1 / 23

Green Your School, Grounds, and Curriculum with Eco-Schools USA

Green Your School, Grounds, and Curriculum with Eco-Schools USA. The International Eco-Schools Program. 1994 – Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) 2003 – United Nations Environment Program ( UNEP ) 50 countries 37,000+ K-12 schools 600,000 teachers 9.5 million students

piper
Download Presentation

Green Your School, Grounds, and Curriculum with Eco-Schools USA

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Green Your School, Grounds, and Curriculum with Eco-Schools USA

  2. The International Eco-Schools Program 1994 – Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) 2003 – United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) • 50 countries • 37,000+ K-12 schools • 600,000 teachers • 9.5 million students • Green Flag schools

  3. Eco-Schools USA • Dec. 2008 – U.S. host status granted to National Wildlife Federation • Nov. 2009 – Website launched • Sept. 2010 – WA outreach campaign 406 Schools Nationally 16 Schools In WA

  4. Target Audience • K-12 • Public, private, charter, magnet schools • Home schools and alternative schools • Other institutions such as nature centers?

  5. Benefits of Eco-Schools USA • Improve student engagement and academic performance • Reduce environmental impact • Save resources and money • Connect with the community • Foster environmental literacy and mentor the next generation of environmental stewards

  6. Three-Pronged Framework 1) Building 2) Grounds 3) Curriculum • Holistic approach • Mutually reinforcing links

  7. Self-Guided Process

  8. The Seven Steps • Eco-Action Team • Environmental Audit • Action Plan • Monitor and Evaluate • Link to Curriculum • Involve the Community • Create an Eco-Code

  9. Eight Pathways Energy Water School Grounds Transportation Consumption & Waste Global Dimensions Climate Change The “Green Hour”

  10. Energy • Schools spend more money on energy than on computers and textbooks combined • Energy conservation can cut costs and provide excellent learning opportunities for students

  11. Water • Water is one of the planet’s most valuable natural resources • Basic water efficiency programs can reduce a school’s water use by 30% or more

  12. School Grounds • From manicured lawns and asphalt…to outdoor classroom, wildlife habitat, and hands-on learning lab. • Schoolyard habitat resources: www.nwf.org/schoolyard

  13. Transportation • Less than 15 % of students walk or bike to school (50 % in 1969) • Sustainable transport solutions lead to: • GREATER safety, health, academic performance, and community engagement • LESS traffic, air pollution, carbon emissions, transport costs

  14. Global Dimensions • Environmental issues are global issues • Eco-Schools, as an international program, offers opportunities to make meaningful connections around the world

  15. Consumption and Waste • The U.S. is home to 5 % of the world’s population and generates 30 % of its waste • Opportunities for schools: recycling, composting, analyzing product life cycles

  16. Climate Change An opportunity for: • Education about causes and solutions, in age-appropriate ways • Action projects to reduce the school’s carbon footprint

  17. The “Green Hour” • Outdoor time has decreased by 50 % in the past 20 years • Children who play outside are more active and physically fit • Time in nature improves academic performance

  18. Three Award Levels • Criteria for each of the seven steps • Number of pathways addressed increases by level • Bronze & Silver self-assessed • Green Flag – school visit

  19. Case Study: School Building Lanier Middle School Fairfax, VA

  20. Case Study: School Grounds Kent Meridian HS Kent, WA

  21. Case Study: Curriculum United High School Armaugh, PA

  22. Washington Partners

  23. How to Get Involved • Register online • Check the map to connect with other registered Washington schools Contact: Courtney Sullivan Education Manager National Wildlife Federation, Pacific Region Email: sullivanc@nwf.org Phone: 206-285-8707

More Related