Brian Pekarek, who will become USD 257 superintendent of schools July 1, was recognized for what his district, Clifton-Clyde USD 224, has done to prepare students for environmental-friendly educations and careers.
He received the Rising Star Award from the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education, which cited Pekarek as “the driving force behind the ‘green’ changes” in the Clifton-Clyde district.
His emphasis on environmental issues started two years ago when he first became USD 224’s superintendent, Pekarek told the Register.
“We went to a Green School Summit, where career goals for 2025 in Kansas were discussed,” he said. “That’s the year kindergarteners (from 2008) will be graduating from college. The projection is that one-sixth of all jobs then will be linked to clean, renewable energy.
“We have to teach kids to be ready for college and careers,” from that perspective, “and we have to get started now,” Pekarek said.
At Clifton-Clyde more than $35,000 in grants have been attracted for a wind turbine, solar panels, a biomass project and greenhouses and gardens at the elementary and high schools.
The projects weren’t just showcases, Pekarek emphasized, but include hands-on involvement for “the kids from the very start. They understand the components, how the projects work and are able to take them apart and put them back together,” which gives students a leg up in college and career preparation in what Pekarek views as a quickly greening world.
The wind turbine, erected with a $9,000 grant and local donations, saves the district on utility costs each month, but more importantly is a teaching tool that demonstrates how wind can be converted to electricity for everyday uses, Pekarek said.
The solar panels were the result of a $6,000 grant and one of $13,500 paid for the biomass site, where all leftover food in the district is composted and eventually finds its way into the nutrition pool for gardens maintained by elementary and high school students. Yet another grant, for $7,000, paid for construction of greenhouses.
The grants came from a variety of sources and were part of a challenge Pekarek gave his staff to get involved in helping the district overcome state-aid shortfalls. Altogether, staff-written grants have been funded at $400,000.
The district’s high school was recognized as a Green School of the Year in Kansas in 2010 and, Pekarek noted, “Our elementary school came close to being a green school winner this year.”
He concluded that involving students in the various environmental projects not only was exciting but also gave them a far better understanding of the value of clean and renewal energy sources.
Pekarek honored for being ‘green’
