Advanced Marketing students in Alana Vinther’s Global Connections High School class in SeaTac were one of the first U.S. participants in an international Eco-Office program this spring – an experience (with a lot of hard work along the way) that culminated in sharing their experience with other Eco-Office students from Shanghai, China and New Delhi, India in a Skype online conference call on June 21.

As background, Eco-Office teaches students in 76 high schools around the globe how to evaluate local businesses for an environmental sustainability score, according to a Highline School District press release. The program is sponsored by Shanghai Roots and Shoots, “a China-based organization founded by Dr. Jane Goodall.”

Vinther’s students trained for weeks with Eco-Office mentor Mary Daniels before setting out on their own “ecoaudit” of Matt Griffin YMCA in SeaTac on May 17. The students said the experience taught them about the little things everyone can do as a business or individual to reduce waste and help sustain the environment. Instead of asking companies to make major infrastructural changes, ecoaudits advocate simple steps like turning off computer monitors and lights when not in use, reducing unnecessary water usage and turning off the heater once in a while.

On May 17 the students descended upon Matt Griffin YMCA with a critical eye, evaluating every nook and cranny for environmental-friendly compliance and missteps.

As for the verdict, Global Connections junior Ray McCullah said, “They were doing a good job; there were only a few problems.” McCullah said the only thing that stood out was that the YMCA left the gym lights on all the time, even if no one was using it, but he thought that might just be for safety.

Most of Vinther’s students (13 took part in the study and seven attended the Skype session) said they came out of the experience not only with an understanding of what companies can do to reduce their environmental impact, but steps they can take personally in their everyday lives to the same end.

Connecting across the globe
Once the standard technical hiccups were smoothed out in setting up a three-way online Skype session (not an easy task) with students in Shanghai and New Delhi, Vinther’s students gathered around a computer monitor in their classroom after scarfing down congratulatory pizza provided by their teacher.

One by one, students from three far-removed locations introduced themselves on webcams and talked about why they got involved in the program and the lessons they had learned. It was 7 p.m. in Seatac, 7 a.m. the next day in India and 10 a.m. in China.

All participants agreed on the common theme and realization that small changes can really make a difference and talked about taking their new found environmental consciousness they hope to share with others in the future.

“I’d like to keep this as a hobby for life,” Global Connections student Marius Tamayo said while introducing himself.

“Being able to tell people they were doing something wrong,” was another reason given by one student, eliciting laughter across the globe.

Both New Delhi and Shanghai students reported their biggest challenge was not recruiting students into the Eco-Office program, but convincing businesses to allow them in for an ecoaudit. Conversely, Vinther’s students had companies lining up for an audit, welcoming a constructive eye.