For excellence in environmental education, 100% of sites in Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) have been named 2019 Pearl School Award recipients. This designation is awarded by Lynnhaven River NOW to recognize schools that foster excellence in environmental education, sustainability and stewardship.

"We applaud our schools, our community and Lynnhaven River NOW for supporting hands-on learning opportunities that show students that even at a young age, they can make a difference in the world," said VBCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence. "In addition, students are becoming problem solvers, value creators, collaborators, thinkers and inquirers. These are skills that will serve them well into the future."

Schools earn the designation by meeting minimum, yearly point requirements for participating in educational or service projects that teach environmental concepts. The division's schools have started or expanded gardens, participated in recycling programs, repurposed materials, studied flood levels and watersheds and built homes for vanishing pollinators, just to name a few projects. This school year, VBCPS also sponsored the first-ever "Our Watershed Needs Identified for Today and Tomorrow," or OWN-ITT competition, to challenge participants to explore the impact of their school site on the local watershed.

VBCPS has become a recognized leader in sustainability, teaching students about the interdependency of all systems in regards to social, economic and environmental impacts. The division's sustainability practices have also garnered state and national awards, including the 2019 Virginia Environmental Excellence Program Sustainability Partner distinction, the 2018 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence, the 2017 Green School division honor and the ENERGY Star Partner of the year designation for two consecutive years. In 2020, VBCPS is launching an Environmental Studies program in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Brock Environmental Center. Recently, a VBCPS teacher was honored with the 2019 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators – the third educator in the division to earn this recognition.

Learn more about the Pearl School Awards program by visiting Lynnhaven River NOW's website.

###

Department of Communications and Community Engagement, [email protected]

Like us on Facebook || Follow us on Twitter || Follow us on Instagram
Visit the Core