D65 Sustainability Update: Nov '24

In honor of America Recycles Day on November 15, the City of Evanston, in partnership with District 65, is hosting a Recycling Truck: Student Art Design Competition. Middle schoolers were invited to submit their original artwork, depicting the dangers of putting batteries in recycling bins.

Why batteries? The Battery Stewardship Act became law this August and encourages the proper reuse and recycling of batteries. Learn more about responsible battery use.

The City received 13 unique artwork submissions and is now asking community members to vote for their favorite design. The winning design will adorn a City of Evanston recycling truck. Community voting will be available through Thursday, November 14.

All are welcome to join! Join Zoom Meeting

We welcome all who are interested in learning more and helping us create a healthier, more sustainable and equitable future for our students.

In September, we organized a working group to help to develop the first ever District 65 sustainability plan. The team consists of a variety of stakeholders including DEC leadership, D65 and D202 staff and students, City of Evanston and Village of Skokie employees, along with members of multiple community based organizations in Evanston.

The team is meeting approximately every three weeks starting in October to develop a District plan that will be brought to the School Board for feedback and to review a possible revision to Board policy (Policy 4:70). In October, the team has met two times including time spent reviewing sample plans from other School Districts to frame our direction and the team has begun to develop the vision and categories of focus for the plan.

In November, our B&G and Sustainability team is rolling out Tandem Dolly's to all our interested schools as part of our Year 2 of School Recycling Improvements to help streamline the collection of recycling & landfill throughout our school buildings.

D65 Schools who signed-up for Tandem Dolly's include Bessie Rhodes, Chute, Dawes, Haven, King Arts, Kingsley, Lincoln, Nichols, Oakton, Orrington, Park, Walker, Willard.

During the month of November, the supplies will be delivered directly to our schools. Once they arrive, we're asking our custodians to set-up the Tandem Dolly's within 7 days of delivery and start using them in our schools.

Note: some D65 schools opted to continue with their current recycling method which is one can with two separate bags within. All of our D65 schools are recycling and this is meant to be a supportive way to help our staff and students as we strive to recycle better together.

D65 is partnering with ETHS and Climate Action Evanston as a collaborating entity on the US EPA Community Change Grant. We're seeking approximately $2 million in grant funding for Foster School sustainability features including EV charging stations, a larger rooftop solar panel array and a portion of Electric HVAC system including DOAS (dedicated outdoor air system) units.

Grant applications are open until November 21, 2024.

We anticipate a decision from the US EPA in the Spring 2025.

Please update your school contacts for climate action and school garden this school year (button below).

Sign up by November 11th!

Registration for the 2024-25 Cohort is open until November 11th. Find the application on our website.

How it works

Schools assemble green teams including key stakeholders like administration, facilities managers, and educators, along with an assigned Green Schools mentor with professional experience in sustainability. Green teams begin the program with a self-assessment to benchmark their current sustainability practices in the categories of environmental impacts, health and wellness, and effective environmental literacy. Then, with the help of their mentor, they execute a building walkthrough and create a project outline to execute a school wide project that is low-cost and high-impact. Schools that submit a project report at the end of the year receive recognition and promotional resources, and are in the running to win awards and a chance to present their achievements to a network of sustainability professionals and schools in Illinois.

Our Impact

Over the past 4 years, we’ve worked to promote green building practices and sustainable communities for all by inspiring 73 schools to implement sustainable practices, incorporating over 5000 students, 442 staff and faculty, and utilizing mentorship from over 100 sustainability professionals in their work. Check out some of last year’s amazing projects for more details.

Calling all SWANCC member communities....Schools, Libraries, and now, Nonprofits are all available to apply for a $500 Waste Reduction Grant!

Do you have an idea for Waste Reduction and need a bit of financial support? Don't wait, apply for a grant today! Need more time to be creative and think through your initiative? No problem. Based on funding availability, applications are now accepted all year!

Waste Grant Announcement

Waste Grant Application

• D65 Sustainability Website
• D65 Sustainability Focus: 24-25 School Year
• D65 Sustainability and Garden Resources Library
• D65 Climate Action & Garden Community Contact List
• D65 Sustainability Positive Impact: 23-24 School Year
• D65 Sustainability Positive Impact: 22-23 School Year
• D65 Sustainability Newsletter Archive