Lawndale 'Green Campus' a Model for Beach Cities' Schools?

Last week I wrote about my impressions of Environmental Charter High School in Lawndale and offered it as a viable alternative for environmentally oriented Redondo Beach students.

That column was recommended by an unusually large number of readers and attracted enough attention and questions that I returned to the ECHS campus again on the first day of school. I took the tour for a second turn and this time shot video of the students showing off their campus.

ECHS Principal Jenni Taylor is a proud Mira Costa graduate and corrected a statement in my earlier column that no Beach Cities students had yet chosen to attend ECHS instead of Mira Costa or Redondo Union High School.

"We did have one student from Hermosa Beach who also attended Mira Costa for part of the time," Taylor said. "We have also had several students transfer to ECHS from RUHS after not being re-accepted on permits there—a few attend currently. Those students have done quite well at our school."

I was very glad to hear that and I think it bodes well for our beach communities to have some of our sons and daughters learning the unique lessons taught on that Lawndale campus. You'll see what I mean in the video.

Lined up to share some of those lessons on my Aug. 31 tour were a trio of students—a senior, a junior and a sophmore. Not surprisingly, the senior did most of the talking but all three contributed their unique perspectives and it made for a well-rounded, entertaining and fascinating hour-plus.

In an unexpected bonus twist to our tour, our guides got a lesson of their own about the latest additions to the ESCH grounds. That course was taught by the workers who were hamering, building, reparing, upgrading and adding the finishing touches while we were there.

There was something new to learn everywhere we turned during our tour.

I was particularly impressed with how much learning was being squeezed into such a small space at ECHS, and how every available piece of growable land was being used for thriving native gardens, vegetables, composting or propagation. They're also harvesting rainwater and recycling and repurposing everything possible.

About this column: Environmentalism in the South Bay and Beyond

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