Sustainability coordinators professional development

Miller Photography Reviewing materials distributed by the Sanitation Department are Karen Dussel, a science teacher at PS 196 in the Bronx; and Kirsten Svenson (right), a Spanish teacher at Community Health Academy of the Heights in Manhattan.

Miller Photography Joseph Tuitt of PS 447 in the Bronx asks a question.

Miller Photography Chris Proctor, the director of the UFT Safety and Health Department, addresses the group.

To learn how to improve environmental awareness at their schools, more than 125 sustainability coordinators in Districts 1 to 8, 10 and 12 turned out for a daylong professional development session at UFT headquarters on Jan. 10. Every school is supposed to have a recycling program and a principal-appointed sustainability coordinator. The busy agenda was designed to define the role of the sustainability coordinator and strengthen the citywide goal to conserve energy and recycle, and integrate sustainability and ecology concepts into the curriculum. Fourteen agencies that are partners in the effort brought coordinators up to date on the resources available to help them succeed. Participants learned how to bring nature to school through the Million Trees project, urban rangers and school gardeners. MS 88 in Brooklyn shared tips on how it has successfully incorporated sustainability into its curriculum. And the city Department of Sanitation explained how and what to recycle. UFT President Michael Mulgrew commended the coordinators for their commitment and stressed the importance of teaching children at an early age about their responsibility to protect the environment. This daylong professional development will next be conducted on Feb. 7 and 10 for the remaining districts.