Kids Learn Importance of Saving Energy at Goddard School

Wearing newspaper hats and toilet-paper roll necklaces, preschoolers at in Arnold got excited about preserving the environment this week.

The week-long event, called "Stepping Up The Environment," is being coordinated with the World Wildlife Fund Earth Hour. Goddard preschoolers learned lessons and participated in exercises that focus on the importance of conserving power and saving our planet, said school director Maisie Appel.

"This is just a way to teach children how they can do their part in protecting the environment," Appel said.

Preschool teacher Jennifer Hileman said her students have played interactive games that reinforce recycling practices and teach kids about conserving power. Every day, a student is assigned the duty of "lightning bug monitor." That important student is put in charge of turning off the lights whenever the class leaves their room for lunch or recess.

"Honestly, they love it," Hileman said. "They're totally immersed in it now. They'll stop during lunch to pick up their own trash, and they're reminding each other about recycling. I think they're really getting the concept."

The week's lessons will culminate on Friday at noon with a one-hour event in which all nonessential power in the school building will be turned off. 

Earth Hour is a worldwide event to create awareness about saving energy and the environment. Each year several iconic landmarks—such as the Las Vegas Strip, Big Ben, the Golden Gate Bridge and more—go dark for one hour for the event.