The Chispa Maryland team was busy in August, talking about electric school buses and the benefits they can bring to students, parents, and school districts.
Morena started the month meeting and greeting at the National Night Out on August 4th in Colmar Manor, Prince George’s County.
Morena then went to the Colmar Manor Back to School event at the invitation of Colmar Manor Mayor Monica Casañas on August 13th. At both events in Colmar Manor, Morena and Promotoras met with numerous parents and discussed how electric school buses keep kids healthy in their critical developmental years.
A few days earlier, on August 12, Chispa Maryland hosted an Electric School Bus Town Hall, attended by Baltimore City School Board Commissioner Ashley Esposito. The event featured a presentation by Ramón Palencia-Calvo, Chispa Maryland Senior Director, on Electric School Buses. Watch messages from the event by a pair of Promotoras and Ashley Esposito HERE.
On the 19th, Morena visited the ever-popular Crossroads Farmers Market, in Takoma Park, Montgomery County for their “Back to School Bash” letting attendees know about the availability of funds for electric school buses.
The very next night, Morena, Eliseo and several Promotoras joined other Maryland LCV staff for the latest edition of Green Drinks Annapolis. In addition to some live music, folks heard from Natalie Buscemi, the Transportation Program Manager at the Maryland Energy Administration and Claire Alford, the Senior Eastern Regional Manager of Market Development at Highland Electric Fleets. Natalie and Claire shared their unique perspectives on electric school buses.
On August 22, CHISPA Maryland hosted a Solar-Powered Back-to-School Fair at Patagonia Baltimore, where over 100 community members and families learned about the electric school bus campaign and how to take action. Together, these efforts demonstrate CHISPA Maryland’s commitment to building community leadership and advancing environmental justice so every Baltimore City student can learn and travel in a clean, healthy, equitable environment for all.
On August 24, Morena returned to Takoma Park, where she visited Rolling Terrace Elementary School and spoke to parents about electric school buses, encouraging them to sign the petition that will urge their school district to apply for publicly available funding.
Eliseo rounded out the month by attending his second listening session hosted by new Baltimore City Schools CEO Dr. Jermaine Dawson. This was a follow-up to the initial session in late July, which Eliseo and several Promotoras attended. The listening sessions are opportunities for parents, students, educators, and community partners to let their voice be heard.
“It was encouraging to hear about their vision and priorities for building stronger schools for every student,” Eliseo said.
He continued:
“We were proud to be part of the conversation and to remind district leaders that environmental justice must also be a priority. Every child deserves to learn in a healthy environment with clean air, safe school buildings, and access to clean transportation, including electric school buses.
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to make sure environmental justice was part of the discussion, and we look forward to continuing to work together to create healthier, stronger schools for all Baltimore City students.”
Know about the latest electric school bus news by following Chispa on Facebook, as well as the Maryland LCV pages on Facebook and Instagram.