Teaching students in a classroom is one thing, but for leadership at La Jolla Country Day School, it’s also important to lead by example.
The pre-kindergarten through 12th grade private school is constantly seeking opportunities to demonstrate to their students what it truly means to commit to sustainability. That’s why they opted up to 100% clean energy from San Diego Community Power.
“Whether it’s composting or solar power, you have to teach kids how important (sustainability) is and what difference and impact they can actually make,” said Assistant Head of School for Operations Kevin Worth.
The school empowers its students to practice sustainability through campus-wide initiatives, such as their commitment to renewable energy. Solar panels can be found throughout their campus on their lower, middle and upper schools, as well as on their gym, library, academic center and theater.
The school also became a Power100 Champion when it chose to partner with Community Power to use 100% renewable energy and contribute to a cleaner, greener San Diego.
“Sustainability is what we believe in and what we want to instill in our students,” Worth said. “Partnering with Community Power gives us opportunities outside of what we’re able to do on our own.…The impact is tenfold.”
La Jolla Country Day School is the first — and currently the only — school to become a Power100 Champion.
The school was founded in 1926 with the goal of not only teaching their students, but inspiring them to make a difference in the world. Now, nearly 100 years later, the school is still driven by their mission: to prepare their students for a lifetime of intellectual exploration, personal growth and social responsibility.
Sustainability is implicit in those values, Worth said.
Each of the school’s sustainability initiatives require three things, according to Worth: education, resources and commitment. Power100 Champions meets all three.
When Worth initially learned about Power100 Champions, he thought it was “a no brainer” and wondered “Where has it been and why haven’t we done it before?”
“It’s kind of like, why wouldn’t you eat healthy? You want to live longer, right?” he said. “If you have the opportunity to do it, do it.”
Worth brought the idea of becoming a Power100 Champion to the school’s Board of Trustees, who were “100% on-board” with 100% renewable energy and eager to participate in a program that aligned so well with their institutional values.
Since becoming a Power100 Champion, the school has had opportunities to connect with fellow businesses and organizations in the San Diego region who prioritize sustainability. For example, Worth is looking into bringing battery storage systems to the campus to maximize the benefits of their existing solar panels. A connection that he made through a Community Power networking event provided resources that aided his research.
While Worth noted that every school is different and has different resources, he encouraged those who can to take the time to look into the program.
“Pull back the curtain,” he said. “Investigate Community Power, and I guarantee that you’re going to look at it the same way I did — if you’re pulling energy from the grid, why not pull energy from sustainable sources?”