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Students Go Green in their Communities

Getting students involved in local community action projects to improve the environment can bring big rewards to both the local environment and students' health. Take a look at what some schools have done and then start thinking of ways that your students can get involved.

At Camden High School in New Jersey, the Building Environmental Education Solutions (BEES) has operated for more than ten years. Each year, students study a different environmental issue, such as pesticides, for the entire school year. As they learn, the high school students teach 7th graders from local public middle schools about the issue. The 7th graders, in turn, teach 2nd graders from local elementary schools about what they have learned.

BEES students also produce radio commentaries and feature stories for "Living on Earth," a weekly radio program on National Public Radio. Through the program, Camden High School students have built alliances with community organizations such as the Delaware Riverkeepers Network, the Audubon Society, the New Jersey Tree Foundation, Wild New Jersey, Camden County Parks, and the local watershed management agency.

In Tucson, AZ, Tucson Electrical Power sponsored "1000 Trees for Tucson" as part of the annual Make A Difference Day in October 2007. Students and staff from Pueblo Magnet High School, Sunnyside Unified School District and the Sahuaro Girl Scout Council, as well as other volunteers from across Tucson, planted 1,000 native trees at nonprofit organizations, public and private schools, neighborhood associations and city and county parks.

At Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, CA, a one-acre organic garden planted and maintained by students provides the focus for teaching about eco-literacy as well as the ingredients for healthy school lunches. Gardening activities are integrated into lessons on the Principles of Ecology. Started by chef and author Alice Waters in 1995, the project continues to flourish more than 12 years later, supported by community involvement from volunteers and two AmeriCorps members each year who serve as garden teachers and youth mentors. The garden, resources on how to start a garden at your school and lesson plans are available from The Edible Schoolyard.

East Aiken Elementary School in East Aiken, SC was the first school to partner with Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) program at the University of Georgia. For their project, 650 teachers and students at the school walked more than 2,500 miles to Yellowstone National Park and adopted 52 wolves. All the walking occurred on the school running track; teachers kept track of the distances their classes walked and plotted the cumulative miles to Yellowstone. Working with Defenders of Wildlife, the school collected pennies to adopt wild wolves in the park. As students walked over the year-long journey, they followed a trail that took them through natural habitats. This provided opportunities to learn about the species of reptiles and amphibians living in these areas.