Sustainability at PPS

To everyone in the PPS community, Happy Earth month! We hope you’re relishing this return to Spring weather and finding delights in the living outside world.

Earth Month is celebrated all over the planet, including Portland, where we have a long history of taking special care of the non-human world. Did you know that in 1993, Portland became the first U.S. city to pass a local climate action plan? And in 2022, Portland Public Schools followed in the city’s path and set a first-of-its-kind school district climate action plan.

We think that’s pretty cool!

We also think it’s really cool that PPS teachers and schools have been dishing up amazing Earth Day events for as long as Earth Day has been a thing, and probably even before that! And we want to know about them!

If your school is having some great Earth Month programming – field trips, outside activities, a science fair, anything to celebrate Earth – fill out this 1 question survey to let us know about it. We’ll pick a few of our favorites to come take pictures of and to share in next month’s newsletter!

Are you looking for some easy projects or activities to do at your school for Earth Day?

There are tons of great resources online, but we really like the options and usability from Subject to Climate. You can also check out this great list of Earth Day activities compiled by PPS librarians.

What else can you do? Organize a schoolyard cleanup event, facilitate a classroom or school-wide eco challenge, teach a lesson about Earthrise (the first photo of Earth taken from space which led to Earth Day), lead an upcycling activity, or lead a classroom energy audit (energy usage monitors can be available for check out at local tool libraries). Email us at sustainability@pps.net for more ideas or support!

Earth Month is the perfect time to celebrate all of the incredible people and organizations passionately advocating for safe and welcoming outdoor access for all!

Who are some of the people and organizations working in climate justice that you admire?

Locally, we’re in admiration of groups such as Wild Diversity, Unlikely Hikers, Kindness Farm, Mudbone Grown. We also follow the wisdom of people such as Pattie Gonia, Autumn Peltier, Maya Menezes, and Daphne Frias. These activists and doers, and so many others, represent the growing number of people speaking out for queer, indigenous, immigrant and disability inclusion so often lacking in the climate justice conversation. They tell us of the joy and resilience that results from greater representation and cooperative decision making practices.

Get excited for the PPS HS Student Climate Summit coming up on May 22, 2024! Hosted in Portland, high school students from across the district are invited to attend the all day event filled with speakers, workshops, and food. Keep your eye out for updates and reminders.

Sarah Nealon’s class at McDaniel High School was filled with the sounds of handmade sauces sizzling in saute pans and whisks softly mixing together spices. Scents such as sesame and garlic filled the air, creating an aromatic experience. The sustainable agriculture students were cooking up 4 different bean recipes for a cafeteria taste test at Scott Elementary. Would the elementary students like the everything garbanzo beans, sticky sesame garbanzo beans, crispy roasted garbanzo beans, or chipotle pinto beans best?

As it turns out, all 4 recipes were a hit with the Scott Elementary students! During the taste test, the high school students passed out over 100 recipe cards because so many students wanted to try making the recipes at home with their family. Multiple elementary school students commented that while they weren’t normally garbanzo or pinto bean fans, they enjoyed these specific recipes.

This taste test is part of a series of collaborations between PPS Nutrition Services and high school culinary and sustainable agriculture programs to add student-designed recipes to the PPS menu. The PPS Nutrition Services team is currently reviewing the 4 student bean recipes to see which could be adapted and served district-wide in the future. It will be exciting to see if the positive feedback at Scott Elementary is reflected for one or more of these delicious bean recipes when they get served during lunch across the district! A big thank you to Sarah Nealon for helping coordinate this project, the sustainable agriculture class students for introducing these 4 bean recipes, and Scott Elementary for hosting the taste test.

Interested in trying these bean recipes at home? Please email caverstrate@pps.net for a copy of the recipes.

Are you a high-schooler interested in a career in environmental education or sustainability?

Outdoor school is an excellent entry point into familiarizing yourself with these incredibly rewarding career pathways. Outdoor school opportunities are located all through Oregon, and now is the time to start looking! Check out the following link for more information about Multnomah County outdoor school opportunities: https://www.mesdoutdoorschool.org/

You can also check out:

• High School Leadership with Rogue Valley Outdoor School: https://www.rogue-ee.com/high-school-leader-resources.html
• High School Camp Counselors at OMSI
• Outdoor School in partnership with OSU

Wayfinder Society mini-grants are now open for students seeking financial support for their personal education, school and community projects, internships, networking events, etc. connected to addressing the plastic crisis. This exciting grant opportunity was created to help move us toward a world where plastic pollution is unthinkable. The grant application deadline is April 15th, and funds range from $300-$2000.

Check out the link for more information: https://algalita.org/wayfinder-society/student-hub/student-mini-grant/

Attention, K-12 students and teachers in Oregon – showcase your video and food waste prevention skills and win amazing prizes!

Whether you're going solo, teaming up, or representing your entire classroom, there's a chance to win a $100 - $300 VISA Gift Card.

Convey your ideas through a captivating video, addressing the theme of food waste prevention. Your masterpiece might be showcased on DEQ's website. Take action now and let your voice drive change in the battle against food waste! Visit the contest site at www.donletgoodfoodgobad.org/contest

The School Meals for All (SMFA) Coalition in Oregon is seeking a passionate and dedicated young person to shape the future of school meals in Oregon and serve as the coalition’s Youth Advisory Leader.

This person will play a vital role in collaborating with the SMFA coalition and providing key insights on school meals across the state of Oregon. As the Youth Advisory Leader, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with the SMFA coalition, advocate for equitable access to nutritious meals, and engage with communities across the state to learn more about school meals and the legislative process.

Applications for this paid opportunity are now open. Email charlie@oregonhunger.org with the subject line "Youth Advisory Leader Application” to find out more information, and to apply by April 19th.

Making Earth Cool is hosting an Earth Day Celebration at Sunnyside Environmental School on Saturday, April 20th!

The event meets at 11:30 am in the Sunnyside Schoolyard (SE 35th & Taylor St.) with the parade around the neighborhood starting at noon. Come dressed up in plant and animal costumes, signs and sounds are encouraged! At 1:30pm, there will be a non-religious celebration of our amazing home planet at the Sunnyside Community Center (SE 35th & Yamhill St.).

• SOLVE Spring Cleanup Days (at various location)

• DEPAVE planting event: April 20th, 10am-1pm Peninsula Elementary School

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP

Portland Native Community: Are you prepared for an emergency? Join us for fun activities, tips and games to help you and your family stay safe during weather emergencies or other situations. Prizes will be given to families who attend all three sessions!

Workshop Dates:

• Tuesday, 4/9: Introduction to Emergency Prep and Climate Resilience
• Tuesday, 4/16: Building an Emergency Kit
• Tuesday, 4/23: Food Preservation and Food Storage

Community Garden volunteer days

Mondays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to till, prepare our beds, plant, mulch, cultivate, weed and harvest.

NAYA MANY NATIONS ACADEMY CELEBRATION AND STUDENT SHOWCASE

• Virtual Celebration and Online Auction: Monday, April 29 – Friday, May 3, 2024
• Student Showcase and Kloshe Tum’-tum Hour: Wednesday, May 1, 4:00 – 5:30 P.M.

The NAYA Many Nations Academy Celebration honors our students, their achievements, and their bright futures ahead. We invite you to join us for a week of recognition, as we Celebrate our Students, showcase their work, and raise essential funds to help them thrive! The festivities include an online campaign and celebratory Student Showcase and Kloshe Tum’-tum* Hour, Wednesday, May 1.

Questions? Contact Devin Dugi at: (971)806-5649 or devind@nayapdx.org

Sunday, April 21st 10:00 am - 11:30 am

Alliance High School (4039 NE Alberta Court, Portland, OR 97211)

Spend the Sunday before Earth Day learning about the wonderful variety of trees on the grounds of Alliance High School (formerly Meek Elementary) on a free tree walk guided by Jim Gersbach.

Beginning in 2010, Concordia Tree Team collaborated with Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry and the school to create a Learning Landscape at the site. Trees representing the oak family were chosen along with relict tree species. The latter are species numbering just one or two species in their entire genus. The school is home to about three dozen different tree species from around the world, including a dozen different species of oaks, both deciduous and evergreen. Among tour highlights will be a look at a living example of Oregon's official state fossil!

Does your school grounds or garden need compost? Check out PBOT’s Free Compost days from April 20th-22nd, or until supplies last!

1. Forest bathing – Not only can immersion in nature reduce blood pressure and decrease anxiety, but it can also help familiarize us with our regional ecologies and compel us toward urgent environmental protection and climate justice activism.

2. Start a nature journal - document new and familiar species in your neighborhood.

3. Relax and listen to the birds sing

4. Try to identify all the flowers on your block

5. Volunteer at a planting event to get to better know your community and local plant species