Take a minute to think about a Green School Initiative:
“Sit back, close your eyes and imagine for a moment a truly healthy and sustainable school or school district. Imagine if all our schools were to strive to be toxic-free, making choices about chemical use that employ a precautionary approach aimed to prevent harm to children’s health. Imagine if US schools were geared to minimize their impacts on the local and global environment; imagine schools that generate their own energy, conserve water, are built with ecologically sound materials, reduce their overall resource consumption, reuse as many resources as possible, recycle the rest, and beyond that, purchase recycled paper, along with classroom and office supplies. Imagine schools that serve organic lunches produced by local farmers, and, in some cases by their own gardens. Imagine schools that engage the students in this transformation, using their healthy buildings, green school grounds and nutritious food as a grand teachable moment a hands-on, place based pedagogy that fosters an ecologically literate and engaged generation, and meets (now imagine this) new national and state environmental education standards.”
You may be wondering to yourself, is that possible? The truth is: this is entirely possible and many schools throughout the United States have jumped at the chance to create an eco-friendly learning environment for their students. Be sure to support federal movements towards the greening of schools.
You can also take the opportunity to be proactive and take your own steps by starting the greening of your school today!
Here are seven easy steps you can take to Green your School:
1) Establish A Green Team or Eco-Committee
2) Adopt An Environmental Vision Statement or Planet Pledge
3) Conduct A School Environmental Survey or Audit
4) Create A Green School Action Plan
5) Monitor and Evaluate Progress
6) Integrate Greening into the Curriculum
7) Inform, Involve, and Celebrate!
Tags: eco-friendly, Green Act of 2009, green school, sustainable school
