What is the characteristic of the Environmental Charter High School? [br] [orig

The Environmental Charter High School, in Lawndale, California, teaches all standard academic subjects, as well as studies about the environment. Nearly 500 students are enrolled at the school, where they prepare for college. They also get something extra, says school founder Alison Suffet Diaz.
    The teens can get close to nature, and explore topics like alternative energy, in this case, a pump powered by human energy to water the plants. Student Rigo Estrada says he was the kind of person who threw trash on the street before he came here.
    The school also teaches creative arts, integrated in one case with a lesson in physics. The school brings in outside experts, including Nancy Gale, who owns an environmentally-friendly business that makes handbags.
    Students learn how to prepare a business plan, says teacher Brandie Cobb. The curriculum stresses cooperation and community action, and helps students learn to get things done, says 18-year-old Rodrigo Padilla.
    Whether they pursue careers related to their studies here or not, the sense of empowerment these teens have learned is what the Environmental Charter High School was designed to do.