Why Go Green?
Climate change and sustainability are issues of great importance. Studies show that 97 percent or more of climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends are very likely tied to human activity. With all this in mind, one can't help but worry about the future and the world students will inhabit in adulthood. Thankfully, there are many possibilities for "going green" within the school setting. The Green School Initiative has great resources that can get principals and teachers started on a more sustainable and healthy teaching environment. For example, the Green Schools Initiative outlines 5 steps a teacher can take to increase their school's sustainability:

• Check the sustainability of school: Learn what your school is doing to make the school sustainable and safe.
• Re-use, recycle & buy sustainable school materials: Encourage recycling and re-use as much as possible. When the new school year rears its head, encourage parents to look out for eco-friendly school supplies.
• At this link you can download a document that lists sustainable supplies and how they differ from other supplies.
• Bring waste-free/toxic-free lunches: Opt for re-usable food devices such as lunchboxes, Tupperware, thermoses, etc.
• Check for school's wellness policy: Make sure your school promotes nutrition and physical activity.
• Start a green program at your school: Take the time to form a club or school event that can help advocate for going green and take steps to help the environment no matter how local.

Another great way to promote healthy and sustainable living is to incorporate nature, health and sustainability into the curriculum. You can vary the pervasiveness of green themes to your liking, for any effort can make a difference. Here are a few small ways you can incorporate sustainability:

• Classroom jobs to help with green efforts: For example a student can be put in charge of turning off the light when leaving the class, or a few students can be in charge of recycling. This is a simple way of teaching students about responsibility and stewardship, which can extend outside of the classroom.
• Outdoor Classes: Conducting classes outdoors can excite students about nature. It is often easy to make curriculum connections to the surrounding area. Shadows can become math problems,  flowers can become a biology lesson and the surrounding landscape can become an art class. The possibilities are endless.
• Social media to encourage sustainability: An interesting and modern way to advocate sustainability is to use social media - such as Instagram, Facebook, etc. - for projects, assignments, or extra credit.
• More? There are no set ways to advocate and practice sustainability - collaborate with your peers and coworkers to create new ways to help the planet.

We at CEI argue that consciousness, compassion, and community are essential parts of social-emotional learning, and going green can build all three. Green initiatives teach students to be aware and conscious of the world they inhabit and give students the opportunity to connect to their surroundings.

Connecting to nature becomes increasingly important as students grow more accustomed to using computers, phones, and tablets. In our high-tech world, green practices teach students to care for the life that surrounds them. This requires the efforts of a community of teachers, parents, and students. The teaching potential

Going Green benefits schools in several aspects, including cost reductions, sustainability, hands on learning and healthier atmospheres. Project Learning Tree's Greenschools! is an organization which partners with various schools across the country to educate youth on caring for their environment and community. At CEI, we took a look at a couple schools which are committed to being green. 

 
Central High School in Newark, New Jersey is a Title I school where 90 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Greenschools! has partnered with the Environmental Studies Academy at this high school and developed a strong program which focuses on scientific understanding, environmental literacy and critical problem solving. In this program students have:

• Studied plant species that most effectively remove CO2 from the air
• Influenced school administrators to place these plants in classrooms and hallways
• Planted and maintained an urban vegetable garden for students and their families
• Investigated energy use and the carbon footprint of their own school, looking for ways to improve
• Created and implemented a compost bin the cafeteria to create a sustainable way to feed plants in the gardens and greenhouses
• Presented a webinar sponsored by U.S. Forest Service advocating for the benefits of Greenschools! Grants.

• Build and use outdoor classrooms
• Replace wasteful 3 gallon toilets with efficient models
• Use rain barrels to eliminate the need for irrigation systems
• Use photovoltaic technology to create renewable self-generated energy
• Collect items such as bottle caps, Capri Sun pouches and cellphones to be recycled
• Identify problems in the physical environment and work as a team to find a solution
• Educate families and communities on how to maintain a healthier atmosphere.

By prioritizing caring for the earth, teachers will develop deeper curriculum not only for STEM programs, but also for Heart Centered Education. Through improving the physical environment around them, students are also learning to care for the people in their community.

• The Loudoun Country Day School (VA) has grown plants hydroponically. Students then took a field trip to plant the vegetables at a center for veterans and their families.
• At each Minnieland Academy location in Ashburn (VA) preschoolers and kindergartners are learning to grow their own vegetables which are included in healthy lunches.

The examples of these few schools, and dozens more like them, improving their own education, health, community and sustainability will hopefully encourage more school administrators to "go green" and follow similar paths to these environmental leaders!