Broward County would like to congragulate Virginia Shuman Young Elementary, Lyons Creek Middle, and McFatter Technical High School for winning the Conservation and Climate Change Challenge (C3 Challenge). The C3 challenge is an educational competition intended to engage students, teachers, school administrators, staff, and parents in practical strategies to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions school-wide and at home.
A total of 444 teachers from 34 schools participated in the challenge by pledging to educate 28,860 students on how to reduce their carbon footprint. As a result of the challenge, an estimated 4.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide will be reduced annually by all the schools through actions pledged during the campaign. This is equivalent to the energy used to power 250 households annually.
As a part of the C3 Challenge, Virginia Shuman Young Elementary students compared compact fluorescent light bulbs to incandescent light bulbs and learned about ways they can conserve energy in the classroom and at home. The school also implemented a recycling program that includes recycling juice pouches, chips and cookie bags, and zip-lock bags. Lyons Creek middle school created carpool, bike, and walk to school days, where students were encouraged to use alternative modes of transportation to get to school. McFatter Technical High School teachers did a classroom energy audit and evaluated actions they can take to reduce their energy use. Congratulations to Virginia Shuman Young Elementary, Lyons Creek Middle, and McFatter Technical High School for winning the C3 challenge.