Press
3/10/11
EBI Certified Green Business
OAKLAND – Escuela Bilingue Internacional (EBI) and the Bay Area Green Business Program announced today EBI’s certification as a green business.“We are proud to take another step towards achieving our mission of being good global citizens.” said Jon Fulk, EBI Head of School. “Thanks to the collective efforts of our entire community, we are a more caring and principled school.”
EBI joins a select group of only four schools in Alameda that have been designated a "Certified Green Business." EBI is only the second school in Oakland to earn this distinction by meeting the Alameda County Green Business requirements for energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste reduction, and pollution prevention.
“EBI’s certification is a stamp of approval that this educational institution has met or exceeded all environmental measures,” said Pamela Evans of the Bay Area Green Business Program, Alameda County. “We need more school leaders like EBI to take an active role in protecting our environment and preparing our young people to do this important work in the future.”
EBI’s designation as a certified green business is a major accomplishment for the five-year-old institution. Under the leadership of EBI parent, Kirsten Uttam the school’s teachers, students, administration, and parent volunteers spent two and half years dedicating themselves to implementing the changes necessary for EBI to become a state and county certified green business.
“EBI’s commitment to being a green certified school required significant facilities changes and behavior changes, which I am proud to say were achieved with grit, grace, and good attitudes.”
– Kirsten Uttam, EBI's Green Certification Team Lead
The following are among the "green" changes implemented by EBI:
· Electric system retrofit for school facilities, resulting in:
- Energy use dropped 12 % from 2008 to 2009
- Gas usage dropped 27% in 2010 from 2008 levels
- Lower or neutral energy costs with 27% enrollment growth
· Water conservation with toilets replacements with 1.6 gal/flush
· Implemented recycling and composting education and practices in classrooms; tripled compost capacity and reduced landfill waste by half.
· Integrating sustainability principles into EBI classroom curriculum
About EBI
Escuela Bilingüe Internacional (EBI) is a non-profit, independent, international school located in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, California. EBI offers a Spanish-English dual language program for boys and girls, extending from pre-K through eventually 8th grade. As of January 2011 EBI is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, authorized to offer the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). Escuela Bilingüe was conceived in 2004 and opened in 2006 by a committed group of educators and parents who believed in the value of a bilingual education and global citizenship. For more information about EBI: www.ebinternacional.org
About the Alameda County Green Business Program
The Alameda County Green Business Program, started in 1996, is a partnership among businesses, the government and the public that certifies businesses based on their environmental performance and practices. For more information on certification or a directory of Green Businesses, contact Pamela Evans at 510.567.6770 or visit www.greenbiz.ca.gov.
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