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Ideas for Clean School Bus Activities
- Recognition Event, with media
- Open House, with media
- Teach a Lesson at a Local School
- Celebrate "First" Retrofit
- Participate in Local Earth Day event
- Get a Local Proclamation about Clean School Buses
- Reduce Idling of School Buses
- Team Up with Asthma Advocates for Joint Asthma Awareness Event
Recognition Event, with media
Create an event at which recognition is given to a person, group of people or an organization that has been instrumental in the local Clean School Bus project. This person could be the project manager, the fleet manager, the facilities department of the School District, the Superintendent or one of his/her deputies, or a local clean air organization. A Certificate of Recognition is available.
EPA can assist with creating the certificate. The procedure is as follows:
- Email Clean School Bus (cleanschoolbususa@epa.gov) with the name and title of the person to be recognized and a brief description of the program and the actions/events for which the recognition will be made.
- If applicable, include the name and title of your local signing official. EPA will create a line for his/her signature.
- Indicate the date you need the certificate(s).
- EPA will print and sign the Certificate of Recognition and send either by U.S. Mail or by FedEx if you provide us with your FedEx account number. Allow two weeks for processing..
- Delivery by Federal Express. Please remember to include your full street address including a contact name and a phone number.
Decide on a forum for presentation of the certificate. The forum could be something already planned, such as a school or city council meeting, or or create an event specifically for the purpose of raising awareness of clean school buses, such as a press conference. Advise the media that the award will be made. Arrange for a photographer. Create a press release and send it to local media outlets. Invite as many local dignitaries and other interested parties as possible. Award the certificate and take pictures. Follow up with local media.
Open House, with media
Hold an Open House so that interested parties and the media can learn more about your project. Establish a date, time and place that can accommodate a retrofitted school bus. Create an invitation list. Send invitation letters to neighboring school districts, city and county officials (health and environment departments, executive branch, commissioners, school board), local transit officials, asthma and clean air organizations and the local media, educators and students, and anyone else who could benefit from information about clean school buses. Hold the event, demonstrating retrofit technology, and then follow up with the local media.
Teach a Lesson at a Local School
Arrange to teach a lesson at a local school. Plan a lesson that covers air pollution in general, the role of school buses in creating that pollution, and how reduced idling, replacements and retrofits can reduce emissions from school buses. Alternately, some districts have worked with their Environmental Education departments to create lessons that can be used throughout the year with different grade levels. Children can create posters or pictures on the topic of Clean School Buses. Some districts have displayed children's artwork on air pollution or created a calendar with it.
Celebrate "First" Retrofit
Similar to the Open House, invite interested parties and the local media to an event that celebrates the "first" retrofitted bus, use of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel or arrival of replacement bus. Demonstrate how the emissions control technology works and its benefits. Follow up with local media.
Participate in Local Earth Day event
Many communities and school districts plan local Earth Day events; find out if your community or school district is one of them. If so, contact organizers and ask if you can promote clean school bus emissions at the event. Staff a table with clean school bus "giveaways," demonstrate how the technology works or participate in some other way that highlights the benefits of clean school buses.
Get a Local Proclamation about Clean School Buses
Using the sample proclamation template as a guide, draft a proclamation about the importance of reducing emissions from school buses. Ask a mayor, county commissioner or other local dignitary to issue it. Make sure the local media outlets receive a copy. Consider issuing an accompanying press release as well.
Reduce Idling of School Buses
- Help a local school district draft and implement a "no-idling" policy for their school buses and other vehicles on school property.
- Ask bus drivers to pledge not to idle their school buses. Recognize drivers who do so.
- Arrange to speak to bus drivers on the importance of idling reduction in recognition of Earth Day.
Team Up with Asthma Advocates for Joint Asthma Awareness Event
May is Asthma Awareness Month. Diesel exhaust exacerbates asthma, so a clean school bus project could be highlighted for Asthma Awareness Month. Many local asthma coalitions and organizations are planning Asthma Awareness Days. Check with your local asthma coalition, local Health Department and American Lung Association chapter to see if a local asthma awareness event is in the works. If so, consider an event to highlight awareness of the connection between diesel emissions and asthma.