EXECUTIVE MESSAGE

Junk Mail Quiz From Green Kids How many trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail? 1 million? 100 million?   How many gallons of water are used to make junk mail paper? 100 million? 28 billion?     Answers below

A Harvard study found that low-income minority high school students who eventually earned a college degree had something in common: exposure to a rigorous college prep curriculum and a locus of control - the realization that they are masters of their own destiny.

Why is ECHS recognized as one of the most innovative high schools in the nation? ECHS takes its students beyond the classroom walls. ECHS students can be found on field projects to Brazil or Costa Rica, presenting at a state conference, ‘greening’ their relatives’ homes, or planting fruit trees at the neighborhood elementary school. At ECHS students purposefully apply their learning to make an impact.

Every ECHS student gets the chance to develop, execute, and present projects that affect their local and global environments. They step forward to assume the role of scientist, scholar, steward and ambassador. In doing so, students forge their individual identities as change agents. They are empowered with a locus of control.

I believe that is why, with 95% minority and 72% low-income students, ECHS’ college prep curriculum has resulted in 95% college placement. In addition, the school’s Academic Performance Index (API) has shown impressive results.

In these budget-challenged times please consider giving your in-kind or financial support to the amazing educational model that is ECHS.

Steve McCray is a Board Director of ECHS, and is Principal of William Green Elementary School in Lawndale, CA.

TOP STORY

Mentoring Local Elementary Kids Is More Than Fruitful

“It was beautiful and powerful,” said the Principal. This month, 18 ECHS students visited neighboring William Green Elementary School on a mission. Their goals: to mentor younger kids; teach them how to plant and cultivate fruit trees; and teach about the importance of trees in the ecosystem.

The ECHS teens spent their afternoon teaching over 70 younger kids how to “green” their school. By sunset, a new orchard of 18 fruit trees graced the campus of William Green Elementary.

Through the event, ECHS students saw how sharing their knowledge and expertise can have a positive impact on others. The experience of being an "elder" who is able to pass on her wisdom to the "next generation" was especially poignant for ECHS teen Angie Garza. She had attended William Green a decade earlier.

This tree planting was part of an ongoing service-learning effort. ECHS students have planted more than 120 fruit trees over the past two years, both on campus and in the surrounding community. Watch video

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GREEN AMBASSADORS

Green Ambassadors Program Takes Root in San Francisco School

Last year, ECHS was selected and funded by the State of California to disseminate its Green Curriculum practices as a model to share with 10 other public schools throughout the state. These Green Action Curriculum Schools are implementing materials from ECHS' Green Ambassadors Program on their campuses.

Among them is Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco, a leader in its district with 2,500 students, and the first school to have a state-funded Green Academy-within-a-school in San Francisco. Students in the Green Academy at Lincoln can take a Green Ambassadors class, which ties together sustainability issues for them as an elective.

"We are really inspired by what ECHS has created and are looking to build upon that in San Francisco,” says the Lincoln High School site coordinator and Green Academy consultant Vanessa Carter. “Working with ECHS' Green Ambassador program has been fantastic."

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ECHS’ award-winning Green Ambassadors program inspires students to continue their education after high school. Through experiential learning, Green Ambassadors creates opportunities for youth to build leadership skills and address critical environmental issues facing our planet.

Students in the program quickly realize they are able to take action to improve their environment. Once inspired, their learning becomes more relevant. This sparks their desire to go on to college.

INSPIRED STUDENTS

Mariela Bautista Gets The Word Out

“I was very shy and lacked presentation skills,” says 11th-grader Mariela Bautista. She never imagined as a freshman that she would host a TV show as part of her high school education. That is exactly what she is doing now, two years later. Mariela is hosting a cable TV program that teaches people how to live "greener” in an urban environment.

It all started with her Green Ambassadors internship. She became a member of "Rise Above Plastics," a student speaker series that makes public presentations at schools and corporations to encourage Los Angelinos to curb their single-use plastic habits.

There she had the chance to learn and apply presentation skills outside of a classroom setting. Mariela credits these ECHS experiences with helping her to overcome her fear of public speaking. The experience also made a positive impact on her future aspirations.

Before ECHS, it was hard for her to imagine she would pursue higher education since her mother never finished elementary school and her father had been forced to drop out of high school. “But my experiences through ECHS have pushed me to exceed my expectations for myself, both academically and in my personal life,” says Bautista. “I am determined to go to college. With that education my ultimate goal is to help make the world a better place."

A creative person, passionate about art and photography, she plans to pursue these interests in college with the eventual goal of creating “film or art that makes a statement.”

Alexandra Luftig

Job: Biology Teacher. Student Council Advisor. 3 Years at ECHS.

Educational Background: M.A. Secondary Education, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. B.S. Environmental Science, Cum Laude, University of Oregon.

Before ECHS:  Taught high school Biology with Teach for America Corps for two years in Los Angeles. Started her public school teaching career in Northern Oregon, and worked as a teaching assistant at the University of Oregon.

Best ECHS Experience: "Experiential learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience. My favorite experiential learning activity is the 10th grade overnight camping trip at Joshua Tree National Monument. I love watching my students overcome all of the physical and mental challenges and learn teamwork and leadership skills from this Outdoor Learning experience.”

On ECHS: “I would love to see ECHS become a 100% 'green' school and have classes bring environmental themes into the lessons,” says Luftig. "This is because I have seen how it increases my students’ interest in Biology."

When School's Out: It is no surprise Alexandra likes visiting Joshua Tree. A fan of the outdoors and adventure, she loves skiing, hiking, kayaking, and traveling in her free time.

OTHER NEWS – CELEBRATING SUCCESS

ECHS Student and Mentor in New Book

ECHS student Jordan Howard and her mentor, ECHS Green Ambassadors' Founder and Director Sara Laimon, are the subject of a section in the new book Girls Gone Green. It includes inspiring stories about girls who are taking action in their communities to protect the environment.

Hurry! Late Applications for Environmental Charter Middle School Still Being Considered!

Environmental Charter Middle School (ECMS) is slated to open in Gardena with 120 sixth graders in the fall of 2010.

Call Kami Cotler at our main office at 310 214-3400, or click here to learn more

ECHS students and teachers are also participating in these upcoming events...