Ever since President Obama’s Administration announced they would honor a select group of Green Schools in April of 2012, environmental education in the classroom has been on the rise. Recognition from the White House has also offered a much need legitimacy that many green educators have been looking for.
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The Quick Facts: By instituting a lunchtime recycling program, schools can take an active role in reducing their waste stream. Our school cut our lunchtime waste output in half. With some good planning and some dedicated students, your school can reduce waste on campus, encourage positive environmental stewardship, and save some cash along the way.
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October is International Walk to School Month and the timing couldn’t be better to get information to your school about the benefits of walking. At my school we are promoting Walk to School Month as a kick-off to our program, Walk on Wednesdays (WOW), where we encourage families to leave their cars at home on Wednesdays and join their neighbors in creating a walking school bus, picking up kids along a pre-determined route to school.
The Quick Facts: Whether it’s an at-home project or a lesson plan for the classroom, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has provided us with a teachable moment that cannot be passed-up. With real time streaming video available of the actual leak and a host of easy-to-replicate science experiments, the devastation in the Gulf may be the catalyst needed to raise a generation with an awareness of the realities that accompany our fuel consumption habits.
Sue Andrew’s Second Grade Class in Carlbad, California has had a “green” year. Real Mama board Member Camille Sowinski, whose daughter is in the class, has been working all year with the children on green service learning projects. They submitted their activities along with their worm bin video to the Green Education Foundation and won a $250 grant. Projects were reviewed and evaluated based upon student involvement, successful outcomes, potential for sustainability, creativity, and opportunity for others to replicate the initiative.
GEF Green In Action Awards are granted to schools, classes, or groups of Green Keepers. Participants in GEF programs send in photos, videos, and/or artwork that demonstrate the impact of their participation in a GEF environmental education project or eco-challenge (i.e. National Green Week, Green Thumb Challenge, Green Energy Challenge, etc.).
Watch the Award-Winning Vermicomposting Video!
http://tinyurl.com/25ootjy
Here is a list of the green programs they developed and a brief description of each:
Litter Patrol — We have been learning about storm waster run-off in our class and the harmful effects to marine wildlife.
No Trash Tuesday — We have also created a Zero Waste Lunch Program at our school.
Lunch Time Recycling — With money awarded to me from our Parent Teacher Association, we had a lunch recycling cart built.
Vermicomposting — As part of my service learning program, I taught my second graders how to build small worm composting bins out of recycled materials.
Earth Poetry — We are writing a series of poems about the earth and activism.
Read the full article here.
Congratulations to Camille, Ms. Andrews and her entire class for their hard work and dedication to making our planet a better place!
