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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Quick Facts: The problem of litter is ubiquitous and the hazards to our natural environment from improperly disposed trash plagues communities all around our country and the world. Fortunately, pollution prevention happens to be one of the simplest environmental issues to highlight in a school setting and therefore a great starting point for schools wishing to implement a “green agenda” on campus. Read on to learn how to motivate students to tackle this issue by planning a community cleanup.
As we welcome the New Year, the school my children attend has resolved to take on the task of pollution prevention. Since we are a coastal community in the heart of our “rainy season,” much of our discussion will center on storm water run off and how 60-80% of all debris found in the ocean comes from land based sources. We provide the students with information that illustrates the harm to marine wildlife and ecosystems caused by balloon fragments, cigarette butts and other common trash found washed-up on our shores. We then punctuate this lesson with a school-wide cleanup located at a popular beach near our campus.
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Special Contributor to Real Mama, Inc.
Making your child’s school environmentally friendly is a positive endeavor on many levels. The dense school population can create a high degree of post-consumer waste—from copy paper to lunch plates—that can readily be reduced. Plus, going green at school is a wonderful way to reinforce to your child the green practices you already use at home, not to mention the sense of community involvement that greening your school will help foster for students, parents, teachers and school personnel. The process doesn’t have to be arduous: general awareness of going green is now so widespread that most people are already on board with it and are willing to do their part to help. All you need to get going is the desire to go green and a simple game plan. (more…)
