Greening Our Schools, Part III

This is a continuation of a four part series, Greening Our Schools. You can find Part I here, and Part II here. Part IV, a primer for parent participation in greening schools, will be the finale next week.

WHAT ARE GREEN PROGRAMS?

Green programs are about creating environmentally sensitive practices in schools. Actions resulting in natural habits that demonstrate stewardship.

Green programs create a healthier environment and healthier students, support green spaces and local biodiversity, manage resources sustainably, educate through active engagement, and reduce our dependance on toxic chemicals.

Below are examples of a few green programs with proven success. More research information can be found at the end of this post.

Regarding curricula; given the emphasis on a standards-based education system, teachers need creative new ways to teach the same subjects, not create more subjects to teach. State-approved curriculum and materials are available from different sources that teach the core subjects through the green programs. So, instead of having to find ways to include the green programs as an environmental subject, the green programs are used as the environment from which to teach the core subjects.

SCHOOL GARDENS

Schoolyard gardens are emerging to serve two main purposes: as an edible nutritious garden or as a wildlife habitat. With increasing campaigns to create healthier children by getting them outdoors and out of their seats, school gardens not only provide creative outdoor lessons, but they enhance the learning experience. Gardens are hands-on learning opportunities for science as life labs or for mathematical fun, as well as other subjects.

Research has shown garden based learning programs increase nutritional and environmental awareness and appreciation, positively impacts test scores and student behaviour, increases life skills, self esteem, and higher learning achievements.

For example, several studies have shown that students who had a garden as part of their math and science curriculum significantly improved scores on achievement tests or improved general academic performance (California School Garden Network). And other students who participated in their school garden improved attitudes towards vegetables and healthy foods (Cavaliere, D. (1987)). Gardens are finally being recognized as a valuable nutrition education tool.

Creating habitats with native plants connects children with their environment, teaches conservation and encourages biodiversity in the community. An incentive for a school garden is that the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) certifies school gardens that support wildlife by providing four basic requirements: food, water, cover, and places to reproduce and raise their young. A few native plants could provide three of the four requirements for some wildlife, like butterflies! You can even find an NWF Habitat Steward in your community who could provide volunteer hours to help you create a school habitat. Or find a local Master Gardeners program in your area that has volunteers to serve schools.

CHANGING SCHOOL LUNCHES

One out of three of our school children in the U.S. are overweight. School lunch is a critical area that still needs improvement. Studies show that children are not consuming enough fruits, vegetables and whole grains at school meals, instead consuming more desserts, snack, and beverages other than milk (US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study III). And many public schools have limited funds, which inhibits their ability to provide better meals.

Farm to School programs are connecting schools with local farms to bring healthier lunches to schools and to teach healthier eating habits. Not only does this program introduce a wide variety of vegetables, grains or fruits that some children would otherwise not have access to, but it supports local farmers, ultimately supporting the local economy. It educates the students about the links between agriculture, nutrition and health, which in turn positively changes the way they view their meals.

A zero-waste lunch is another way to go green for lunchrooms by providing composting bins for food scraps, providing recycling bins, using reusable or biodegradable utensils and food containers instead of Styrofoam, and using cloth napkins or composting paper napkins. Cafeterias are the center of the majority of school waste so this significantly reduces trash going to the landfill.

According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), Oak Hills Elementary School in Ventura County, CA, implemented a zero waste lunch and snack time policy and achieved a 90 percent waste reduction.

The worst offenders of lunch room trash are over-packaging, disposable single-use products, uneaten food, and not recycling or reusing. This is where parent participation is pivotal in reducing waste (parent participation will be in Part IV of the Greening Our Schools series).

COMPOSTING OR VERMICOMPOSTING

Composting’s benefits reach beyond the school campus by reducing the amount of waste going to our landfill. It also provides a great natural benefit for soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides in gardens. And similar to the garden, composting is also a hands-on opportunity, full of biological, chemical, and physical processes. Not to mention, it also allows students to see the cycle of organic waste and the product of decomposition.

A great example is Mansfield Middle School in Connecticut. They established a composting project where in their first year a little over two tons of food and one ton of leaves and wood chips were composted over a 7 1/2 month period! They’ve created a website about their school-wide composting program.

Vermicomposting, or worm composting, is becoming popular for classroom projects. The younger students especially love having the little creatures as learning aides. Worms are the most forgiving “pet”, and can easily be kept indoors in a classroom or in a weatherproof bin outdoors. Their eco-system provides a vast opportunity for lessons as well.

Master Composters and worm composting veterans, such as Shelley Grossman, have years of experience to help with school-wide vermicomposting projects. Grossman, who has experience setting up and maintaining worm bins for all the organic wastes from two elementary schools, involving 1,355 students, staff and teachers, has two decades of worm expertise under her belt.

While composting and vermicomposting are not new techniques, they can be intimidating programs for schools to implement. Seek out a local Master Composter program (through universities or environmental organizations) that has volunteers who can aid schools if funds are not available.

RECYCLING

Recycling reduces the amount of waste streaming out of schools. Schools and educational facilities can be one of the single largest waste generators in some jurisdictions (CIWMB, 2007).

Not only does recycling keep trash out of our landfills, but it also conserves our resources and energy, benefits our economy and creates jobs, reduces water pollution and preserves our wildlife habitats. Not to mention, it benefits the schools and/or school districts financially. According to the CIWMB (III),

Jurupa Unified School District saves over $35,000 annually in reduced hauling costs, and generates approximately $1,500 from the sale of recyclables annually. The district recycles paper, cardboard, foam food trays, and steel cans.

The key to a recycling program at school is having bins! Not only as a place to put the things that should be recycled, but also as a reminder that things should be recycled. “Out of sight, out of mind” holds true with recycling, if people don’t see anything but trash bins, they tend to use the closest trash can.

Companies are becoming very innovative with how to recycle waste. Not to mention, almost anything can be recycled! Creative recyclers, such as Crazy Crayons, take old, broken, or unwanted crayons from anyone who wants to recycle them and with those crayons, they’ve created a new crayon product, hand-crafted multi-colored crayons in different designs, and firestarters. Recycling can also serve a charitable cause. Organizations, such as Recycle for Breast Cancer, takes recycle donations of nearly any and every type of office gadget or equipment.

Another example, Terracycle accepts things like candy wrappers and Capri-Sun pouches for recycling, gives cash back, and creates products from the waste, such as bags and bird feeders.

With all the options of recycling, every school should be able to at least commit to a recycling program. Local recycling, waste management, or public works department will have information about recycling in your city and usually offer schools many resources and help.

Schools can also become a partner of the Environmental Protection Agency’s WasteWise program,

As a WasteWise partner, you will receive personal guidance from your partner representative, as well as other technical assistance in the form of bulletins and updates. Your school or group also will have an opportunity to be nationally recognized for your waste prevention activities.

 

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For more links, guides, ideas, and research information: Resources for Schools.

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SOURCES:

• Cavaliere, D. (1987). How Zucchini Won Fifth-Grade Hearts. Children Today. (ERIC Document Reproduction No. EJ358399)
• School Recycling: Increasing Diversion Rates in School and In the Home. (2007). California Integrated Waste Management Board. Retrieved August 13, 2009, from http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publications/localasst/31002017.pdf.