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​Water
SWPPP Internship Program
  • Our flagship program with over nine active programs in 2017-18
  • Sample, analyze and study pollutants on their school campus using industry-approved methods
  • Partner with local water districts to study impact of findings 
  • Craft recommendations to improve conditions and present to district and community
Water Management Internship Program
  • Audit water use on campus and in community
  • Study use of all types of water: potable, reclaimed, stormwater, sewer water,
  • Partner with local water districts to investigate use patterns 
  • Build best practices recommendations to optimize the value of water


​WASTE REDUCTIoN & diversion
BCK's student-led waste diversion program is a powerful tool to reduce significant amounts of waste and meet sustainability needs while introducing students to career paths in growing areas of environmental management.
OC Recycles
At Oak Crest Middle School, students in the "OC Recycles" program audit waste trends on their campus and discuss suggestions in a formalize debate setting. This program is run entirely by students in an 8th grade basic English class, enabling these students to take on a leadership role on their campus. 
RAD at Digeuño
Digueño Middle School provides the "Recycling at Digueño" program weekly to 8th grade students in one particular history class during bonus time.   Students map the trash and recycling bins on their campus, audit use patterns and provide feedback to the school administration based on their findings.  


​OUTDOOR LEARNING
Garden Science & Nutrition
BCK’s garden-based nutrition program includes a hands-on curriculum and community engagement to extend and connect learning to families and the greater community.
  • Hands-in-the-dirt garden classes for every grade
  • Garden beds and maintenance plans (as needed)
  • Healthy eating habits and their importance
  • Fruit or vegetable tasting and nutrient discussion
  • ​Each class creates healthy recipes that are collected in a recipe book for the school site/district
  • Take-home materials with every lesson including nutrition facts, recipes and tips for including healthy food into daily eating habits
  • Community outreach activities 

Outdoor Classrooms
  • Transform green areas on campus into biomes and natural habitats for extended learning. Students study conditions (including sunlight patterns and current irrigation systems) and develop plan. Curriculum can extend to plan for entire school with curriculum tailored for multiple levels for continued learning. 
  • School-wide Habitat Design Challenge 
  • Sensory Garden for Special Education classes to explore 


​Energy
BCK's student-directed energy conservation program uses project-based learning to address real-world challenges while providing science instruction, environmental education and a glimpse into the sustainable energy industry, a thriving job market. ​ By installing facility upgrades and implementing a handful of best practices, schools can conserve energy and realize measurable savings. In addition to saving money, these energy efficiencies reduce the school’s carbon footprint.

BCK's Energy Education Program has four basic components:
  1. Energy Audit: Students measure energy and calculate the energy consumption at their school site.
  2. Best Practice Analysis: Students study cutting-edge energy efficiency technologies, renewable energy and behavioral changes that lead to energy conservation.
  3. Conservation Campaign Development:  Students research and compile data to make efficiency recommendations to School Board and Facilities Department. Students create a school-wide conservation campaign to encourage behavioral changes that conserve energy.
  4. Community Outreach:  Students share knowledge and best practices with school community and other local businesses and organizations. 

Our MANAGEMENT Team

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Bill Dean 
Bill is a long-time resident of San Diego North County with a wide variety of experience in the environmental field.  He was the Recycling Director for Mashburn Waste & Recycling, the Environmental Compliance Director at EDCO Waste & Recycling, and the Managing Director for the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation. Bill's consulting team, Dean & Associates, has created environmental education programs with the Encinitas School District, the City of Oceanside and the City of Encinitas and received CalRecycle’s statewide award for innovation.
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Camille Sowinski
Since 2007, Camille has been creating environmental education programs and implementing best green practices for local schools and community groups in the San Diego area. As a Green Consultant, she has helped to manage facility upgrades and educational sustainability efforts.  Camille also co-founded a local environmental non-profit, Healthy Day Partners.  She is a graduate of Vermont Law School with an emphasis in Environmental Law. She spent the next ten years working in the nonprofit sector fundraising for the Smithsonian Institution and for Scripps Health. 
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Kathy Hacker
Kathy brings nearly a decade of experience in water resource engineering and environmental remediation to the team. In addition, she has spent the last five years focusing on environmental education. Kathy spearheaded the award winning Garden Science Program at El Camino Creek Elementary, served as Chairperson of the EUSD Green Team, and was a founding instructor with the SWPPP Internship program. She is a graduate of Cal Poly's Environmental Engineering program and is currently wrapping up a Masters in Education and teaching credential at UC San Diego.   

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