Roadrunner Elementary, Orangewood School Going Green Thanks to New Green Schoolhouse Series Outreach

PHOENIX - November 20, 2009 - Two Phoenix schools are going Green in an exciting new way thanks to dynamic new additions to their campuses. One campus is receiving a Safari, while students from the other will be settling into a Studio.

It is quite exciting for the students, teachers and staff at Roadrunner Elementary School and Orangewood School. Each school learned on Nov. 13th it will receive a new high-performance three-classroom, 5000-square foot hybrid schoolhouse thanks to the Green Schoolhouse Series.

According to the project's website, The Green Schoolhouse Series, a partnership between metropolitan Phoenix non-profit Brighten a Life and Cause & Effect Evolutions, a Scottsdale cause-marketing firm, seeks to build "...healthy, environmentally friendly and energy efficient schoolhouses that will enhance a student's learning experience. Each project positively impacts the local community and environment through the use of green products, materials and processes."

Construction on the Roadrunner and Orangewood Green Schoolhouses begins in Spring 2011, according to Marshall Zotara, the managing partner for Cause & Effect Evolutions. Following the "Extreme Home Makeover" model, each schoolhouse will be built during a two-week period, and the process will be the subject of a new reality TV show, "The Road to the Green Schoolhouse Series." Planning, design, site prep, permitting, and foundations will be completed in advance.

The new schoolhouses will join two others that will be built in Fall 2010 at the new Rio Salado College Green Learning Campus and Higher Education Center.

There are four schoolhouse models, including the Loft Schoolhouse for high schools, the Studio Schoolhouse for middle schools, the Safari Schoolhouse for elementary schools and Tierra Verde - a multilingual, multicultural K-12 facility that is being built on the Rio Salado campus.

Roadrunner Elementary School, 7702 N. 39th Ave., was one of three schools vying for The Safari schoolhouse. It will be used as added classroom space, for an after-school program, and is available for weekend use as well.

There are seven designated areas in The Safari schoolhouse:

• The Jungle: A backyard and playground area
• The Watering Hole: A fully functional kitchen
• The Zoo: An interior play area
• The Base Camp: Lounge area
• The Guides' Corner: A designated area for administrators
• The Den: A library
• First Aid Tent: An area dedicated to first aid, health, wellness and nutrition

Orangewood School, 7737 N. 19th Ave., beat out three other schools to win The Studio, featuring:

• The Amphitheater: A unique indoor/outdoor stage and performance area
• The Cafe: A fully functional kitchen
• The Production Room: A computer lab
• The Lounge: A classroom and general gathering area
• The Director's Chair: A designated area for administrators
• The Library: A traditional library including electronic books and computers
• The Health and Wellness Center: First aid, health, wellness and nutrition

Orangewood School eighth grader Maria Martinez reflected the school's excitement.

"I am so proud to be an Orangewood student," Martinez said. "I can't believe we get this huge opportunity for advancement."

The schoolhouses are made possible through the donation of time, materials, cash and professional services from companies in the educational facility building industry as well as corporate sponsorships.

"This is a terrific example of a public-private sector partnership," Zotara explained. "All these schoolhouses are being funded through corporate sponsors. It's not the taxpayer doing this; it's corporate America. You don't see that too often in today's world."

Doug McCord, chair of the Green Schools Advocacy Campaign for Arizona, added: "We see this as an amazing example for Arizona and the nation of how green school facilities will elevate the spirit and the missions of students, teachers, and the community to a higher level."

The Green Schoolhouse Series doesn't plan to stop in the Valley. Zotara said the program plans to build four schoolhouses in California in 2011 before expanding nationwide in 2012. Ultimately, Brighten a Life and Cause and Effects Evolutions hope to build more than 100 Green Schoolhouses in 50 markets over the next five years.