Redwood High School (RHS), an alternative continuation high school, serves eleventh and twelfth-grade students who request a smaller learning environment, may need to recover credits, or prefer smaller class sizes. In 2018, the school was remodeled, and many intentional design choices were made in sustainability and energy efficiency, including on-site photovoltaic power generation, water-wise plumbing fixtures, and energy-efficient heating and ventilation systems. The school’s newly installed drip irrigation systems, multiple bioswales, and an emphasis on planting native and drought-tolerant plants contribute to a documented 74.5% reduction in outdoor water use on campus. RHS students, staff, and local experts collaborated on waste auditing and creating the school’s closed-loop composting systems to reduce waste. The school uses Safe Routes to School grant funding to provide a fully stocked on-site bike shed with an employee who teaches students how to maintain their bikes. The school developed and is currently piloting a new green purchasing policy to reduce hazardous materials around campus and encourage the use of more sustainable products. RHS features a three-quarter acre organic food forest, greenhouse, chicken coop, compost system, and outdoor classroom to support students across disciplines, ages, and experience levels. RHS partners with Climate Corps AmeriCorps to provide the school with an Outdoor Education Fellow who works full-time managing the school garden and coordinating the integration of environmental science into the school’s core curriculum. The school’s Culinary Arts Career Technical Education (CTE) students use food from the school’s food forest to prepare their dishes and then donate any unused produce to the surrounding community. RHS’s Redwood Environmental Academy of Leadership (REAL) Program embodies the environmental values of the school as an interdisciplinary program that integrates environmental literacy with History, Culinary Arts CTE, and Environmental Science courses. In 2022, the school started hosting a fellowship on-site, including a walking tour of RHS’s outdoor learning spaces, where educators from across the county learned about the outdoor educational options offered at the school.
(PDF)Back to 2023 National Green Ribbon Selectees