Kent Elementary chosen for Green Schoolhouse project

It’s going to get a little greener around Kent Elementary School in the next few years.

Brighten A Life, a nonprofit organization committed to education and the environment, chose the school last fall to be the new site of a Green Schoolhouse, one of four in the country.

“This is a really cutting edge, 21st century concept,” said Page Meyer, principal of Kent Elementary School. “It’s pretty darn cool.”

Brighten A Life “focuses on positively impacting the learning environments, living conditions and communities of disadvantaged children and families,” according to its website. The Green Schoolhouse series is the organization’s signature cause, focusing on “meeting the critical needs of children, education and the environment,” according to Kent School District documents.

This means the curriculum used in the new building will emphasize science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) lessons and environmental awareness.

The Green Schoolhouse, intended to house preschool and kindergarten students, will be built on a 15,000-square-foot grassy lot currently used as a baseball field. Adjacent to that area, a new synthetic grass turf will be installed to replace the dirt soccer field.

All materials used in constructing the schoolhouse will be certified environmentally friendly and up to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Standard, the highest designation awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Everything used in building the schoolhouse and for curriculum purposes will be donated either financially or in kind by various companies except the foundation of the building, costing about $3 million, which will by paid for by the school district.

The new building will include eight classrooms, a computer lab, an outdoor fitness area, multi-purpose room, a green garden and other educational spaces while also serving as a community center after school and on weekends.

As part of the series, each of the Green Schoolhouses is built according to a unique theme. Kent Elementary has not chosen a theme yet.

During a special school board meeting April 17, architects, administrators and community members were invited to “put (their) dreams on paper,” according to Meyer, to draft a creative vision for the new space. Smart walls and tables, rooftop gardens, water retention systems and solar panels – all were proposed in an effort to incorporate the latest technology to teach students the importance and relevance of science and sustainability.

“When you’re in the initial planning stages, anything is possible,” Meyer said. “It’s the most creative process I’ve been a part of.”

Meyer says students will be able to grasp concepts like solar energy and green construction.

“It’s going to give them an opportunity to be exposed to this cutting edge way of living,” she said. “I don’t think it’s over their heads. This building dovetails into those next generation science standards.”

Kent Elementary was an ideal location for Brighten A Life’s next project due to its urban location and proximity to an industrial area, diversity of student body and socio-economic standard of living in the surrounding community. The school has 27 spoken languages, 23 countries represented, and 85 percent of its student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch.

The other Green Schoolhouses, two in Phoenix and one in San Diego, are in the process of being designed and built.

Construction of the new building will begin next school year and is projected to be finished in 2015.

Meyer is excited for the project and future of Kent Elementary, seeing the benefits of incorporating more technology and green awareness into the classroom.

“We are going to be a showcase for the technology coming out,” Meyer said. “This is going to set these kids up in life.”