Welcome to Ivy Academy's 2025 Sustainability Awards! These awards honor the outstanding students, staff, and projects that have made a meaningful impact on our campus and community through environmental stewardship. From innovative green projects to everyday acts of sustainability, these awards recognize those who lead by example, inspire others, and help us create a more sustainable world.
Thank you to all of this year’s nominees for supporting our collective commitment to a greener future & to everyone who voted. Help us congratulate the winners! 🎉
Green Project of the Year: Outdoor Stage
Led by: Mrs. Godwin-Smith, Mr. Nelms, Ms. Gordon, and Ms. Romminger
This collaborative, cross-grade project brought together over 200 students to design and build a functional outdoor stage space on Ivy’s campus. The team prioritized sustainability by sourcing most of the building materials directly from Ivy—reusing, repurposing, and minimizing waste. The outdoor stage now serves as a gathering place for classes, performances, and community events, turning a vision into a lasting, student-built asset for the school.
Green Teacher of the Year Winner=Stephanie Kiefer
Stephanie Kiefer truly embodies the spirit of Ivy. She shows up every day to help with lunch composting, modeling consistency and care in our campus sustainability practices. As the leader of our horticulture program, she ensures that every part of it—from soil to harvest—is rooted in sustainable principles. Her quiet leadership and daily commitment make her a cornerstone of Ivy’s green culture.
High School Environmental Steward of the Year= Ash Edwards – Rain & Pollinator Garden
Ash created a phenomenal rain and pollinator garden behind the Ag Center, transforming an underused space into a vibrant and sustainable habitat. She thoughtfully collaborated with community partners and used native plants to support both biodiversity and water conservation. Her project not only beautifies the campus but also serves as a lasting educational resource for others.
Middle School Environmental Steward of the Year = Anna Lamb & Christian Cannon
Anna Lamb
Anna is the epitome of dedication and joy in her environmental work. She takes full responsibility for her tasks, then goes above and beyond by joining the recycling enrichment group. While Anna isn't the only one in the club, she is the most excited to be there, always enthusiastic, taking pride in cleaning up the world around her. Her commitment to making a positive impact is matched by the joy she takes in the work, truly reveling in the opportunity to improve the world.
Christian Cannon (6th Grade)
Christian has been an outstanding steward as part of the Student Junior Ranger (SJR) class this year. As a dedicated recycling steward, he has consistently taken responsibility for ensuring proper recycling practices across campus. His commitment to keeping the school environment clean and sustainable has made a significant impact, and his reliability sets a great example for his peers.
Outstanding Environmental Outreach Project
Winner: Sustainable Power Backpacks
The Sustainable Power Backpacks project, led by Jerry Webb and the STEM 2 students, has been a standout environmental initiative at Ivy Academy. This innovative project focused on creating backpacks that incorporate sustainable power solutions, such as solar panels, to charge devices on the go. The students involved demonstrated impressive problem-solving and creativity, and their work has already garnered several well-deserved awards. Their project not only showcases practical sustainability but also serves as an excellent model for how environmental outreach can blend technology, education, and community impact. The Sustainable Power Backpacks have inspired others to think outside the box about renewable energy and sustainable design.
Food Waste Challenge
Winner: 9th Grade
Only 15.8lbs of landfill trash all week for the whole grade
