Ecosystem Education: LPS students gather at Standing Bear for sustainability summit

April 22, 2025

Lincoln Public Schools students soaked in plenty of sustainability-based messages during a full afternoon of activities on Monday.
 
Young adults from multiple LPS buildings traveled to Standing Bear High School for the Students of Sustainability (S.O.S.) Summit. The LPS Sustainability Department invited all LPS high school students to attend the free summit, which included a campus tour and presentations from city, school and university representatives. They became more aware of environmental issues and learned how LPS is tackling topics such as recycling, water management and energy conservation.
 
Northwest High School seniors Jack and Michael said they were pleased to come to the third annual event. Both felt it was a good opportunity to learn more about sustainability items and plan for their futures. Michael will study biology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Jack has been accepted into the Air Force Academy.
 
“I think it’s really important to study the environment,” Jack said. “For example, we plant trees because there are a lot of benefits that come from them, and when we don’t plant trees, there are a lot of problems that can happen. It’s important that we have a system in place where we can do things that help out nature in general and help us too.”
 
LPS Sustainability Coordinator Brittney Wees and Assistant Sustainability Coordinator Alex Coffelt were encouraged to see students like Jack and Michael at the forum. S.O.S. Summit participants expanded their leadership networks outside of their own schools, and they learned how to start or grow clubs inside their buildings. Responsibility, organization, time management, taking initiative, confidence and friendships are all potential byproducts of these actions.
 
“We have a lot of participation at the elementary and middle school levels with all of our initiatives, and we’re really happy with that,” Wees told the group during a discussion portion of the day. “But we know the high school level is where we see the leadership really start to shine. That’s why we’re glad that you’re here.”
 
One of the day’s presentations came from City of Lincoln Sustainability Specialist Anna Oetting, who shared about her job duties and how she entered the profession. She said having the opportunity to talk with many Lancaster County residents each day is one of the most rewarding parts of her career.
 
“I think it’s important to have those conversations about sustainability with as many people as we can,” Oetting said. “It’s incredible what we can learn from everyone around us. It helps everyone in the long run.”
 
Oetting then told the LPS audience that their efforts can make a difference.
 
“Your voices are so important,” Oetting said. “The number one reason an organization does something is because you want it and you make your concerns heard.”
 
Omaha Students for Sustainability (SFS) members Evalina and Lila also presented about their organization’s efforts in Douglas and Sarpy counties. Evalina said she has enjoyed the friendships that she has formed in the group, and she has been happy to help write sustainability success stories at both school and civic levels. She encouraged the LPS audience to reach for those same types of goals.
 
“It’s really about finding your specific passion and what you’re interested in,” Evalina said. “I think once you find your interest, then you can go for it and work hard for it.”
 
Meg Brady, a sustainability ambassador at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, talked with students about future opportunities at the college level. She is a member of the UNL Environmental Studies Student Advisory Committee and is majoring in both dance and environmental and sustainability studies. Lincoln Parks and Recreation Parks Operations Coordinator Mike Comstock and local environmental health educator Kaspar Haake were also in the lineup of speakers.
 
One of the summit’s main components was a 45-minute tour that highlighted Standing Bear’s sustainability features. Wees and Coffelt told students that the campus includes more than two miles of underground pipes for stormwater filtration and drainage. The group also viewed two large electric solar panels, a rooftop garden for growing produce and a wetlands area that Coffelt said “serves as the kidneys” of the campus watershed system.
 
Jack and Michael’s ears perked up when Wees and Coffelt mentioned the location of the school’s geothermal system. Standing Bear has 433 wells that are located 325 feet beneath the main parking lot. Northwest has a similar setup for its heating and cooling needs.
 
“I didn’t realize that we had the geothermal system under our parking lot too,” Michael said. “It was really interesting to learn about.”
 
Wees said Standing Bear’s campus is a prime example of how much LPS values sustainability measures.
 
“Sustainability was top of mind when we designed this,” Wees told students. “I can’t tell you how many meetings we had about sustainability when the school was being built.”
 
Jack said he and Michael would like to bring back the information they learned at the summit to Northwest. He felt the sustainability-based messages would be helpful to everyone in the school district.
 
“It’s been a really good opportunity to come here today and learn more about all of this,” Jack said. “I’ve been impressed with the school building and how they’ve done all of these things to help the environment.”
 
Visit home.lps.org/sustainability to learn more about the many ways our Sustainability team is implementing environmental stewardship across LPS. 

You can also gain extra insight about its efforts in its latest annual report. Follow this link to https://home.lps.org/sustainability/annualreport/. 
 
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