By Amy Wallot

Students from Northern Elementary School (Scott County) and Frankfort High School (Frankfort Independent) spent Earth Day at the Capitol browsing educational booths, touring the Capitol Education Center and celebrating honored guests with First Lady Jane Beshear.

Members of Northern Elementary School’s energy team, under the direction of 4th-grade teacher Elizabeth Cook, were recognized at the event as a Kentucky Green Ribbon school. They were surprised to learn at the celebration the school had been named a National Green Ribbon winner. (Cane Run Elementary (Jefferson County) and Locust Trace AgriScience Farm (Fayette Co.) also were recently named National Green Ribbon winners.

Frankfort High School social studies teacher Shane Hecker brought his current events class to the event. “I’m constantly trying to bring real-life scenarios to the students that show that our planet has a very real impact on the way we live and the decisions we make on a day to day basis. However, I also want to show that those decisions also have a very real impact on the way our planet functions. The Earth Day celebration at the Capitol was a great way to tie this concept and the study of local current events together for my class,” he said.

Northern Elementary School (Scott County) 4th-grade student Abby Flynn gets a hug from First Lady Jane Beshear after her school is named a National Green Ribbon School.

Northern Elementary School (Scott County) 4th-grade student Abby Flynn gets a hug from First Lady Jane Beshear after her school is named a National Green Ribbon School.
Photo by Amy Wallot, April 22 , 2013

Lacy Murphy applauds as her school, Northern Elementary School (Scott County) is named a Nation Green Ribbon School during the Earth Day celebration at the Capitol. Photo by Amy Wallot, April 22 , 2013

Lacy Murphy applauds as her school, Northern Elementary School (Scott County) is named a Nation Green Ribbon School during the Earth Day celebration at the Capitol.
Photo by Amy Wallot, April 22 , 2013

Ollie the Otter, with Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection, poses for a photo with Frankfort High School (Frankfort Independent) sophomores Leighann Neal and Maggie Smith. They were there as part of Shane Hecker's current events class. Photo by Amy Wallot, April 22 , 2013

Ollie the Otter, with Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection, poses for a photo with Frankfort High School (Frankfort Independent) sophomores Leighann Neal and Maggie Smith. They were there as part of Shane Hecker’s current events class.
Photo by Amy Wallot, April 22 , 2013

Mira Poposki and Kalyn Tackett, 4th-grade students at Northern Elementary (Scott County), visit with Pam Proctor at the Kentucky National Energy Education Development (NEED) during the Earth Day celebration at the Capitol. Photo by Amy Wallot, April 22 , 2013

Mira Poposki and Kalyn Tackett, 4th-grade students at Northern Elementary (Scott County), visit with Pam Proctor at the Kentucky National Energy Education Development (NEED) during the Earth Day celebration at the Capitol.
Photo by Amy Wallot, April 22 , 2013

Northern Elementary School (Scott County) 4th-grade student Jacob Spring pets Ann Evans' dog Annie Roux. Evans, executive director of the Governor's Mansion, told him that Annie Roux is best friends with Gov. Steve Beshear's dog Tory.

Northern Elementary School (Scott County) 4th-grade student Jacob Spring pets Ann Evans’ dog Annie Roux. Evans, executive director of the Governor’s Mansion, told him that Annie Roux is best friends with Gov. Steve Beshear’s dog Tory. Photo by Amy Wallot, April 22 , 2013