist in the, "America's Greenest School" competition by visiting: http://www.americasgreenestschool.com/.

More information about Irvington's application and efforts here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=80320158666