Students present green ideas to Mayor

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Going green isn't just for adults these days. Some young ideas can go a long way.

When it comes to making the City of Springfield a greener place to live, the entire ninth grade class at Springfield Renaissance School is taking that task in their own hands.

Around 100 ninth grade students investigated ways to improve energy conservation and presented their findings to the City of Springfield Monday as part of Greenprint 2011. Over the last few months, the students investigated cost-saving ways to improve energy efficiency at four local elementary schools and around the City of Springfield.

They presented their findings to Mayor Domenic Sarno and know their efforts can help make a difference in this community.

"I think it's important that all the kids anywhere get involved in an activity that helps the city because this is our home. This is where some of us want to raise our families and we don't want it to be like an environmentally-unfriendly place. We want it to be a place where our children can grow up and be happy and healthy," Greenprint participant Hector Toledo said.

"We analyze how Springfield is and a lot of things aren't that positive in our environment like things that affect asthma and air quality, and the things that we studied with this help with all of the problems in the environment," participant Stephanie Godding said.

This is the third year the Greenprint proposals have been presented to the Mayor.