DATE: May 7, 2015
MEDIA CONTACT: Robert Rudolph
Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division
PHONE: 954-519-0328
EMAIL: rrudolph@broward.org
BROWARD COUNTY, FL - The Third Annual P3 Eco-Challenge Awards Ceremony which recognizes and rewards schools, teachers, students, administrators and volunteers for their efforts to learn about and implement environmentally sustainable measures and green initiatives was held on April 29, 2015 at Long Key Nature Center in Davie.
Winners were awarded certificates, trophies, Nook e-readers, and cash and in-kind prizes worth more than $27,500 for their environmental stewardship.
And the winners are:
First Place:
McFatter Technical Center
$2,500
Runner-Up:
Whispering Pines Center
$1,500
Cash prizes ranging from $100 to $500 were awarded to 28 other schools, teachers, and students.
The Broward P3 (Preserving Our Planet for Posterity) Eco-Challenge is a joint effort between Broward's Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division (EPCRD), the School Board of Broward County, and the Environmental Conservation Organization. The P3 Eco-Challenge involves participation in and/or implementation of six categories: School Grounds Enhancement; School Sustainability; Curriculum Integration; Community Involvement; Administrative Support; and Innovation.
More than 150 attendees were treated to a reception including a musical performance by the Driftwood Middle School Jazz Band and healthy food and drinks provided by Platinum Sponsor Whole Foods. As the emcee, Broward County Public School's Government Affairs Coordinator Charles Webster thanked the 35 sponsors and "Eco-Friends" that made the ceremony possible. Welcoming remarks were made by Broward County Commissioner Beam Furr who noted the many accomplishments as result of the Environmental Partnership Agreement between the County and School Board including the development of the P3 Eco-Challenge. School Board Member Ann Murray also provided welcoming remarks on behalf of the four School Board members in attendance.
Dr. Jennifer Jurado, Division Director of EPCRD provided a brief overview of the P3 Eco-Challenge and the strong partnership that has developed between the County and School Board over the years before introducing the Keynote Speaker Caroline Lewis of CLEO (Climate Leadership Engagement Opportunities). Lewis, like Dr. Jurado, is a fellow White House-recognized Climate Change Leader. Lewis gave an inspiring and impassioned speech about the importance of effective teaching and interdisciplinary environmental education, recounting many of her own experiences and encouraging administrators to get out of the way and let teachers teach. She encouraged the students in the room to pursue their passions whatever they may be.
Major sponsors for the Third Annual P3 Eco-Challenge Awards Recognition Ceremony included Whole Foods, Wheelabrator Technologies, National Wildlife Federation, JM Family Enterprises, Inc., Everglades Holiday Park, South Florida Audubon Society, Hazen and Sawyer, the Guy Harvey Foundation, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
About Environmental Planning and Community Resilience
Broward County's Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division protects, restores and enhances the quality, abundance and diversity of the County's natural resources through coordinated management efforts in five areas: water resource policy and planning, urban and natural lands management, beach and marine resources, energy and sustainability, and environmental monitoring. For more information call 954-519-1270, visit our website or follow us on Twitter.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Broward School Board Members Ann Murray, Laurie Rich Levinson, Patricia Good, and Heather P. Brinkworth joined Commissioner Beam Furr to welcome attendees to the Third Annual P3 Eco-Challenge Awards Ceremony. In the background are members of the Driftwood Middle School Jazz Band, who entertained guests as they arrived.
|