WHPS Culture of Conservation

Energy saving actions and activities. What you can do to help!

Actions

• Turn lights off when not needed.
• Unplug appliances that may draw energy even if they are turned off (e.g., TVs, computers, phone chargers, speakers).
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with LEDs.
• Close windows and doors when heat is on, especially at recess and drop off/pick up.
• Make sure heating vents, especially unit ventilators under the windows, are not blocked by books and furniture.

Activities

• Assign a "light monitor" (whose job it is to turn off lights when class leaves the room) as a classroom job.
• Walk around your building/classroom to identify things left on; leave reminder notes to turn them off.
• Count the number of energy-using appliances in your classroom; see if any can be eliminated.
• Have a school competition to make the best energy saving poster/sign, video, animation, skit or powerpoint.
• Have your students brainstorm a project to save energy in your building; Have them develop it by calculating the project cost, energy savings, and payback. Send us the project, and Plant & Faciltities will review it.
• Have students start the day by completing the sentence: "Today, I will save energy by...."
• Read a book or poem about saving energy to your class.
• Have students calculate their home/personal carbon footprint using a calculator like: www.epa.gov.
• Research or visit other "energy saving" or "green school" websites and see what other ideas you can come up with!
• Share your ideas. Email us, and we can ideas add to this list.