Resources for Schools
There are hundreds of tools and links for becoming a more sustainable, healthy campus, and it can be overwhelming to know where to start!
We have divided the resource pages by the NC Green School components below. We hope that you will discover new tools to help your school become more green! Click on one that interests you to start the journey.
Please be sure to contact us at info@ncgreenschools.org with any information that you know about other resources in your area.
The Five Components
We have divided the resource pages into five NC Green School components. Explore culture and community, healthy schools, school sustainability, curriculum integration, and innovation resources. We hope that you will discover new tools to help your school become more green!
Culture and Community Ideas and Resources
Environmental themes, concepts and Green School Projects are at the core of how staff and administration think about curriculum and building operations.
Examples:
- School annually recognizes Earth Day with a school wide event.
- Administration invites Solid Waste Authority to speak to all students.
- Each year the school designs a new solid waste unit which is enriched with appropriate labs for each of the different science classes.
- School literature and website talk about the importance of their green school initiatives.
- School mission or philosophy statement clearly articulates or embodies the importance of creating a green school culture.
- School principals and other key administrators are consistent public advocates for greening their school.
- Regular presentations are made to the local community to demonstrate the successes and opportunities of Green School project for students.
Resources:
- Consulting and Leadership development by the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education
Training of school staff is used intentionally as a way to build Green School capacity.
Examples
- Teachers are encouraged to attend green school workshops and training, including those that focus on environmental education, school gardens, STEM, renewable energy, etc.
- Schools support teachers’ passions by paying for substitutes and registration fees for green school related PD conferences.
- Some school-wide training is offered on topics supporting green school projects.
- Teachers are strongly encouraged to develop their own personal green school strategies through attending professional development programs.
- Staff attends workshops that enhance their knowledge of green initiatives, community building and other green school topics.
- Training to prepare and support teachers for green school projects is provided and coordinated at the whole school level.
Resources
- What is Education for Sustainability? webinar series by The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education
- Center for Ecoliteracy: Essential principles and practical tools for lasting positive change
- National Park Service Workshops for Teachers
Green School activities are systematically included as core components of major planning efforts.
Examples:
- Green events are planned by one teacher, parent or classroom.
- Green school goals are integrated into one grade level core competencies.
- School has formed a school-wide Green Team consisting of teachers, administrators, students, parents and community to coordinate the systematic planning and implementation of ongoing and new Green School activities.
- School planning documents identify measurable, realistic and exciting Green School objectives.
- School participates in a district wide Green Team meeting to address Green School initiatives across the district.
- Being a Green School is formally incorporated into the School Improvement Plan, and it is a standing agenda item as SAC and or faculty meetings.
- USGBC Center for Green Schools Planning Guides
- The Whole-School Sustainability Framework Guiding Principles for Integrating Sustainability Into All Aspects of a School Organization by the USGBC Center for Green Schools
- Every School Can be a Green School Getting Started Checklist by the USGBC Center for Green Schools
Addresses how schools share with other schools and the community what they are doing to “green” their school. This indicator emphasizes the importance of communication and networking.
Examples:
-
- Share your green stories with posters in the school.
- Use the school/district newsletter and/or website to present to the school community and beyond.
- Publish stories through local newspapers, magazines and media.
- Present about your school’s activities at a local festival or event.
- Share on the NC Green Schools website. Let us know what you’re up to!
Non-school community members are engaged actively and regularly support students and teachers, and are invited to actively help plan and implement learning projects for and with students.
Examples:
- The school works periodically with local organizations, businesses or non profits to engage the students with their community.
- The school has developed partnership relationship with community groups to use the classrooms for community presentations and events.
- The school library is used by the community.
- The school works regularly with a local organization to engage the students with an ongoing community project
- The school garden raises plants that they give to a local food bank.
- The school has policies and guidelines that create standing partnerships for community use of the campus.
- The school garden is a year round community garden.
- Community Schools – Partnerships for Excellence – Coalition for Community Schools
Healthy Schools Ideas and Resources
Schoolyard enhancements maximize the students’ opportunity to interact with nature and to understand the wonder and science within the world around them.
Examples:
- A third grade class plays a recycling relay race,
- One or more teachers use outdoor school areas several times a year as part of the curriculum.
- Faculty and students implement ongoing instruction using the school grounds.
- Schools regularly employ out door classrooms as additional learning spaces.
- The playground contains activities that engage the students with the natural landscape.
- Students take an active role in the design and maintenance of school grounds.
- The school has a nature path that provides a learning opportunity for students.
Resources:
- Teacher Resources Cradle of Forestry Interpretive Association
- NCSU Natural Learning Initiative Publications
- Moving the Classroom Outdoors– Herb Broda
- Take a Child Outside Activities – NC Museum of Natural Sciences
- Playgrounds with nature in mind: Enhancement and Design (in Asheville): Mary Weber, Landscape Architect
Areas of the school grounds and/or nearby community are managed to enhance ecological integrity that has been diminished by human activity.
Examples:
- Although the built environment is the primary landscape feature, some effort has been made to increase green space.
- Native plantings around the school flag pole offer an example of the beauty of xeriscaping.
- Some school grounds and /or local habitats are inventoried and enhanced.
- Students begin researching the ecological history of their campus.
- Students plant, maintain and monitor a butterfly or other native plant garden.
- Small scale habitat projects are ongoing that emphasize native and migratory species and ecosystems.
- Significant effort is made to plan for larger habitat improvement projects on the campus or within the community,
- Schools work with local community to tie school grounds efforts to other land and habitat conservation projects.
- School grounds are a thriving habitat with plants and animal visitors monitored and identified by students,
- Students participate in restoration projects through partnerships with community.
- US Green Building Council Center for Green Schools, NC Chapter Environmental Stewardship Challenge – receive seed money and a mentor and participate in one or more categories to make your school more sustainable! (Mentors available in most counties)
- Green Schoolyards America– resources to transform school grounds into dynamic places for learning, play and nature
- Wildlife Education Centers – North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC)
- North Carolina Land Trust Map – NCWRC
- Field Guide to Invasive Aquatic and Wetland Plants – Sea Grant of North Carolina (SCNC)
- NC State Wildlife Action Plan – NCWRC
- Protected Wildlife Species of NC – NCWRC
- NC 17 River Basins Map – NCWRC
- NC Habitat Types and Wildlife Chart – NCWRC
- Wildlife Volunteering Opportunities – NCWRC
- Creating Schoolyard Habitats – US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Gardens and farming relationships are developed to connect students with an understanding of and appreciation for where food and flowers comes from.
Examples:
- Curriculum includes information about where food comes from and engages students in growing plants within at least one classroom.
- Students are engaged in growing plants from seed.
- Students create mini greenhouses to learn about seed development.
- Students learn about the local food economy.
- Students create posters or other art projects about the life cycles of plants.
- One or more classrooms integrate food lifecycle curriculum and engage students in growing plants from seed for themselves and the community.
- Students grow plants to sell at a “plant sale” fundraiser or to take home.
- Students interview their older relatives and community members to learn more about traditional connections with gardening and food production.
- One or more classrooms join together to create a school garden that engages multiple areas of the curriculum.
- Students create art for the garden from recycled items or from the plants themselves, i.e. sunflower tepee.
- Students map their local food shed to better understand where the food they eat comes from.
- School curriculum actively engages students the design, creation and maintenance of the school gardens and shares the fruits of their knowledge with the community.
- Students collaborate with staff and community to design a school garden where they grow food for the local food bank.
- Students operate a booth at the local farmer’s market where they sell produce from their school garden.
- Students engage with local farmers in service learning projects.
Garden and Farm Connection Curriculum
- Make a mini-greenhouse -grade level K-3- Center for Ecoliteracy (CoE)
- Curriculum for Growing Minds
- Searchable curriculum resources from the Edible School Yard
Garden and Farm Connection Resources and Tools
- Growing Minds Farm to Schools Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP)
- Appalachian Food Story Bank– Slow Foods
- Edible School Yard Project
- Tips to Gardening with Students – ASAP
- Keyhole Garden Design
- Bag Garden Designs
- WCPSS Edible School Garden Resources
Learn Schoolyard Ecology Workshop Materials from 7/18/16 Learning Event:
The indoor air quality of the school is an important factor in the health and well-being of all occupants.
Examples:
- Classrooms adopt a checklist to monitor cleanliness and air quality.
- Rooms with newly laid carpeting and paint are adequately aired out before they are occupied.
- Air fresheners, perfumes and other fragrances are reduced or removed from school grounds.
- Students conduct a baseline audit to identify the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) status of their school.
- Low VOC paints, low-odor dry-erase markers, low-odor cleaning supplies are used in classrooms and school,
- Staff conducts regular maintenance and inspection of all heating and cooking systems to find and repair leaks,
- The Administration, students and staff coordinate to improve indoor air quality of a school wide basis.
- Students conduct a no-idling audit and campaign to reduce idling in carpool lanes,
- Moisture issues are identified and removed to reduce mold in the school,
- The school has formed an IAQ team in partnership with the community to support air quality improvements.
- The students conduct a School Chemical Clean out Campaign to reduce potentially troublesome chemicals in the schools and labs,
- Staff uses an integrated pest management system to reduce pesticide exposure in the school.
- US Green Building Council Center for Green Schools, NC Chapter Environmental Stewardship Challenge – receive seed money and a mentor and participate in one or more categories to make your school more sustainable! (Mentors available in most counties)
- Air Awareness Education Tools for Teachers -NC Division of Air Quality
- Clean School Bus Program – US EPA
- EPA High Performance Schools
- Green Cleaning Fact Sheet for Schools – US EPA
- Green Cleaning Pollution Prevention Calculator– US EPA
- Indoor Air Quality grant awards – NCEEPA
- Integrated Safer Pest Management in Schools – US EPA
- Managing Asthma in the School Environment – US EPA
- Mold Prevention and Mitigation – NC Department of Public Instruction
- No Idling Toolkit for Schools-Center for the Environment at Catawba College
- Radon in NC Schools Fact Sheet – NCDENR
- School Anti-Idling Campaign – WPCOG
- School Bus Idling Materials – NC DPI
- NC Division of Air Quality – Get the Air Quality Forecast App “EPAAIRNow”, and sign up for free air quality educational programs linked to NC Essential Standards
- Air Quality Video with Dr. Clay Ballentine- from the Center for the Environment at Catawba College
- Environmental Pollutants and Health with David Pedan- from the Center for the Environment at Catawba College
Developing good habits of nutrition is a fundamental life skill that schools can help build and support.
Examples:
- Teacher invites a local chef to prepare a dish for and with the students.
- Students are exposed to new foods and fresh produce through food tasting and projects.
- Your school’s wellness policy sets guidelines on the foods and drinks that students bring from home.
- Foods from outside food establishments are limited or prevented unless it is a classroom event or celebration.
- Healthy snack and lunch ideas are provided to parents with handouts and in the school publications.
- Students explore nutritional values of food and nutrition lost in processing as an integrated STEM project.
- The school has a policy that no carbonated drinks we be allowed on campus except for events or celebrations.
- Food related classroom rewards are limited or prohibited.
- The students participate in developing a Healthy Lunch Day or event.
- Field trips to local farms, small food producers and farmer markets are a regular part of the school programming.
- Students are engaged in food production as a regular part of the curriculum
- Students prepare a meal from local foods for a school celebration and for community partners.
- A food fair where students share multi-disciplinary projects they’ve created about food is held and open to the community.
Whole Nutrition Curriculum
- Food Inc, Discussion Guide and materials – Center for Eco-literacy
- Nourish: Food and Community Middle School Curriculum
Whole Nutrition Resources and Tools
- North Carolina Action for Healthy Kids offers a variety of resources to support whole nutrition in schools
- Every Tray Counts – Working towards a sustainable lunchroom
High standards for nutrition, fitness and outdoor quality time have a positive impact on the health of the students.
Examples:
- Class room teachers add activity modules to class work.
- The students participate in a group hike as part of one of their classes.
- The school encourages teachers to get students moving in outdoor activities as part of their regular classes.
- The students create a school wide challenge to get everyone moving more.
- Walk to School USA
- Walk to School International
- Fruits and Veggies More Matters – U.S. Preventative Medicine
- NCDOT Division of Bicycling and Pedestrian Transportation
- Wake to Wellness – UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Log It! – PE Central
- A School Nurse’s Guide to Kids’ Health and Safety
School Sustainability Ideas and Resources
A school seeking to become sustainable starts by understanding that it is a part of a whole interconnected system. It models future where current needs are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. A sustainable school not only shows what we can do now to be better stewards, but sets the stage for even greater opportunities. A sustainable school recognizes that its campus can be a living laboratory, engaging the vibrant minds of our students in ideas and activities that can lead them to finding the solutions to the complex environmental issues we face. For the purposes of this program, school sustainability is designated as the physical elements that we must steward to provide for ourselves and to conserve for the future. People are the primary drivers of that stewardship, so how we treat one another is an important component as is our ability to lead meaningful and productive lives.
Energy conservation behaviors related specifically to electricity use are relatively easy practices to implement and have an enormous impact on the environment.
Examples:
- Administration reviews school energy practices to determine areas for energy conservation.
- Energy conservation goals are set at a school level.
- Energy management is an integral part of the school’s planning policies.
- School energy use and associated costs savings are bench marked, analyzed, and documented presented to school community on a regular basis.
Resources:
Energy Curriculum and Educational Resources
- US Green Building Council Center for Green Schools, NC Chapter Environmental Stewardship Challenge – receive seed money and a mentor and participate in one or more categories to make your school more sustainable! (Mentors available in most counties)
- Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Kids Home Page Grades 6-8
- Build a Solar Oven – NASA (7th-9th grade)
- Dept of Energy searchable K-12 Energy Curriculum Site
- Energy Star Kids Interactive Website
- DOE Open Energy Information Wiki
- DOE Energy Basics site
- What you need to Know about Energy from the National Academies
- Appalachian State University Energy Center (K-12)
Energy Efficiency Support
- High Performance Schools Guidelines NC Dept of Public Instruction
- DOE Guide to Operating EnergySmart Schools
- EPA Guidelines for Energy Management Overview
- DOE Wind for Schools Project
- DOE Facility Energy Decision System
Carla Ramsdell’s Renewable Energy Workshop Powerpoints from 7/18/16 Learning Event:
Conserving water in everyday actions can have a huge impact on the campus footprint and help preserve NC’s precious resource.
Examples:
- Students and faculty regularly monitor and report leaking faucets in the school.
- Students and staff launch a water conservation campaign.
- Signs, posters and PSA’s are created to help remind the school community about water conservation.
- Rain Barrels are employed to capture and reuse water for school gardens.
- Students help lead a community effort to conserve water.
- Students work with local partners to host a community Water Awareness Event.
- Students and the school community build a rainwater catchment system employing bioswales, rain gardens and other natural elements to catch, clean and filter rainwater.
Curriculum and Classroom
- US Green Building Council Center for Green Schools, NC Chapter Environmental Stewardship Challenge – receive seed money and a mentor and participate in one or more categories to make your school more sustainable! (Mentors available in most counties)
- Water Sourcebooks– These PFG files contain 324 activities for grades K -12 divided into four sections, K-2, 3-5, 5-8, 9-12. Each Section is divided into five chapters: Introduction to Water, Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment Surface Water Resources, Ground Water Resources and Wetlands and Coastal Waters.
- It’s Our Water is a complete water quality curriculum for North Carolina high school Earth/Environmental Science Classes centered around field activities in a local stream. These activities are coordinated with a series of videos, demonstrations and classroom activities covering everything from the hydrological cycle to point and non-point source pollution.
- Water Kids Projects and Games– EPA
- Water Science and Technology for Students and Educators– EPA
- At Home water Conservation Guide (Lots of games and tips for kids)
- Rocky Branch Restoration Project with Education component
Outdoor Water Conservation
- Clean Water Education Partnership
- Save Water NC is designed to help North Carolinians learn to use water more efficiently at home and school.
- Saving Water Outdoors Southwest Florida Water Management District
General Water Conservation
- Pamlico Joe & Clean Water Flow – musical performance for school assemblies pre-K-5th
- WaterSense – an EPA Partnership Program
Recycling, reusing and reducing the materials used in schools is typically the initial practice that engages students and staff to develop conservation habits that last a lifetime.
Examples:
- Posters, coloring books and other materials are used in classrooms to educate about reusing, reducing and recycling.
- Waste reduction videos as played in classes or assemblies.
- Students help design projects using waste materials.
- The school starts a campaign to collect hard to recycle items like cell phones and batteries. Start a Terracycle Brigades program.
- Classrooms and students develop regular practices and policies to reduce waste.
- Every classroom and office has a paper recycling bin that is managed by the students themselves.
- Waste reduction goals are set, monitored and documented.
- Students and staff work collaboratively to implement creative and costs savings approaches to materials use and waste reduction.
- Students research reusable food trays and make a proposal to the school administration to show environmental impacts of options.
- Students develop a Waste Free Lunch program and Waste Free Lunch Weekday.
- ABC’s of School Recycling in NC – NCDENR Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service
- Hazardous Waste Self-Management Checklist– Center for Disease Control
- How does a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) work? (video by re3.org)
- RE3.org – NC Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance (NCDPPEA)
- Recycle More NC
- Recycle Guys
- Carolina Recycling Association
- Recycling posters and Artwork – Recycle More NC
- Recycling Toolkit – How to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in Durham Public Schools
- Wake County FEED THE BIN School Recycling Program
- Story of Stuff – 20 minute video by Annie Leonard
- Facing the Future curriculum for Grades 9-12 (Free) – Story of Stuff creator Annie Leonard
Our choices for transportation can affect our Nation’s energy footprint and have an impact on our health and well-being, too.
Examples:
- Create a No Idling Campaign and take the No Idling Pledge to reduce unnecessary fuel usage and air pollution at your School
- Literature, posters, flyers, newsletters and other educational materials promote walking, biking carpooling, and riding public transit to school,
- Green transportation related contests, events and field trips are held at the school
- The School encourages presentations about transportation choices to be given at orientations, classrooms, staff meetings and PTA events,
- The Schools supports a ride-matching system to assist families and/or staff to help develop carpool, bike and walk-to school groups,
- Carpool lanes are install to incentivize multi modal transportation uses,
- Bike and walk safety programs, like the Walking School Bus, are incorporated at the school,
- The students wage a campaign to reduce individual vehicle miles and daily car counts at the school
- The School’s bikers and walkers have increase due to school campaigns.
- Alternative Fuel or Low Emission School Buses in North Carolina Study – NCDPI
- Biofuels 4 Schools video
- NC Clean Air Campaign – Catawba Center for the Environment
- NC Safe Routes to School – NC DOT
- NC School Bus Fuel Calculator – NCDPI
- Sustainable Transportation and Air Quality Curriculum – Green Education Foundation
- Walk to School in the USA – UNCHSRC
Curriculum Integration Ideas and Resources
Local, state, and/or national learning standards are met through an “EIC” (Environment as an Integrating Context) approach.
Examples:
- One or two stand alone units or activities within the curriculum engage an environmental theme.
- Art and music are integrated into the traditional core topics.
- A single grade level adopts a six week unit of inquiry of the water cycle and conservation that engages multiple disciplines to increase understanding of the topic.
- A teacher creates curriculum that integrates a variety of discrete disciplines and other teachers in the school adopt it and use it in their classes.
- Multiple grade levels initiate interdisciplinary units of studies that apply to reading, math, writing, and science, etc with environmental themes, social issues, and health studies.
- Different grade levels engage units involving curriculum that blends concepts across the discrete disciplines, eliminating fragmentation and decreasing isolated learning modules.
- The entire school engages interdisciplinary learning as an integral part of their school philosophy.
- Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse – Elementary, Middle and High School – Green Education Foundation
Students study environmental topics and explore possible local, state, national or global solutions with a focus on community-oriented approach.
Examples:
- The school offers an environmental education class or club to its students,
- The school engages environmental focuses in a multitude of classes,
- The school encourages students to design and participate in environmental projects,
- The school has ingrained environmental education into all of their curriculum and school philosophy.
- NC Office of Environmental Education
- Natural Inquirer a Middle School Education Journal
- Project Wild K-12 Curriculum and Activities- Council for Environmental Education (CEE)
- Teacher Resources and Lesson Plans – USEPA
- Susatinability Lesson Clearinghouse – Elementary, Middle and High School –Green Education Foundation
Resources for Environmental Education Educators
- Environmental Education Publications – USEPA
- Web Resources for Teachers – USDA and USDA Forest Service
Opportunities for Students
Project Learning Tree ® (PLT) is an award winning, multi-disciplinary environmental education program for educators and students in PreK-grade 12. PLT is a program of the American Forest Foundation. It is one of the most widely used environmental education programs in the United States and abroad, and continues to set the standard for environmental education excellence.
- Environmental Education Guide for PreK-8
- Environmental Education for Kindergarten
- High School Biology, Civics and Economics, Earth & Environmental Sciences and 21st Century Geography
Students learn about their local natural and built environments through guided first-hand investigation.
Examples:
- Classrooms use a variety of simple hands-on projects and field trips at least once each semester.
- Students regularly use presentations and projects to demonstrate their knowledge of topics.
- Students study at least one nearby location in depth as part of their class projects.
- Students are exposed to a multiple of first hand experiences, through field trips and complex hands on projects.
- Students compete in a science fair or similar competition.
- Teacher Resources Cradle of Forestry Interpretive Association
- NCSU Natural Learning Initiative Publications
- Moving the Classroom Outdoors– Herb Broda
- Take a Child Outside Activities – NC Museum of Natural Sciences
- Build a Solar Oven – NASA (7th-9th grade)
Schools and Camps
- Green River Preserve, a co-ed summer camp connecting children and nature
- Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center, support for educators, opportunities for high school interns
- Mountain Trail Outdoor School, hands on education in the outdoor classroom of the Blue Ridge Mountains
- Educational State Forests, 7 facilities in the state, educational programs are correlated with NC Essential Standards
Students learn about the history of this country, local and national government structures and the roles and responsibilities of being a citizen.
Examples:
- Students map their local community identifying public offices, common areas, parks, etc.
- Students are introduced to the roles and responsibilities of citizenship by a classroom visit from a local community government official.
- Students engage in curriculum that show the impact of one person’s actions as a multiplier for community impact.
- Students study the history of individuals who have had impact on society.
- Students are visited by a local person who has made impact on their community.
- Local government meetings are monitored and are a topic for classroom discussion.
- Local issues are researched and are the foundation for projects.
- Students develop and present an impact plan to their local community on a topic of relevance.
- A student green team presents to a local government body on conservation.
- Students present and participate in a community conversation on diversity.
- Students are included on committees making decision for the school and/or local community.
Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics Curriculum are aligned with the state standards and enhance learning.
NC STEM resources and support:
- NC STEM Education Strategic Plan (NC DPI)
- NC Integrated Mathematics Project
- The Science House Modeling Workshops
- NC Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center
- NC STEM Community Collaborative
- NC Mathematics and Science Education Network
- NC FIRST Robotics
- National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges
- Core-Plus Mathematics Project
- Science Education for Public Understanding Program
- Geographic Data in Education Initiative
- Modeling Instruction in Science
- Youth Technology Corps
- Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM
- Boston Museum of Science Engineering Curriculum Projects
- PCS Edventures
Service Learning is a strategy that combines meaningful community service with curriculum and personal reflection.
Examples:
- Students perform voluntary community service projects.
- The ecology club participates in an annual river clean up.
- At least one project or unit of study involves a mentoring relationship within the school community.
- A classroom works regularly with a non-school community partner to support a community service project.
- “Kids-teaching kids” is a regular component of the school community life.
- A School Green Team engages in a once a year project for the whole school.
- A school can cite a number of service related projects across different themes that they participated in during the year.
- individuals and student groups are actively supported in taking leadership roles for their school and community projects,
- Students are active on a Green Team and meet at least monthly to implement projects.
- Students volunteer at different community organizations at least once a month.
- Students play an active role in planning community wide events.
- Students routinely work directly with the adult decision makers to implement green school projects.
- Service Learning Curricular Search Tool from the National Service learning Clearinghouse
- NC Service Learning Wiki Site– PB Works
- Service Learning Curricular Search Tool from the National Service Learning Clearinghouse
Innovation Resources
Innovations will be open-ended and will allow schools to document what new initiatives the school is trying to go above and beyond in becoming a Green School.
Other Resources
Funding Resources
Don’t miss out on these grants for teachers and schools!
Resources by County
Here is a list of NC Counties and some of the resources that are available to help support your school. Please be sure to contact us below with any information that you have about other resources in your area.
- Waste Reduction Partners – energy audits and waste reduction support
- NC Office of Environmental Education and Public Assistance
- NCDENR, Office of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service – School Recycling Resources
- Warren Wilson Eco Teams – EE program for third grade classrooms
- Buncombe County School District Green Schools
- Waste Reduction Partners – energy audits and waste reduction support
- WNC Regional Air Quality 828-250-6777
- NC Division of Air Quality – Keith Bamberger, 828-296-4500, free education programs linked to NC essential standards
- Colburn Earth Science Museum, Wendy Punshon, 828-254-7162, ext. 314; 1st-5th grade school programs
- Design of outdoor play and learning environments (in Asheville): Mary Weber, Landscape Architect
- Sustainable Sandhills Green Schools
- Go Green Initative – Cumberland County School District
- Biodiesel 4 Schools, email the founder: Dean Price
- SEED Foundation of NC – Jon Barber, (704) 680-7075
- Air Quality for Grades K-5 The Adventures of Clair Cam – Air Awareness
- NC Museum of Natural Sciences Outreach Programs, downtown Raleigh, 919-707-9883
- Agape Center for Environmental Education
- City of Raleigh Stormwater
- Durham Public Schools Recycling Kit – How to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle in Durham Public Schools
- Every Tray Counts
- FEED THE BIN School Recycling Program – Wake County Solid Waste Management
- Historic Yates Mill County Park, field trips for mill tours and corn grinding demonstrations
- Wake Up Wake County
- Wake County 4-H Clubs
- Water Resources Research Institute
Speakers from Wake County Green Schools Partnership Kick Off Event (March 9, 2020)/ Those willing to support your efforts to go green!
Dan Schnitzer, Chapel Hill Carrboro Schools Sustainability
Kathryn Stevenson, NCSU College of Natural Resources (with a focus on Environmental Ed research)
Marty Wiggins, Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs, NCDEQ
Sue Counts, Every Tray Counts
Mitch Woodward, Wake County Cooperative Extension
Beverly Fowler Salisbury Academy"Achieving certification as an NC Green School is a direct reflection of the passion and commitment of Salisbury Academy’s students, staff, and supporting community. We are grateful to NC Green Schools for guiding us in our path to sustainability and look with enthusiasm to further milestones on this journey."
