The Magellan Green Project

By:

The Magellan Green Project

In support of The Magellan mission, the Magellan Green Prject will work to enhance and reinforce activities and projects aimed at creating a sustainable environment for the school community.

Our graduates will be globally engaged citizens. They will make informed and intelligent decisions as advocates of tolerance, harmony, and a sustainable environment.

Please take a look at Magellan Green Project Video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVnz04o4sco

 

Magellan Green Project Committee functions:

Design a comprehensive Green Master Program for the school to address goals and actions projects focused on sustainability.
Support teachers on curricular green activities
Provide guidance for parents’ green projects
Document and report activities in order to get recognition from the community
Deliver action opportunities to students, parent and staff to build a sustainable environment.

Projects goals and description

All the projects are the result of the student and staff ideas. The school follows a inquiry base methodology.

 1.       Eco Campus

Energy

• School Energy Audits (campus Anderson Lane)

Conduct an audit of the energy usage (energy efficiency assessment) in coordination with the Energy Efficiency Services Power Saver Program (City of Austin and Austin Energy).

• Global Warming Campaign (campus Anderson Lane & campus CC)

Implement a campaign to reduce CO₂ emissions in coordination with Cool the Earth.

 

Recycle/Waste

• Waste-Free Lunch Program (campus Anderson Lane & campus CC)

Conduct a waste-free audit and invite the students to create a base line for ongoing analysis in coordination with Patricia's Lunchbox.

• MIS Zero waste  Program (campus Anderson Lane & campus CC)

Implement a zero waste program with actions to reduce the amount of waste generated by the school that ends in up in landfills. Integrate a zero waste culture to promote four actions:  reduce, recycle, reuse and repair.

 

Green Spaces

• Vegetable and Herb Garden (campus Anderson Lane & campus CC)

Create vegetable and herb garden at Anderson campus and maintain the food garden “huerto” at CC campus in coordination with the Sustainable Food Center.

• Nature Playscape (campus Anderson Lane)

Integrate natural elements and green spaces into the new playground.

 

2.       Nature Adventure

Exploration and Play

• Creative Arts

 Encourage outdoor creative exploration and recycling culture with art expressions into the units of inquire of the curriculum

• Family Nature Club (Green Days at Magellan)

Start a family nature club with parents, staff, students and neighbors to create and maintain green spaces at both campuses.

• After-School green activities (nature oriented). Conduct activities focused on: healthy habits and local food (in coordination with Sustainable Food Center/ENP); Biomimicry (in coordination with Biomimicry TX); Eco-fitness (in coordination with PE Coach).

 

3.       Health, Fitness and Nutrition

Healthy Lifestyles

• Healthy Lifestyles Program: Eco-Fitness

Implement a food-body-life program in coordination with P.E. Coach

• Well-being initiatives

Encourage families to be informed about unhealthy ingredients and some of the known effects (healthy night with the collaboration of Magellan parents)

Implement a campaign to reduce the consumption of food with a strong carbon footprint, and encourage the MIS community to consume local production and support sustainability farmer’s practices (CSA at Magellan in coordination with Green Gate Farms)

 

4.       Natural Classrooms

Stewardship

• Earth Day Celebration: Día del Niño Verde

A Free, Public Multi-Cultrual Kids’ Green Festival to celebrate Earth Day and Día del Niño

J  Green Craft Tent

J  CSA Tent

J  Talks for a Green Lifestyle

J  Outdoor Children’s Fun 

J  Electronic Waste Collection Drive 

Organized by Little Miss Recycle and The Magellan International School.  Supported by Abrakadoodle. Austin EcoNetwork. Bellelli Educación Costa Rica.. City of Austin (Austin Resource Recovery). Fertile Ground Gardens.. Green Earth Oil. Green Gate Farms. Green Ribbon Schools. Pop-Up Adventure Playground. Punto Verde. Purse & Clutch. RanasanaR. Shaklee. Semillitas de Español. Sesa Teas. Sustainable Food Center. Ten Thousand Villages. The Honest Company. Texas Disposal Systems. Texas Coffee Traders. Texas Solar Energy Society. Whole Foods Market Gateway Store

 

Professional Dev & Leadership

• Service Learning

Integrate “green” activities with academic relevance, rigor and application for all grades levels at Magellan, especially in the transdisciplinary topics “sharing the planet” & “how the world works”. The curriculum is supported by different activities that promote global connections.

 

Additional Outcomes:

School Garden Award from Sustainable Food Center
http://www.sustainablefoodcenter.org/grow-local
o    Grant to consolidate the MIS food garden

Texas Green Ribbon Schools (GRS) community recognition
http://greenribbonschools.org/schools.php
o    Grand Prize Winners, Earth Month National Contest "Show Your Greenness".

Biomimicry Youth Challenge
http://www.biomimicryinstitute.org/
o Honor Mention by Biomimicry Institute (afterschool program and 2nd grade).

Cool The Earth
http://www.cooltheearth.org
o    1st school in Texas with 163 student’s eco-actions, saving over 97,000 pounds of CO2 emissions.

Pop Up community event at Magellan
http://www.popupadventureplay.org/
o    First Pop Up Playground  at Austin  at Magellan Public Multi-Cultural Kids’ Green Festival

Magellan Green Project team members

Magellan Green Team Staff
Sayuri Yamanaka-Green Coach  
Alexandra Castro – PYP Coordin