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Department honors Tamara Hurwitz and details 16 years of school environmental education
Summary
Tamara Hurwitz, senior environmental specialist, was honored on her retirement and delivered a detailed presentation of seven lessons from 16 years running the Department's School Education Program, citing partnerships, awards and growth from 20,000 to 50,000 student contacts in recent years.
At the Jan. 22 meeting the Commission on the Environment presented an Environmental Service Award to Tamara (Tamar) Hurwitz and heard a substantive retrospective on the department's School Education Program.
Commissioner Heather Stevenson introduced Hurwitz's award, noting Hurwitz's 16 years of service. In a presentation titled "the seven things I learned at school," Hurwitz described program design decisions and results: teamwork across city agencies and community partners, reframing zero-waste messaging to engage children by connecting actions to protecting nature, creating Phoebe the Phoenix as a mascot, building supportive relationships with a series of mayors and agencies, and instituting recognition ceremonies and awards. She said the program historically reached about 20,000 students annually and reached roughly 50,000 students in the most recent year as the new zero-waste program rolled out.
Hurwitz cited partnerships with the San Francisco Unified School District, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (which funded water curriculum), Public Works (litter outreach), and Recology (field trips and transfer-station education). She highlighted awards including the California Resource Recovery Association recognition for event resource recovery and the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award.
Hurwitz said the team's approach emphasized fun and public commitment (poster signings and contests) to sustain behavior change in students, and she urged expansion into middle and high schools and use of paid internships for high-school youth. "Our frame is let's protect nature, and we have the power to do that," Hurwitz said.
Commissioners praised Hurwitz's mentorship and the stability of the program; director Rafael said the program is "built to last." Hurwitz said she is retiring from the city but plans to continue working on environmental education outside the department.
