Watertown’s new school building has sustainability built into the design. Energy-efficient systems, modern ventilation, and reduced emissions mean healthier classrooms and lower long-term costs.
Brookline has taken meaningful steps in a different but equally important area: school cafeterias. Waste reduction, composting, and sustainable food practices cut environmental impact while helping students understand how everyday choices connect to climate.
Newton has its own success stories. Countryside Elementary School’s geothermal system is a standout example of clean energy in action, dramatically reducing fossil fuel use while providing reliable heating and cooling. This shows students, families, and staff what climate solutions look like in real life. Eliot Church of Newton and Grace Episcopal are exploring networked geothermal and reaching out to their neighbors for ways to collaborate.
Electrifying buildings, adding solar, and improving efficiency are important, but they are only half the equation. We also need to prepare students intellectually and civically for the future that they are inheriting. New Jersey now has statewide climate education standards; Portland, OR, and Berkeley, CA, have embedded climate literacy and civic engagement into learning; and Italy teaches climate change across grade levels.
I co-chair Green Newton’s Green School Green Connections, which unites families, students, educators, and community partners to champion sustainability in NPS and connect school-based environmental action with the City’s broader climate goals. I invite parents, students, and community members to get involved. My co-chair, NNHS senior Cindy Qiao, should inherit an inhabitable planet and a livable city.
The School Committee should adopt policies that strengthen climate education alongside sustainable infrastructure; NPS should have a Climate Action Plan like the City’s in place. I encourage parents to join Green Captains and eco-teams at your children’s schools. Together, we can ensure our schools don’t just reflect our values, but actively prepare our kids to lead.
Alexander Lee
Newton Corner
