Ed. Dept. Site Green Programs

The site, schools.nyc.gov/sustainability, provides schools with educational resources and tools to share with students and their families. Teachers can download materials to develop a “green curriculum,” with topics including energy conservation, recycling, and ecology.

The city’s Departments of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), Parks and Recreation, and Sanitation provided information to help schools get involved with efforts to make New York a more sustainable city.

The website also links visitors to helpful resources available through national organizations including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Green Schools Alliance, a non-profit group of schools nationwide working together to reduce carbon emissions.

It was developed by the Department of Education’s Division of School Facilities (DSF) and the Department of Education’s Office of Instructional and Information Technology.

“Our public schools consume 25 percent of the energy used in New York City public facilities, and we always encourage our students and staff to conserve,” Deputy Chancellor for Infrastructure and Planning Kathleen Grimm said. “This website is another tool to help us meet the Mayor’s goal of reducing our carbon footprint 30 percent by 2017.”

As part of the agency’s green initiative, Ozgem Ornektekin was appointed to serve as the Department’s first-ever sustainability director. Ms. Ornetkin will lead the Department’s efforts to meet the PlaNYC goal of reducing energy usage at least 30 percent by 2017.

Originally from Turkey, Ornetkin previously worked at Parsons Brinckerhoff, a leading planning and engineering management firm and served as project manager and sustainability task leader for the energy division of AECOM Technology Corp, headquartered in Los Angeles. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Denver.

“The appointment of the Department of Education’s first sustainability director and the launch of the new website is helping us bring the goals of PlaNYC—our long-term vision for a greener, greater New York—to the city’s 1.1 million school children,” Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability Adam Freed said. “In addition to centers of learning, schools are part of the fabric of the communities they serve, and we appreciate these new steps to make them more sustainable.”

“We are excited about this website because it provides a single point of contact for anyone who wants to learn about sustainability,” DSF CEO John Shea said. “Thanks to our partners at Parks, DCAS, and Sanitation, we have information under one umbrella for parents, students, teachers, and the public.”

“We have created a website that will inspire and engage the school community to be mindful of our environment,” DSF Sustainability Officer Ozgem Ornektekin said. “The Web site offers suggestions for students, teachers, building managers, custodial engineers, and principals on how to conserve our resources and improve our natural environment.”