Published: November 13, 2009 08:20 am      

South Laurel wins PRIDE award

Cold Hill Elementary and North Laurel Middle also honored

Click here to see the Nov. 14, 2009, Neighbors section in its entirety


Special to the Times-Tribune

South Laurel High School, North Laurel Middle School and Cold Hill Elementary School were recently honored at the PRIDE Envi Youth Conference at the Arena in Corbin.

South Laurel won the PRIDE High School Campus of the Year Award in the West Division. The prize was a trophy and $1,000 to share students’ environmental know-how by growing plants in the school’s greenhouse to transplant throughout the community.

North Laurel Middle School and Cold Hill Elementary received plaques as finalists for the West Division PRIDE Campus of the Year Awards in the middle school and elementary school categories.

Videos about the three schools’ environmental education programs were shown during the youth conference. More than 150 students from the three schools attended the event.

“Students and teachers, you are a source of great pride to your community and our entire region,” said PRIDE’s Karen Engle. “Your love for learning, the environment and your community are a winning combination. You are on track for great accomplishments. Your recognition here today is just the beginning.”

At South Laurel, the PRIDE Club members teach science lessons at four elementary schools through a service learning project. Their lessons are aligned to the curriculum maps of the elementary school teachers, who evaluate the lessons. The club members hosted an environmental day for first, second and third graders, judged a science fair at one elementary school, and participated in a CATS review day at another. They also shared environmental activities with the elderly at Laurel Village. On campus, there is a greenhouse and a recycling program, which is run by the Advanced Placement Environmental Science Class.

At North Laurel Middle School, students study a variety of subjects in the expansive outdoor classroom, which includes wetlands, aquaculture station, classroom shelter, greenhouse, local watershed model and much more. A solar panel helps power the school while allowing students to observe an alternative energy source. The school will open its garden to the community this year. North Laurel Middle School students mentor at local elementary schools, monitor local water quality, clean the road near campus and volunteer for local PRIDE cleanups. The school participates in the City of London’s recycling program.

At Cold Hill Elementary, every student uses the Enviro-Science Lab, which contains material and equipment, such as microscopes, for a wide variety of hands-on science lessons. The school’s outdoor classroom features a nature trail, with bird houses and feeders, and a vegetable garden, which is shared with the community. In cooperation with the City of London, Cold Hill Elementary students, faculty and staff run a community-wide recycling program, placing receptacles conveniently for parents who are walking into the school or dropping off students.

2,300 students attended the PRIDE Envi Youth Conference in Corbin. The high-energy event featured motivational speakers who take personal responsibility for the environment and serving the community. They challenged the students to live up to their potential and make a difference. The event, including lunch, was free, and PRIDE will reimburse schools for transportation costs.

“Today I saw kids having a blast one minute and looking thoughtful the next minute,” Engle said. “With the theme of ‘PRIDE Needs YOUth,’ our goal was to get students excited about their power to make a difference in their hometown and world. Judging by the looks on their faces, they got that message.”

The annual PRIDE Campus of the Year Awards honor elementary, middle and high schools for environmental education programs that incorporate hands-on learning, are tied to state curriculum guidelines, and show creativity and community involvement.

PRIDE is a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental cleanup and education efforts in 38 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky. The PRIDE web site is www.kypride.org.