Environmental groups and resources serving K–12 schools

This article includes information about environmental groups and resources (such as those provided by government, its agencies, and existing or proposed legislation) that serve K–12 schools in the United States and internationally.

pecific organized groups

As of 2008, many environmental groups exist, but they tend to overlap and duplicate efforts. The information here does not currently attempt to reconcile these issues but, rather, presents information as provided, when available, by each of the organizations described.

Listed below are formally organized groups in alphabetical order.

EarthTeam

EarthTeam (http://www.earthteam.net) has a stated mission to create a new generation of environmental leaders by introducing into the classroom and the community environmental experiences that are so active and engaging that they inspire dedication to a healthy environment. With a focus on the San Francisco Bay Area, over 2,000 students at roughly 60 schools were involved in EarthTeam’s programs during 2006-2007.

Eco-Schools

Eco-Schools (http://www.eco-schools.org/) (Eco-Schools in Wikipedia), which is affiliated with Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) (http://www.fee-international.org) is a program for environmental management and certification, and sustainable development education for schools. Its holistic, participatory approach and combination of learning and action make it an ideal way for schools to embark on a meaningful path to improve the environments of schools and their local communities, and to influence the lives of young people, school staff, ::families, local authorities, NGOs, etc. By the end of the 2004/2005 school year, there were about 14,000 schools participating of which more than 4,000 were Green Flag award-winners. The Eco-Schools Green Flag, awarded to schools with high achievement in their program, is a recognized and respected eco-label for environmental education and performance.

Eco-Schools in the United States

As of 2007, Eco-Schools does not include representation within the United States, although 38 other countries are represented (including, within the United Kingdom, England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland) in Europe, Africa, South America, Oceania, and Asia.

According to Eco-Schools, they are open to a US organization becoming an FEE member organization and, in turn, to take charge of implementing the Eco-Schools Program and other FEE programs in the US. As FEE member organizations manage programs in the country in question, FEE membership is necessarily a precondition for the organization to implement any FEE program in that country.

Organizations in the US that might want to become affiliated with Eco-Schools can refer to the FEE website for information about requirements for joining FEE.

Energy Action Coalition

Energy Action Coalition (http://climatechallenge.org) is a project of more than 30 leading youth organizations throughout the US and Canada. The Challenge leverages the power of young people to organize on college campuses and high schools across Canada and the US to win 100% Clean Energy policies at their schools. The Challenge is growing a generation-wide movement to stop global warming, by reducing the pollution from our high schools and colleges down to zero and leading our society to a clean energy future.

Facing the Future

Facing the Future (http://www.facingthefuture.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and motivating todays students to be responsible stewards of tomorrows world. The organization develops and delivers standards-based hands-on lessons, student textbooks, curriculum units, and professional development opportunities for educators that promote critical thinking on global issues, sustainability and positive solutions. Facing the Future curriculum is in use in all 50 U.S. states and over 60 countries by teachers and students in grades K-12, in undergraduate and graduate classes, and across multiple subject areas.

Focus the Nation

Focus the Nation for K-12 is a national educational initiative on global warming solutions for America that will culminate January 31st, 2008 in symposia held simultaneously at over a thousand colleges, universities, K-12 schools and other institutions. Focus the Nation provides a high school model on their web site (http://focusthenation.org/HSmodel.php)

Free the Planet!

Free the Planet! (http://www.freetheplanet.org) has a stated mission to expand and strengthen the student environmental movement, provide resources for student activists, and work with students to win campaigns for strong environmental protections.

Among activities undertaken by Free the Planet! are the following:

*expanding the student environmental movement by recruiting students who are concerned about the environment to take action, networking student activists with each other and the larger environmental movement, and providing fresh opportunities and ideas for activists.

*providing resources for student activists through their Project LEAD Training, Activist Advising program, How To Free The Planet!: Trainings and Briefings for Environmental Action, action guides, and other materials.

*working with students to win campaigns for strong environmental protections by providing them with the resources to work on national campaigns together and guides to running effective on-campus campaigns.

On their web site, the last listed accomplishments and newsletters were dated 2004, and no membership numbers are provided online.

Go-Green Initiative

Go-Green Initiative (http://www.gogreeninitiative.org/) is a simple, comprehensive program designed to create a culture of environmental responsibility on school campuses across the nation. Founded in 2002, the Go Green Initiative unites parents, students, teachers and school administrators in an effort to make real and lasting changes in their campus communities that will protect children and the environment for years to come. No membership numbers are listed on their web site, but they do claim that schools in 46 states and the District of Columbia, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Europe have adopted the Go Green Initiative.

Green Teacher

Green Teacher (http://www.greenteacher.com) is a non-profit organization which publishes resources to help educators, both inside and outside of schools, to promote global and environmental awareness among young people from elementary through high school. The organization’s primary activity is the publication of Green Teacher, a quarterly magazine full of teaching ideas from successful “green� educators. Each issue of Green Teacher offers perspectives on the role of education in creating a sustainable future, practical cross-curricular activities for various grade levels, and reviews of the latest teaching resources.

Healthy Schools Network

The Healthy Schools Network (http://www.healthyschools.org/)is a 501 c3 national environmental health organization that does research, information, education, coalition-building, and advocacy to ensure that every child has a healthy learning environment that is clean and in good repair. Founded in 1995,we have documented and publicized school environmental problems; shaped and won new education, health, and environmental policies; fostered dozens of local and state policy groups; won systemic federal and state reforms; and helped thousands of parents and schools make classrooms and buildings healthier through our EPA award-winning Healthy Schools/Healthy Kids Clearinghouse (Information and Referral Services). Major efforts include: building the platform and the forum for school environments through the collaborative Coalition for Healthier Schools which we founded and convene with more than 400 local, state, and national partners; leading National Healthy Schools Day; offering steady assistance through the Clearinghouse's publications and referrals; and refining our model New York Program. Throughout, we are focused on: 1) High Performance School Design/Construction consistent with children's needs for healthy environments; 2) Greening Existing Schools; and 3) Environmental Public Health for Children who are disproportionately affected by environmental exposures.

Kids F.A.C.E.

Also known as Kids for A Clean Environment (http://www.kidsface.org), Kids F.A.C.E. has a stated mission to provide information on environmental issues to children, to encourage and facilitate youth's involvement with effective environmental action, and to recognize those efforts which result in the improvement of nature. As of January 2008, they claim to have more than 2,000 club chapters in fifteen countries and more than 300,000 individual members.

Inconvenient Youth

Inconvenient Youth (http://inconvenientyouth.org), is a network of teens across America who give a damn about our future. We feel that the time has come to act in the face of climate change. We believe that, given the urgency of this incredible problem, we can no longer rely on others to take responsibility on our behalf. We see solutions to this problem, and they are within our reach. We know that as a generation, we can solve it.

National Association of Independent Schools Sustainable Schools listserve

The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Sustainable Schools listserve ( [http://www.nais.org/resources/article.cfm?ItemNumber=147584 http://www.nais.org/resources/article.cfm?ItemNumber=147584] ) is available to give all practitioners of matters related to sustainability a forum to pose questions and solicit input and feedback from others working on these issues in independent schools.

Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) Green Squad

The NRDC Green Squad (http://www.nrdc.org/greensquad/) teaches kids about the relationship between their schools and environmental and health issues. The site is designed primarily for students in fifth through eighth grade, but also offers information for younger and older students as well as parents and teachers.The Green Squad was made possible through the generous support of Citigroup Foundation and The F. A. O. Schwarz Family Foundation.The Green Squad is a project of NRDC, the Natural Resources Defense Council, a national environmental group with more than 500,000 members, and the Healthy Schools Network, an organization that works to protect children's environmental health in schools.

North American Association for Environmental Education

The North American Association for Environmental Education (http://www.naaee.org) promotes excellence in environmental education and serves environmental educators for the purpose of achieving environmental literacy in order for present and future generations to benefit from a safe and healthy environment and a better quality of life. The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) is a network of professionals, students, and volunteers working in the field of environmental education throughout North America and in over 55 countries around the world. Since 1971, the Association has promoted environmental education and supported the work of environmental educators. There are many environmental interest groups, and many organizations dedicated to improving education. NAAEE uniquely combines and integrates both of these perspectives, and takes a cooperative, nonconfrontational, scientifically-balanced approach to promoting education about environmental issues.

Project BudBurst

Project BudBurst (http://www.windows.ucar.edu/citizen_science/budburst/index.html) is a national field campaign for citizen scientists designed to engage the public in the collection of important climate change data based on the timing of leafing and flowering of trees and flowers, and the project provides resources and opportunities for K-12 teachers (http://www.windows.ucar.edu/citizen_science/budburst/teachers.php) and students (http://www.windows.ucar.edu/citizen_science/budburst/students.php). BudBurst participants take careful observations of the phenological events such as the first bud burst, first leafing, first flower, and seed or fruit dispersal of a diversity of tree and flower species, including weeds and ornamentals. The citizen science observations and records are reported into the BudBurst data base. Thousands of citizen scientists participated in the inaugural pilot test of Project BudBurst in 2007 and as a result useful data was collected in a consistent way across the country. Scientists can use this data to learn about the responses of individual plant species to climatic variation locally, regionally, and nationally, and to detect longer-term impacts of climate change by comparing with historical data. The enthusiastic response and robust participation in the 2007 pilot effort made it clear that there was sufficient interest from the American public to expand Project BudBurst in 2008!

ierra Student Coalition

The Sierra Student Coalition is a broad network of high school and college students from around the country working to protect the environment. They have over 250 affiliated groups based at schools around the country (although just over 100 contacts are listed on the web site as of January 2008). The SSC is the student arm of the Sierra Club, the nation’s largest and oldest grassroots environmental organization (founded in 1892!). Like the Sierra Club, the SSC is run by volunteers who work on national and local campaigns that promote smart energy solutions and protect the environment. They develop environmental leaders through our award winning grassroots trainings programs and work to maximize our campus-based effectiveness through the creation and maintenance of state and national networks of high school and college students. A small staff supports the work of the Sierra Student Coalition’s volunteer-run activities.

ierra Youth Coalition

The Sierra Youth Coalition (http://www.syc-cjs.org), in each of our program areas, strives to achieve the following objectives:Involve: empower youth in Canada to become active members of their community;Educate: create a widespread understanding that all things are connected;Change: challenge unjust and unsustainable systems by using a solutions based approach; and toInvoke Seven Generations: ensure that the voices of future generations are clearly heard by decision-makersEnvisioned as a place to learn and grow, SYC aims to provide volunteers and employees with satisfying and meaningful work. This is achieved through a non-hierarchical and consensus based decision making model that allows equal access to information and a fair distribution of responsibility.

tudent Environmental Action Coalition

Student Environmental Action Coalition is a grassroots coalition of student and youth environmental groups working together to protect our planet and our future. Through this united effort, thousands of youth have translated their concern into action by sharing resources, building coalitions, and challenging the limited mainstream definition of environmental issues. Since 1988, through campaigns, conferences, and a lot of hard work, SEAC has grown to hundreds of junior high school, high school college, and community groups throughout the United States and Canada.

Groups with a focus on specific areas of interest

*Farm to School organizations exist at national, state, and local levels, and, in general, they help to develop and implement program through which schools buy and feature locally produced, farm fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables, eggs, honey, meat, and beans on their menus.

United States government resources and legislation (110th Congress)

* Green Schools Caucus ( [http://BuildGreenSchools.org http://BuildGreenSchools.org] ), which is a bipartisan House of Representatives caucus created to promote green building practices in schools has launched in Washington, and, as of January 2008, 28 members of Congress have signed up. The caucus is co-chaired by:
** Rep. Darlene Hooley, Oregon's 5th District
** Rep. Michael McCaul, Texas' 10th District
** Rep. Jim Matheson, Utah's 2nd District

* EnergySmart Schools Program ( [http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energysmartschools/ http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energysmartschools/] ), which is a DOE program through which the department "seeks to catalyze significant improvements in energy efficiency in the nation's K-12 schools at a time of enormous opportunity."
* Energy Star for K-12 School Districts ( [http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=k12_schools.bus_schoolsk12 http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=k12_schools.bus_schoolsk12] ), which is an EPA program that provides tools and resources for K-12 school districts to implement Energy Star technologies.

* Green Schools Improvement Act, HR 5401 ( [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.05401: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.05401:] ), which would authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants for energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy improvements at public school facilities, and for other purposes.
* Renewable Schools Energy Act of 2007, HR 2441 ( [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.02441: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.02441:] ), which would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow public school districts to receive no interest loans for the purchase of renewable energy systems, and for other purposes.
* School Building Enhancement Act, HR 3197 ( [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.03197: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.03197:] ), which would provide for grants from the Secretary of Education to state and local educational agencies for EnergySmart schools and Energy Star programs.

External links

* Student environmental groups as listed on the Open Directory Project (ODP) ( [http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Organizations/Student/Environment/ http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Organizations/Student/Environment/] )
* Greening America's Schools: Costs and Benefits, October 1996 ( [http://www.cap-e.com/spotlight/index.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=34196 http://www.cap-e.com/spotlight/index.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=34196] ) is a report that was sponsored by the following:
** American Federation of Teachers
** American Institute of Architects
** American Lung Association
** Federation of American Scientists
** U.S. Green Building Council:and is intended to answer the fundamental questions: How much more do green schools cost, and is greening schools cost effective?