Ruth Corcoran
(570) 472-0365
Teaching children about sustainability, or living within the limits of the earth’s resources, is one way Old Trail School and the Metz team believes they can help the next generation prepare for the best possible future. In meetings between representatives of Metz & Associates and school administrators, it was decided that to increase sustainability and health, the dining provider would purchase organic and local produce, initiate composting and recycling plans and work on reducing waste.
“We believe it is vital to educate children about the environment and sustainability, because it is their generation that will have a great impact on bettering our environment,” said John Farber, Headmaster, Old Trail School. “We are teaching our students what our generation did wrong and how to improve on things and be better stewards of the environment.”
“This is really a joint effort between Old Trail and Metz & Associates to do everything we can to better our environment and teach these students the importance of sustainability,” said Audra Arnold, general manager for Metz & Associates, Ltd. at Old Trail. “Nutrition education and interactive learning for our students is an important part of this overall plan.”
According to Farber, it all starts with educating students on locally grown and organically grown products and helping them to better understand the entire process.As part of the overall sustainability plan, compost bins were constructed by the Old Trail School science and maintenance departments and are up-kept throughout the year by the science department, the dining department, and in the summer, families of school children who take shifts working in the garden. The dining department also contributes to the compost bins by providing produce scraps and trimmings, coffee grounds and tea bags. The students have hands-on involvement through the science department, which coordinates students to deliver items to the bin and turn the compost.
The garden is growing fresh vegetables, which are served on a salad bar and also plenty of fresh herbs used for meal preparation. “Prior to the end of the last school year, the students were enjoying freshly grown red oak and baby bib lettuce picked from our garden right here on campus,” Arnold said. “They really take pleasure in the entire process of working to help grow the produce and then enjoying the final product. We are empowering our students to actively care for their environment.”
Facilities Management at the school performed an operations management audit to identify areas for improvement in managing the overall facility in a more environmentally friendly way. As a result of the audit, the school has replaced old windows with new, energy efficient windows and also incorporated the use of energy efficient light bulbs throughout the building. In addition, a new energy management software program was installed that monitors temperature and lighting and automatically shuts down energy and heat in areas of the building that are not in use. Automatic sensors have also been installed in restroom sinks and toilets to reduce water waste. Paper waste has also been significantly reduced through efforts of both the school and the Metz team.
“Our goal is to stay on the cutting edge of sustainability. We are continuously looking for new ways to be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly,” Farber said. “Our ultimate goal is to be totally self sustaining within the next 10 years, which is what we feel all organizations should be doing. This would include the development of a working farm, where we would actually collect, filter and recycle rainwater.”
Several waste reduction initiatives have been implemented by the Metz team at Old Trail, which include replacing paper and foam coffee cups, plastic, glass and cans with re-usable coffee mugs and re-usable drink bottles. Foam trays have been replaced with melamine plates and the use of straws has been completely eliminated. For the start of the 2008 school year in September, biodegradable napkins will replace regular paper napkins, and also be put in special dispensers to cut down on waste. Biodegradable trash bags, coffee cups, forks and spoons will also be utilized.
“We also encourage students and faculty members to use some of these practices in their own homes and also to cut down on the waste they are bringing into the school by replacing plastic lunch bags with Tupperware containers for sandwiches and snacks,” Arnold said. “The faculty and staff have been very cooperative, bringing in their own re-usable drink bottles and coffee mugs.”
Healthy eating initiatives that are helping students make better nutritional choices, include replacing white bread, rolls and pasta with whole wheat. Only whole wheat breading is used to prepare chicken tenders and whole-wheat pizza crust is used for the tasty pizzas that are prepared. Trans-fat has been completely removed from the menu and the use of saturated fats, sodium and sugar has been greatly reduced. Sugary drinks have been replaced with water, orange juice, 1% chocolate milk and 2% milk. Turkey has replaced beef and pork products in items such as tacos, nachos, hot dogs, sausage, deli ham and sloppy joes. Another important step in improving health, the dining team has completely done away with frying, and all items that had previously been fried are now baked. “Students are still enjoying all of their favorite foods, they are just being prepared in a much healthier manner,” Arnold added.
According to Farber, the school is also encouraging teachers to incorporate sustainability and environmental issues right into the current curriculum. The school has built a greenhouse that is referred to as the “living machine,” which will be an excellent way to provide interactive education to students.
“This will enable our students to work hands on, performing a variety of experiments with plants and water,” Farber said. “We want our students to see and understand the entire recycling process. It is our hope that they will take this knowledge home and teach their families all of the things they are learning about health, the environment and.”
Old Trail School is also in the process of planning for the start of construction on a new “green gym,” which will begin in the fall. This new energy-efficient building will feature skylights and thermal panels to provide day lighting, an effective way to reduce energy consumption.
Both the Metz team and Old Trail School realizes that the success of environmental sustainability programs depend on the child centeredness of the schools approach and acknowledgement of the vital importance of the schools programs in working towards a more sustainable future.
Metz & Associates, Ltd., a premier food service company for the Northeast United States, provides dining and environmental management to clients such as hospitals, assisted living & long-term care facilities, public and private schools, colleges and universities and corporate offices. For more information on Metz & Associates, Ltd., visit our website at www.metzltd.com
