Vermont Idle-Free Schools Archive
While today, Green Driving America is implementing Schools Are Not Drive-Thrus idle-free schools studies/campaigns, the organization was founded as Idle-Free VT in the State of Vermont in 2006. One of the organization's specialties then—as now—was raising awareness of unnecessary vehicle idling, including in the school community, chiefly around passenger vehicles.
Idle-Free VT implemented funded idle-free schools projects: student-led measured studies/campaigns with the participation of 12 schools in Vermont between 2014 and 2016, and in 2023. Archives of these efforts show that the 2014 to 2016 campaigns reduced idling by approximately 36% overall. Among these schools combined, fuel consumption was reduced by 509 gallons and CO2 emissions by 10,180 lbs. (five tons).
NOTE: More details of each school's data collection, anomalies, and other campaign details can be seen in a non-mobile browser.
PARTICIPATING SCHOOL: 2023
Funded by a New Hampshire foundation that wishes to remain anonymous.
Participating school and study/campaign result:
Woodstock Union High School and Middle School
SHORT-TERM, ONE-STEP MEASURED STUDY/CAMPAIGN
WOODSTOCK UNION HIGH SCHOOL & MIDDLE SCHOOL
Woodstock
Mountain Views Supervisory Union
Earth Beat club - Advisor: Kat Robbins, place-based education coordinator
Step 1: introductory session conducted
10/12/23
Step 2: Data collection conducted for three
days at school afternoon dismissal on
10/17, 10/18, 10/19
Average temperature: 57 degrees
Total vehicles observed: 86; total vehicles
idling: 41 (47%); total minutes/hours of
idling: 282/4.7
Amount of fuel consumed*: 2.021 gal/
three days / 0.67 gal/per day average
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 175 day school year: 117 gal
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 175 day school year: 2,345 lbs**
Step 3: school supports idle-free
study/campaign: Principal's Corner
Newsletter - 11/5
Step 4: driver contact event: 12/4
The Vermont Standard article in January 18, 2024 issue: WUHS/MS conducts an idle-free school campaign
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS:
2015-2016
Funded by the High Meadows Fund and the Vermont Community Foundation
Participating schools and study/campaign results:
Hunt Middle School
Lyndon Town School
Main Street Middle School
Shelburne Community School
Stowe Middle School
FIVE SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN MEASURED STUDIES/CAMPAIGNS COMBINED TO REDUCE IDLING BY 41%1
SHELBURNE COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Shelburne
Co-leaders/teachers: Lisa Phelps, Science;
Peg Rosenau, Advisor
Students: Winton team 8th grade science
class and Environmental Club
Step 1: introductory sessions conducted
9/16 & 10/7
Step 2: initial data collection conducted
for five days at school afternoon dismissal
on 10/14, 10/15, 10/16, 10/21, 10/28
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 306 gal
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 6,102 lb
Step 3: school announces idle-free
study/campaign (Dec.-Jan.): Story published in Burlington Free Press. Story published in Shelburne News.
Step 4: driver contact event on 3/14 &
3/16 IMAGE 1 IMAGE 2 IMAGE 3 IMAGE 4
Newsletter The Tarrant Institute for
Innovative Education at the University
of Vermont created THIS VIDEO of the
school's Idle-Free team in action as it
conducted a driver contact event.
Step 5: final data collection conducted for
four days at school afternoon dismissal
on 4/27, 4/28, 4/29, 5/3
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 68 gal
(195 gal reduction)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 1,368 lb
(3,892 lb reduction)
BEFORE & AFTER IDLING DIFFERENCE:
75% REDUCTION1
Lyndon Town School
driver contact event, March 2016
Lyndon Town School Idle-Free Schools campaign interview on Magic 97.7 Lyndonville, VT, April 15, 2016
LYNDON TOWN SCHOOL
Lyndonville
Leader/teacher: Travis Courser, Science
Students: 8th grade science class
Step 1: introductory session conducted
9/21
Step 2: initial data collection conducted
for four days at school afternoon
dismissal on 10/26, 10/27, 10/28, 10/29
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 135 gal
(166 gal relative to # of vehicles
observed, initial vs final)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 2,700 lb
Step 3: school announces idle-free
study/campaign (Dec.-Jan.): letter, pledge form to parents; LTS Middle School
Newsletter (pg. 5)
Step 4: driver contact event on 3/22 &
4/15: LTS MAGIC 97.7 RADIO INTERVIEW
ABOUT CAMPAIGN-AUDIO IMAGE FROM
Step 5: final data collection conducted for
three days at school afternoon dismissal
on 5/17, 5/18, 5/19
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 69 gal (97
gal reduction)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 1,380 lb
(1,940 lb reduction)
BEFORE & AFTER IDLING DIFFERENCE:
58% REDUCTION1
STOWE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Stowe
Leader/teacher: Ann Ndione, Science
Students: 7th & 8th grade Green Team
Step 1: introductory session conducted
10/8
Step 2: initial data collection conducted
for four days at school afternoon
dismissal on 10/15, 10/16, 10/19, 10/20
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 68.37 gal
(56.3 gal relative to # of
vehicles observed, initial vs final)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 1,367 lb
Step 3: school announces idle-free
study/campaign (Dec.-Jan.): school idling
information - pg. 3 in Dec. 2015 issue of
SMS Raider Review
Step 4: driver contact event on 4/12 &
Step 5: final data collection conducted for
four days at school afternoon dismissal
on 5/17, 5/18, 5/19, 5/23
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 34 gal
(22 gal reduction)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 671 lb
(440 lb reduction)
BEFORE & AFTER IDLING DIFFERENCE:
39% REDUCTION1
MAIN STREET MIDDLE SCHOOL
Montpelier
Co-leaders/teachers: Amy Kimball, Math
and science; Don Taylor, Language arts
and social studies Students: 7th & 8th
grade Team Summit Green Team
Step 1: introductory session conducted
10/5
Step 2: initial data collection conducted
for five days at school afternoon dismissal
on 1019, 10/20, 10/21, 10/22, 10/23
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 75.9 gal
(42.9 gal relative to # of vehicles
observed, initial vs final)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 1,517 lb
Step 3: school announces idle-free
study/campaign (Dec.-Jan.): students presented data and next steps at school
assembly 12/23/15; flyer sent home to parents and to school staff
Step 4: driver contact event on 3/28,
3/29, 3/30 IMAGE 1 IMAGE 2 IMAGE 3
IMAGE 4; Parent conference 4/1 IMAGE
Step 5: final data collection conducted for
four days at school afternoon dismissal
on 4/11, 412, 4/13, 4/14
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 29 gal
(14 gal reduction)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 576 lb
(280 lb reduction)
BEFORE & AFTER IDLING DIFFERENCE:
33% REDUCTION1
HUNT MIDDLE SCHOOL
Burlington
Leader/teacher: Rebecca Reese, After
School Program Director, and Michael
Fasy, Paraeducator
Students: 7th grade Environmental Club
Step 1: introductory session conducted
9/22
Step 2: initial data collection conducted
for four days at school afternoon
dismissal on 10/6, 10/8, 10/13, 10/15
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 23.6 gal
(20.8 gal relative to # of vehicles
observed, initial vs final)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 472 lb
Step 3: school announces idle-free
study/campaign (Dec.-Jan.): campaign
publicized - pg. 2 in HMS December
Newsletter
Step 4: driver contact event on 4/4-8
week IMAGE1 IMAGE2 IMAGE3 IMAGE4
Step 5: final data collection conducted for
four days at school afternoon dismissal
on 5/17, 5/18, 5/23, 5/24
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 21 gal
(0 gal reduction)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 426 lb (0
lb reduction)
BEFORE & AFTER IDLING DIFFERENCE:
0%1
1 calculation based on reduction (or increase) in fuel consumed relative to number of vehicles observed - best overall formula based on variables in number of vehicles in initial vs final measurements. Based on this calculation, the five schools completing the study combined to reduce idling by 41%. Over a 180 day school year, this correlates to a fuel consumption reduction of 329 gallons and a C02 emissions reduction of 6,560 pounds. Although unmeasurable, there is also an indirect impact beyond the schools as hundreds of drivers were shown the benefits of idling reduction.
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS:
2014-2015
Funded by the High Meadows Fund
Participating schools and studycampaign results:
Champlain Valley Union High School Essex Middle School
Hartford High School
Middlebury Union High School
St. Albans City School
South Royalton School
SIX SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN MEASURED STUDIES/CAMPAIGNS COMBINED TO REDUCE IDLING BY 31%1
HARTFORD HIGH SCHOOL
White River Junction, VT
Leader/teacher: Roy Hathorn, mathematics
Student leaders: Morgan and several other students
Step 1: initial training session conducted 9/24
Step 2: initial data collection conducted for five days at school afternoon dismissal on 10/6, 10/7, 10/8, 10/9, 10/10
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 132 gal (131 gal relative to # of vehicles observed, initial vs final)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 2,560 lb
Step 3: idling awareness letters sent to HHS parents; school website to announce idle-free study/campaign
Step 4: driver contact event on 4/2 & 4/3 IMAGE 1 IMAGE 2 IMAGE 3
Step 5: final data collection conducted for five days at school afternoon dismissal on 5/4, 5/5, 5/6, 5/7, 5/8
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 19 gal (112 gal reduction)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 367 lb (2,240 lb reduction)
BEFORE & AFTER IDLING DIFFERENCE: 85% REDUCTION1
St. Albans City School
driver contact event, March 2015
ST. ALBANS CITY SCHOOL
St. Albans, VT
Leader/teacher: Josie Weldon, facilitator - Team USA
Step 1: initial training session conducted 11/12
Step 2: initial data collection conducted for four days at school afternoon dismissal on 11/12, 11/13, 11/14, 11/17
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 95 gal
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 1,868 lb
Step 3: Leader/teacher and student team spreading word of study/campaign in school community
Step 4: driver contact event on 3/24, 3/25, 3/26 IMAGE1 IMAGE2
Step 5: final data collection conducted for three days at school afternoon dismissal on 4/14, 4/31, 5/20
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 79 gal (58 gal relative to # of vehicles observed, initial vs final; 40 gal reduction)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 1,580 lb (1,160 lb reduction)
BEFORE & AFTER IDLING DIFFERENCE: 58% REDUCTION1
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL
Hinesburg, VT
Leader/teacher: Katie Antos-Ketcham, EnACT club advisor
Student leaders: Rachel and other students
Step 1: initial training session conducted 9/29
Step 2: initial data collection conducted for four days at school afternoon dismissal on 10/20, 10/21, 10/23, 10/24
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 112 gal
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 2,200 lb
Step 3: announcement of idle-free study/campaign in CVU EnACT Stall News
Step 4: driver contact event on 3/23, 3/24, 3/25 IMAGE 1 IMAGE 2
Step 5: final data collection conducted for three days at school afternoon dismissal on 5/11, 5/12, 5/13
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: _____ gal
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: _____ lb
BEFORE & AFTER IDLING DIFFERENCE: 36% REDUCTION1
ESSEX MIDDLE SCHOOL
Essex Junction, VT
Leader/teacher: Lindsey Halman,
facilitator - The Edge Academy Team
Students: Derek, Nabin, Lily, Lily,
Elizabeth, Val, Isabella, Isabelle, Jordan,
Braden, Nick
Adult support from Jim Cardillo
Step 1: initial training session conducted
10/3
Step 2: initial data collection conducted
for five days at school afternoon dismissal
on 10/27, 10/28, 10/29, 10/30, 10/31
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 110 gal
(74 gal relative to # of vehicles
observed, initial vs final)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 2,156 lb
Step 3: idle-free campaign and initial data
collection in ETSD PTO news; study/campaign information in EMS parent
newsletter; campaign details included in
EMS Whole School Energy Challenge
Step 4: driver contact event on 3/31, 4/1,
Step 5: final data collection conducted
for four days at school afternoon
dismissal on 5/5, 5/6, 5/7, 5/8
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 59 gal (15
gal reduction)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) -
based on 180 day school year: 1,159 lb
(300 lb reduction)
BEFORE & AFTER IDLING DIFFERENCE: 20% REDUCTION1
Following the campaign, the students gave a presentation on vehicle idling facts and their school campaign findings before the Essex Town School District school board: IMAGE 1 IMAGE 2 IMAGE 3
South Royalton School (now White River Valley High School)
driver contact event, April 2015
SOUTH ROYALTON SCHOOL
(now White River Valley High School), South Royalton, VT
Leader/teacher: Bill Goldsworthy,
mathematics/science/technology
Students: Kat, Eleanor, Tyler, Meagan,
Joseph
Step 1: initial training session conducted 10/6
Step 2: initial data collection conducted for five days at school morning drop off and afternoon dismissal on 10/20,
10/21, 10/22, 10/23, 10/24
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 141.7 gal (61 gal relative to # of vehicles observed, initial vs final)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 2,784 lb
Step 3: SRS idle-free campaign study and idling facts in 2/12 online weekly school newsletter, and emailed and sent hardcopy to all school parents
Step 4: driver contact event on 4/3 & 4/5 IMAGE 1 IMAGE 2 IMAGE 3
Step 5: final data collection conducted for four days at school morning drop off and afternoon dismissal on 4/28,
4/29, 4/30, 5/1
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 58 gal (3 gal reduction)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 1,160 lb (60 lb reduction)
BEFORE & AFTER IDLING DIFFERENCE: 5% REDUCTION1
MIDDLEBURY UNION HIGH SCHOOL Middlebury, VT
Leader/teacher: Jay Harrington, mathematics/science
Students: James, Julia, Sully, Harriet, Chris, Kyle, Claire
Step 1: initial training session conducted 11/10
Step 2: initial data collection conducted for four days at school afternoon dismissal on 11/11, 11/12, 11/13, 11/14
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 61 gal (45 gal relative to # of vehicles observed, initial vs final)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 1,202 lb
Step 3: announcement of idle-free study/campaign in MUHS January 2015 school newsletter
Step 4: driver contact event on 3/17, 3/19 IMAGE
Step 5: final data collection conducted for four days at school afternoon dismissal on 5/11, 5/12, 5/13, 5/14
Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 52 gal (7 gal increase)
Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 180 day school year: 1,023 lb (140 lb increase)
BEFORE & AFTER IDLING DIFFERENCE: 16% INCREASE1
1 calculation based on reduction (or increase) in fuel consumed relative to number of vehicles observed - best overall formula based on variations in number of vehicles in initial vs final measurements. Based on this calculation, the six schools completing the study combined to reduce idling by 31%. Over a 180 day school year, for the five schools (excepting CVUHS) having complete data, this correlates to a fuel consumption reduction of 181 gallons and a C02 emissions reduction of 3,620 pounds. This is a conservative figure based on So. Royalton School misguided study. Although unmeasurable, there is also an indirect impact beyond the schools as hundreds of drivers were shown the benefits of idling reduction.
Principal & Teacher comments
"This was a great activity for our students, from a research process/data collection standpoint and from a social change standpoint. The students who participated have a much deeper understanding of the effects of idling on air quality."
Dean Sterns, principal, South Royalton School (now White River Valley High School)
"The Vermont Idle-Free Schools project was incorporated into my STEM class for freshman and sophomores. My students gained a great deal of confidence working on this project. Students took it seriously and had generated many ideas that would allow them to show their work. They were highly engaged and took on the project as their 'job'. I believe this was a very beneficial project not only for the students, but for the school and community as well."
Bill Goldsworthy, teacher, South Royalton School (now White River Valley High School)
"Running the idling awareness campaign especially helped increase student awareness of the negative impact of idling as well as the magnitude of the problem at our school and in our communities. Idle Free Vermont provided organized, timely logistical and educational support on this project, which made it easy to coordinate at the school level. The student leaders found collecting data using the Smartphone app easy and engaging."
Katie Antos-Ketcham, high school teacher and EnACT team leader, Champlain Valley Union High School
"The Vermont Idle Free Schools program is an amazing learning activity for middle grades. Its project-based approach was extremely effective for our students. I watched Team USA members light up as they exercised their creativity, enthusiasm, as well as organizational, analytical and communication skills around the topic of idling. They received instruction, but also ran an experiment and public advocacy campaign. Team USA students walked away from the Idle Free Vermont project with memorable learning about a topic important to their lives, new real-world skills, as well as experience and pride in executing a job, and making a positive difference in their community. I highly recommend the project to other middle school teams!"
Josephine Weldon, middle school teacher and Team USA leader, St. Albans City School
"The Idle-Free campaign fit perfectly with our project-based learning approach on the Edge Academy Team at Essex Middle School. The students had identified car idling as a problem two years ago, and with the support of Wayne Michaud, began to research the impact of car idling on the health of our community. Once they developed their driving questions, the process guided the students to become leaders in the effort to create change in our community. Through data collection, sharing of results and presentations, the students gained many new skills, as well as created change in our community - a 20% reduction in idling! We hope to continue these efforts during the 2015-2016 school year."
Lindsey Slan Halman, Facilitator, The Edge Academy, Essex Middle School