POTTSTOWN PA – Students at The Goddard School in Sanatoga shed some light on this year’s coming Earth Day activities by putting themselves in the dark.
Earth Day, observed annually since 1970 on April 22 with activities to promote environmental awareness and conservation, is only 11 days away. It will be marked globally this year (2011) with reforestation efforts, educational programs in museums to teach sustainability, and what organizers hope will be a billion individual and community pledges to live more environmentally conscious lives.
To do their part, those enrolled at Goddard recently joined teachers in turning off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances inside the school, 2074 E. High St., Pottstown, for one hour, according to owners Ed and Maria Shaw.
Environmental events at the local child-care facility were held March 21-25. The week included what Ed Shaw called “a variety of fun activities, games and lessons” designed to show children how they can conserve energy in their daily lives. Students learned about the environment during art projects, science lessons and even snack time, he said.
Some classes chose an official “Lightning Bug” who was responsible for always turning off the lights when kids left their classrooms. Others created invitations, asking their parents and neighboring businesses to join them in conservation activities. Teachers focused in part, Shaw added, on Earth Hour, a global plan to turn off as many lights as possible for one hour at 8:30 p.m. on March 26 (Saturday).
Because Goddard operates only Mondays through Fridays, its kids got their Earth Hour in a day earlier (March 25). The school doused as many lights as was safely possible, with students throwing the switches.
The school itself will be closed on Earth Day, which also is the start of its three-day spring break.
