Warrenville's Hubble school to host its first eco-fair
When Hubble Middle School students were split into groups that would pursue independent projects for today's Eco Fair, 14-year-old Carly Lewis was thrilled. Her group's focus was the Warrenville school's green roof, an outdoor area that sits just outside of a naturally lit library.
But it wasn't exactly environmentalism that fueled Carly's excitement. Instead, the Wheaton girl said she hopes to someday study interior design, or a related field, and saw this as an opportunity to hone her architectural chops. Her mind started racing.
“I was thinking about putting the plants in with the tree potters, thinking about birdbaths and making it even prettier than it is now,” she said. “I wanted to take it to a different level to make it more beautiful.”
She and her group will unveil their vision during the school's first Eco Fair, which runs from 1 to 3 p.m.Thursday, April 28, at the school, 3S600 Herrick Road, Warrenville.
For the past three months or so, about 13 student groups have taken 40 minutes every Friday to study various environmental topics, such as alternative heating methods, solar energies and the effects cleaning supplies labeled eco-friendly have on asthma.
At the fair, the students will become teachers and describe their discoveries.
“We want to share what we have learned,” Assistant Principal Jennifer Tavine said. “It's information everybody can benefit from.”
The topic of the fair will fit in nicely at the new Hubble. As controversy surrounds what will happen with the school's former site near downtown Wheaton, the 190,000-square-foot facility has received nothing but rave reviews from officials since its opening in 2009.
During construction, architects said they hoped to build a school that set energy and environmental design standards. The building opened with high-tech plumbing and mechanical systems that maximized water conservation and energy efficiency.
Additionally, school officials incorporated 10 hours a year of environmental education into the curriculum, one of the ways to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. The LEED certification is one of the green building industry's top honors.
“(Energy efficiency) is an important topic to focus on for everybody,” Tavine said. “The kids are starting to see real-world applications.”
Librarian Kristin Paul said it's been exciting to see the group studying asthma as the research has progressed. She said just seeing the students focusing on such in-depth topics has been exciting.
Additionally, she said, the students have learned practical uses for the lessons, such as being careful about what kind of cleaning supplies they buy and paying attention to labels.
“It's something I never would have thought of at this age,” she said. “It affects their home life, and I'm hoping it is something they all will take with them.”
And for Carly Lewis, the Wheaton girl hoping to study interior design, it's a way of learning through trial and error when it comes to some of her ideas.
“It's really fun to do this,” she said. “I don't like plain stuff. I am glad I got put in this group, especially for my critiques when I'm told what is good and what is not.”
If you go
What: Hubble Middle School's first Eco Fair
Where: Hubble Middle School, 3S600 Herrick Road, Warrenville
When: 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 28, with Earth Flag presentations at 1 and 2 p.m.; student-guided tours take place throughout the afternoon
Details: Students at the school present energy-related projects to the public
Info: (630) 821-7900