Keeping Students Engaged Through “Green Teams”

“It feels good to be doing something to save energy.”
“I want to save money for the school.”
“I was inspired by the time I spend outside with my dad.”

These comments from fifth-graders in Bicentennial Elementary School’s Green Team reflect why our efforts through PLT GreenSchools! are both popular and successful. Just like adults, children have lots of reasons why they want to learn and take action about things they think are important. PLT GreenSchools! helps us give them this opportunity while they learn.

Bicentennial, a school of about 670 K-5 students in Nashua, New Hampshire, first became involved with New Hampshire PLT about three years ago. We have incorporated environmental themes into science, language arts, math, art, and music. Among other achievements, our students’ science scores rose, and a focus on environmental education has had a positive impact on students, teachers, and the entire community.

In an email to the school staff in September 2009, our Principal Kyle Langille said, “It is with great excitement and pride I let you know our NECAP [New England Common Assessment Program] Science scores for grade 4 show significant improvement.   Our renewed emphasis on the science GSEs, our continued partnership with Project Learning Tree and your highly motivating and engaging lessons, are all contributing factors.  Congratulations!  It takes a collective effort to see this kind of change.”

Audits and Action

Through PLT GreenSchools!, students examined the impact of the school on the environment and then designed and carried out activities related to their findings. What we like about GreenSchools!is that we received training and resources so students—even at this young age—can carry out rigorous, data-based audits. Our fifth graders have now formed a “Green Team” and meet weekly during recess to take action based on the findings from the audits. Here’s what they have done so far: 

• Energy Investigation: The energy audit prompted installation of “Hit the Switch” reminders on all light switches. The students also dress up as Energy Vampires and Energy Angels—reminding offenders that they are “sucking up energy” when they leave lights on unnecessarily or are helping when they turn lights off.

• Waste Investigation: The waste audit inspired a plastic and aluminum recycling program, a first for Nashua’s public schools. The program is student-run, and the students collect and sort recyclables. Second and third graders are formed a “compost team” in concert with the cafeteria staff.

The Green Team also wanted to continue to minimize waste by having a “It’s Easy Being Green Yard Sale” in the spring near Earth Day.  Staff, parents, and community members benefit from this event! By cleaning out closets we fill our entire cafeteria with donated items that are recycled back to our community.  The Green Team also constructed a little golf course out of recycled materials for kids while their parents shopped. We sell compost bins, rain barrels, and aluminum water bottles at this event, as well as demonstrate how worms break down material in some compost bins.  This past year the Green Team picked herbs from our outdoor classroom, let them dry, and made scented bags to sell at the yard sale.  Last year, the yard sale made about $700 to support our outdoor classroom. 

• Water Investigation: When students realized the impact of purchasing bottled water, they created a “Back2Tap” campaign. The Green Team now sells re-fillable aluminum water bottles to students and staff.

The water investigation also concerned the fifth-graders because they realized our school had all 3-gallon flush toilets.  They quickly found out this was a waste of water and wanted to find a way to change all of our toilets to 1-gallon flush toilets.  We applied for a grant and were selected as a finalist for the Green Prize in Public Education from the National Environmental Education Foundation. As one of ten finalists, we received a $500 “Go Greener” grant that will help us to install six low-flow toilets.  This year we will write another grant in hopes of changing out all of our toilets, but six is better than none!

Tips for Teachers

Keeping a program going beyond the initial excitement is always a challenge. A few things that have worked at Bicentennial include the following:

Make connections: From an educational perspective, of course we need to connect to the curriculum. But it’s also important to motivate kids by connecting to the things they value. The comment above from a student about associating nature with her father is a great example.

Let students lead: It is tempting for us to want to save time and tell students what they should do. Sometimes we need to sit back and let them figure it out for themselves (as long as they remain safe). They have more ownership and they have learned valuable lessons.

Get buy-in: When we first decided to integrate environmental education throughout the school, the faculty took a vote—and it was very close. Since then, teachers have seen the benefits for themselves and their students, and the school leadership, up to and including the superintendent, has been very supportive. This is a great boost to what we are trying to accomplish at Bicentennial.

Have a committed coordinator: A coordinator promotes teamwork and decision-making. This person shows leadership by coordinating the Green Team, encouraging a sense of shared responsibility, providing the team with information, and overseeing implementation of programs.

To Learn More

Bicentennial Elementary School Green Team  

New Hampshire PLT

PLT GreenSchools! 

Tanya Ackerman is a fifth-grade teacher at Bicentennial School in Nashua, New Hampshire, and is the facilitator of the school's Green Team. She was first introduced to PLT in 2008.