Our Vision for an Aware Baltimore
Simply put, action and knowledge go hand in hand; you cannot have one without the other. In order to facilitate the cultural and behavioral shift that Baltimore residents need to make to become more sustainable, awareness needs to be incorporated into the daily life of each individual. A 1996 report from the President’s Council on Sustainable Development stated that, “Broad-based action is needed because local government alone cannot accomplish long-term solutions to community problems.” The success of the Baltimore Sustainability Plan is dependent upon the participation of all residents, businesses, and institutions within the City. Sustainability should not be an abstract term used only by government, scientists and environmentalists; it should be a way of life in which informed citizens become environmental stewards and work together to make Baltimore a better city.
The City’s young people are one of our greatest assets. They have already demonstrated an eagerness for embracing sustainability as demonstrated by the success of the Greenscape’08 event hosted by the Youth Advisory Group to the Office of Sustainability, and the success of many other youth environmental groups within the City. The sustainability movement has unique appeal to young people because it presents them with opportunities to make their voices and opinions heard, as well as to take direct action with tangible results. As they come to understand the connection between how they act now and the impact their actions have on their own futures, they accept sustainability as an integral part of their daily lives.
Students make up a significant portion of the population, with over 82,000 students enrolled in almost 200 public and charter Baltimore schools during the ’08 -’09 year. Add private school, college, and university students, and you have a significant cross section of the population that can effectively create change. Schools are the ideal environment in which to encourage behavioral change through both curriculum and through leading by example. The “Green Schools” movement to make new and existing school buildings and curricula more environmentally conscious has made significant headway nationwide. The Maryland Green Schools Program has been recognizing Green Schools across the state since 1999 and has thus far been met with general success. However in Baltimore City just five percent of the schools, both private and public, have received this designation.
On October 16 2008, Mayor Sheila Dixon demonstrated her commitment to increasing the number of Green Schools within the City by signing onto the Mayor’s Alliance for Green Schools. The Alliance’s goal is to accelerate the implementation of programs that will bring green schools to all children within a generation. Together with mayors from cities across the country, Baltimore has taken a pledge to support the modification of K-12 schools to reduce their carbon impact and make a more focused commitment to sustainability education. By “greening” our schools, we provide a healthy environment for students and staff and improve academic performance while saving money which can then be spent on educational resources. Studies have shown that “Green” schools on average use 30-50% less energy, 30% less water, and there is an average of 38.5% reduction in asthma among students who attend schools with improved indoor air quality.[1]
While a solid foundation of young, motivated individuals who understand the impacts of their behaviors on their community, both locally and globally, it is imperative that, all residents of the City become aware of the impact they are having on the environment. In order to reach out to all members of our communities, information needs to be made readily available in many different formats and in many different locations. Continuing the Sustainability ambassador program, hosting public education events, and expanding the Office of Sustainability website are just some examples of effective outreach efforts. In a recent study which evaluated 43 cities across the United States on different aspects of environmental sustainability, Baltimore was tied for 11th place for its “Knowledge and Information” on sustainability. We can improve this number by reaching out to those who would not normally be concerned with environmental issues, making connections to their everyday lives and demonstrating the effect their behaviors have on the world around them.
Education and Awareness Goal 1
Turn every school in Baltimore City into a green school
Every one of the 82,309 students attending public and charter schools in the City of Baltimore deserves to receive the best education available in a safe and healthy environment. By “greening” our schools, we provide a healthy environment for students and staff and improve academic performance while saving money, which can then be spent on educational resources. Through an environmentally-based education children will be taught about the impacts of their behaviors on their communities, both local and global, and become better stewards of their communities and the planet.
Strategy A: Incorporate sustainability into curriculum and activities
Expand the current environmental health, science, and business curriculum in BCPSS to include areas such as energy conservation, water conservation, and waste management. The EPA and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources have teaching guides available that could be utilized within the schools.
- Timeframe: Short-term
- Type: Education
- Funding Source: State and Federal Funds
- Lead Partners: BCPSS
Strategy B: Build and retrofit green school buildings
Improve city school buildings by adding green features. Green buildings are less costly to operate, healthier for students and teachers, better for our environment, and more inspiring places to learn. The LEED for Schools Rating System developed by the U.S. Green Building Council provides a framework for designing and building such facilities. Under Baltimore’s green building requirements, city schools will need to meet the equivalent of a LEED Silver standard.
- Timeframe: Long-term
- Type: Capital
- Funding Source: State and Federal Funds
- Lead Partners: BCPSS
Strategy C: Adopt a green facilities management guide for school operations
Implement best management practices regarding energy conservation, water conservation, waste generation, purchasing, and green cleaning practices to reduce the operational costs of Baltimore City schools and make them healthier environments. Where possible, facilities management can engage students to participate in the stewardship of their school environment.
- Timeframe: Mid-term
- Type: Policy/Operations
- Funding Source: Cost Neutral
- Lead Partners: BCPSS
Strategy D: Develop a teacher training and certification program for sustainability
Offer a certification program in sustainability to allow teachers to receive advanced knowledge in this growing field while better equipping them to bring this information to their students. This would also allow teachers to differentiate themselves and learn from each other, contributing to teacher morale and effectiveness.
- Timeframe: Mid-term
- Type: Education
- Funding Source: Grant Programs
- Lead Partners: BCPSS, BOS
Strategy E: Recognize schools making strides in sustainability
Leverage the MD Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) green schools awards and other programs to recognize schools. By supporting higher participation in the MAEOE program or creating a Baltimore-specific awards program, schools can be recognized for implementing sustainability programs that are the best fit for their population, academic focus, location, physical infrastructure, level of parental involvement, and budget.
- Timeframe: Mid-term
- Type: Education, Partnership
- Funding Source:Cost Neutral
- Lead Partners : BOS, BCPSS, MAEOE
Education and Awareness Goal 2
Ensure all city youth have access to environmental stewardship programs and information
Young people are eager to learn about ways that they can improve their environment through community service projects and after school groups that provide opportunities to learn and give back. They have the enthusiasm required to create and implement projects and want the support of community and government leaders. Cultivating a sense of environmental ownership and responsibility in youth ensures that Baltimore’s sustainability efforts will continue into the future.
Strategy A: Develop a sustainability education and community service program
Educate youth about their role in Baltimore’s sustainability through a program of hands-on projects, community service, and service learning hours. Potential outlets for the program include schools, community centers, and community based organizations. The BCPSS currently has many environmental projects that qualify for community service hours; these projects should be expanded to include all aspects of sustainability.
- Timeframe: Short-term
- Type: Education
- Funding Source: Cost Neutral
- Lead Partners: BOS, BCPSS, DRP, Non-profit Youth Organizations
Strategy B: Create a website devoted to the youth perspective on the environment
Develop a youth-designed and operated website where young people can share their ideas with each other, find information on actions they can take to improve the environment, and connect with environmental groups already active in Baltimore. It would include links to those groups, project ideas, photos, videos, and information about upcoming events.
- Timeframe: Short-term
- Type: Education
- Funding Source: Grant Programs
- Lead Partners: BOS
Strategy C: Create a Youth Ambassador Team to educate their peers about sustainability
Connect to youth not normally engaged with environmental issues through a peer-to-peer outreach program. The program could utilize sustainability-oriented videos and the feedback from current sustainability and youth focused events to educate young people about their role in creating a sustainable Baltimore. Many peer-to-peer groups already exist in the city and could serve as models and partners for this effort.
- Timeframe: Short-term
- Type: Education
- Funding Source: Cost Neutral
- Lead Partners: BOS, Holistic Life Foundation, Parks & People Foundation, Peer to Peer
Education and Awareness Goal 3
Raise the environmental awareness of Baltimore
Creating a sustainable City requires the participation of everyone. Engaging the community at all levels through grassroots outreach and education will elicit incremental behavioral change with tangible environmental outcomes and personal benefits. Methods of promoting awareness will range from passive information (sustainability calendars) to active involvement (neighborhood challenges) and targeted education provided by membership organizations.
Strategy A: Utilize a Sustainability Ambassador network for community outreach
Recruit, train, and deploy a cadre of volunteer Sustainability Ambassadors to educate residents about environmental stewardship using a peer-to-peer model. Potential audiences include community associations, school PTAs, faith-based groups, and civic clubs.
- Timeframe: Short-term
- Type: Education
- Funding Source: Grant Programs
- Lead Partners: BOS
Strategy B: Coordinate a Year-Long Baltimore Sustainability Calendar
Highlight a specific area (e.g. energy efficiency, recycling, tree planting, and care) each month of the year in order to concentrate messages and engage the entire Baltimore community cohesively around specific goals. All stakeholders should be involved in the calendar’s development in order to synchronize programming and maximize synergy of efforts. Eventually, this may take the form of a tangible wall calendar for all Baltimore citizens.
- Timeframe: Short-term
- Type: Education, Partnership
- Funding Source: Existing Program Funds
- Lead Partners: BOS, Partner organizations and initiatives
Strategy C: Increase public knowledge of alternative transportation options
Develop a regional 511 system to provide information on costs, routes, and availability of public transit, bicycling, carpooling, and other sustainable transportation options.
- Timeframe: Mid-term
- Type: Education
- Funding Source: State and Federal Funds
- Lead Partners: MDoT; Baltimore DoT
Strategy D: Launch city-wide sustainability challenges to a variety of audiences
Engage the Baltimore community in competitions and challenges to educate and motivate changes in behavior while having fun. Potential audiences include neighborhoods, schools, local businesses, and city agencies.
- Timeframe: Short-term
- Type: Education, Partnership
- Funding Source: Grant Programs
- Lead Partners: BOS
Strategy E: Engage membership organizations to develop and disseminate targeted sustainability information
Partner with stakeholder groups that are uniquely positioned to make huge differences in specific areas to develop and disseminate sustainability information to their memberships, creating opportunities for targeted engagement and education. Examples include partnering with restaurant associations on recycling, boating clubs on water quality, and real estate managers on energy efficiency.
- Timeframe: Short-term
- Type: Education, Partnerships
- Funding Source: Existing Program Funding
- Lead Partners: BOS, Partner organizations
Education and Awareness Goal 4
Expand access to informational resources on sustainability
Access to information is critical to support citizen action. Convenient, accessible, easy to use, and understandable information about how to live more healthy and economical lives enables people to make behavior changes to support sustainability. Trusted locations such as libraries, community centers, bus stops, local stores and restaurants, markets, buses, metro and light rail cars, and cabs as “go to” places will effectively disseminate information to every neighborhood and socio-economic group.
Strategy A: Develop an interactive website for the Baltimore Office of Sustainability (BOS)
Provide a one-stop shop for sustainability-related information specific to the Baltimore community through a more sophisticated BOS website. The site would include tailored messages for a variety of audiences on how they can help achieve the goals of the Sustainability Plan, information on other local, state, and federal programs, and the ability to track progress of the plan’s implementation.
- Timeframe: Short-term
- Type: Educational
- Funding Source: Grant Programs
- Lead Partners: BOS
Strategy B: Create local Green Pages as resource guide
Offer information on where to access green products, businesses, and services in the Baltimore area through the creation of a Baltimore Green Pages. Not only would this act as a resource for those looking for local green expertise and products, it will also provide local green businesses an additional platform for exposure.
- Timeframe: Short-term
- Type: Partnership
- Funding Source: Grant Programs
- Lead Partners: BOS, CSBA, Partner Organizations
Strategy C: Utilize existing community centers to distribute sustainability information
Reach the diverse constituencies of the Baltimore community who receive information from a wide variety of outlets. By sharing informational resources with churches, recreational facilities, and other community centers, more people will have access to the knowledge and tools they need to think and live sustainably. The Enoch-Pratt public library system, in particular, would be an excellent network to distribute information, offer workshops, and loan out resources.
- Timeframe: Short-term
- Type: Policy/Operations
- Funding Source: Partnerships
- Lead Partners: BOS, Enoch-Pratt Libraries, Community Partners
Strategy D: Support innovative resources on sustainability
Help develop and promote resources such as the Baltimore Green Map which geographically depicts the city’s ecological and cultural resources with icons denoting locations of assets like public parks, recycling centers, farmers markets, and bike facilities. The project includes an online map, print maps, and a website highlighting events and activities www.baltogreenmap.org. More resources like these would be a great asset to Baltimore.
- Timeframe: Short-term
- Type: Education
- Funding Source: Cost Neutral
- Lead Partners: BOS, Baltimore Green Map, Partners
[1] Kats, Gregory. Greening America’s Schools: Costs and Benefits. A Capital E Report, Published October 2006. Available online: http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=2908