# data[].attributes.headline
Alvin: Why do school need to green school and how to green school.

# data[].attributes.subject
Alvin: Why do school need to green school and how to green school.

# data[].attributes.body
Nowadays the earth's resources are limited, and the environmental pollution becomes more serious. To solve the environmental pollution, we should start protect the environment now. First we should start from school. Why greens school? It is because greener school environments can improve children’s health and learning. There are some steps to green school. First we should conduct a school environmental survey or audit.
To identify priorities for action, begin with conducting a review of your school's  environmental impact. Students are involved in this work at every step, from assessing the level of waste from school lunch, to checking the building for inefficiencies such as leaky taps, or electrical equipment left on overnight. The school and the Green Team can work with local organizations, businesses, or other resource people or experts during the review. Take the "How Green is Your School Quiz" and see how you rate. Find other examples of environmental surveys and audit tools on our Resources page, under Curricula.
Besides, we should create a green school action plan. Why? It is because have an action plan will make us know about how to do.
Next, we should monitor the progress to know how is it going. It makes us easy to know do the plan needs to change or not.
Finally, we should integrate greening into the classes. Greening activities can be integrated into existing curricula in science, art, humanities, math, language arts, or electives. Using the school as a hands-on laboratory offers opportunities for real-world problem-solving. Students can undertake study of themes such as energy, water, forests, toxic pollution, and waste. I guess students will know more about green in those activities.
To cur our friends, parents and the world. Please start looking at environmental effect now.

# data[].attributes.body
The school develop an activity,the teacher teach students plant trees,also the students will learn environmental knowledge. Therefore,the students know to prevent air pollution, light pollution and water pollution..... to protect the earth. Also,the school set some rules to help environment 1. Don't buy the plastic bottle water 2. Don't use stove 3. Don't use the air conditioner while the classroom only have 10 people

# data[].attributes.body
Sometimes it seems overwhelming to try to make an impact on this world of ours. We’re living in a stressful time, and it’s tough to even know where to begin to make a difference.

Often, students and their communities can begin by focusing on environmental changes. By making pretty simple alterations, from starting a recycling club to selecting eco-friendly graduation gear, schools can impact the earth in a positive way.

Like use less paper.Schools can easily implement ways to save trees by finding methods to use less paper. Many students and teachers already frequently use Chromebooks and Google Classroom instead of paper for instruction. This trend can continue and expand as more learning and assessing take place online.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ways for Your School to Protect the Environment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sometimes it seems overwhelming to try to make an impact on this world of ours. We're living in a stressful time, and it's tough to even know where to begin to make a difference. Often...

# data[].attributes.body
This is a school in Bali , and its built in the middle of the jungle. And its the most green school I had never seen before because it was nearly complete from bamboo.

The school grows organic foods for the vegetarian school lunches. I think this is quite happy to know that a school will plant their own food for students , it is because "Eat healthy , Live healthy"!

Instead of reading a book or just seeing pictures and learning the facts , students will get to see it happens live out there and get to feel the animals ; get to experience it with all five senses.

If every kids in the world have this kind of education , so we can have more green leaders.

Learn more in the video through the link below ( PS : hope the link works :) )
https://youtu.be/Bh0XdweXV7I

# data[].attributes.body
There are many ways that schools can help the environment. Schools can easily implement ways to save trees by finding methods to use less paper. Many students and teachers already frequently use Chromebooks and Google Classroom instead of paper for instruction. In addition, schools can give parents to sign all notice online instead of filling out paperwork.

https://www.graduationsource.com/blog/ways-for-your-school-to-protect-the-environment/

# data[].attributes.body
The earth's resources are limited, and the problem of environmental pollution is becoming more and more serious.  As a member of the earth, we should do our part to protect the earth and cherish the existing resources.  Our school believes that environmental education is the best way to solve environmental problems and promote the development of sustainable education.  To this end, our school has formulated an environmental protection policy, allowing every member of the school to make concerted efforts to take various measures to make good use of resources and avoid waste; this has improved the environmental protection awareness of all members of the school, cultivated an attitude of support for environmental protection, and finally put it into practice.  Green life, promote environmental education.

# data[].attributes.body
Under the leadership of the trend of sustainable development, the Ministry of Education has spared no effort in promoting environmental education and green campus renovation, with the aim of creating a green and sustainable campus environment.  Reviewing the domestic literature on campus environment, most of the research scope is limited to the discussion of the design of environmental education courses and activities, and the discussion of the design method and evaluation method of the actual campus environment is less.  Therefore, this research hopes to use the method of on-site investigation and research to visit several green primary schools in China that have passed the green school certification of the Ministry of Education.  The basic information of nature, and further in-depth discussion of the design direction and evaluation method of campus environmental ecology.

# data[].attributes.body
This green school is in India, I think it is the most environmentally friendly's school because this school is made from bamboo, grass and other natural material which don't damage to the earth. I feel amazed when I see it because nowadays the material for building school are not that natural. It maybe damage to the earth.

The initiatives of this green school is farming. Every class have a garden and each student have a field to plant some vegetables. I think it is interesting because students can eat their vegetables which are planted buy themselves. I think they  feel satisfied on it . Also, the school can encourage them to do things by themselves. Few months later, the students can manage themselves well.

I think all the school should learn from this green school

you can check more by this link
http://star-greenschool.weebly.com/321603339423416266572017132057.html

# data[].attributes.body
To green the school we should start small things. you do a little bit I do a little bit,so the school will be green.

https://www.fwsir.com/fanwen/html/fanwen_20151021091412_315729.html

# data[].attributes.body
Install and encourage the use of a recycling bin

This might sound like we're starting off as Captain Obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many of us either don't have a recycling bin or just don't use the ones we have. The US alone throws away $11.4 billion worth of recyclable containers and packaging every year*, which suggests that recycling bins are not being used correctly. Be sure to have a recycling bin in the office for maximum green points, or start a recycling initiative where everyone has a recycling box on their desk and only one rubbish bin placed in a communal area (as opposed to rubbish bins at every station) to encourage mindfulness around how we discard waste.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The idea of introducing green initiatives into the workplace can feel a little daunting at first. And while it may feel overwhelming trying to figure out where to start, there are actually lots of ways we can be more green in the office without bringing the whole forest inside, without huge cost implications and with long-term benefits to your company, employee well-being and future spend. Implementing a few simple changes for a more sustainable, green workplace can be really effective in reducing your business' impact on the environment.

9 Green workplace initiatives

In this post, we'll tell you about our green workplace initiative to make your workspace more eco-friendly. It might be replacing a current object with a digital solution, switching off the lights when they aren't in use or altering the way you buy your milk... but the key is replacing processes that create unnecessary waste with processes that create less to none. If you're looking for ways to introduce more green workplace initiatives, you've come to the right place! Here are 9 ways you can start a green initiative at work.

1. Install and encourage the use of a recycling bin

This might sound like we're starting off as Captain Obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many of us either don't have a recycling bin or just don't use the ones we have. The US alone throws away $11.4 billion worth of recyclable containers and packaging every year*, which suggests that recycling bins are not being used correctly. Be sure to have a recycling bin in the office for maximum green points, or start a recycling initiative where everyone has a recycling box on their desk and only one rubbish bin placed in a communal area (as opposed to rubbish bins at every station) to encourage mindfulness around how we discard waste.

2. Only boil as much hot water as you need

Boil the kettle enough for those who need it. After much research, it's still unclear whether a hot water tap is actually more effective than a kettle so for now we'd suggest that, if you have a kettle, just boil what you need. Don't boil the maximum just in case someone else wants a cuppa - check first (and tick off improving team relations and communication while you're there along with green workplace initiatives!).
Damian Gawlas
3. Switch off the lights or power when not in use

Every evening, turn off electric items including lighting, heating and air con - make sure the last one out of the building always does this. Not only that, but during the day, it might not be necessary to have all the lights switched on so be conscious of electricity usage and switch off lights in unused meeting rooms and corridors where possible. If budget allows, consider sensor activated lights which are sure to not only help save power (and the planet along with it) but are also sure to reduce power costs in the long-run.

4. Invest in eco friendly bean bag fill

Bean bags are all the rage in break out areas of small and large workplaces alike. But they come at a huge environmental cost. These squishy relaxation stations are full of tiny pollutants - polystyrene balls. Ever tried filling a beanbag? Chances are, you'd swear to never fill one again... These little critters are thought to take over a million years to decompose. And unfortunately, we're only likely to discover this when it's too late. Let's help our planet make it to one million years from now to find out and use a compostable option, or choose an alternative eco-friendly option to go green.
Hello I'm Nik 🇬🇧
5. Introduce green challenges for employees

To help get everyone on board and motivated about green workplace initiatives, why not create monthly green challenges with your team? Think bike to work day, use less fuel day, wear recycled fibres day, bring your lunch in a wax wrap day, BYO keep cup or coffee cup day. You could even have a green challenges leaderboard and incentivise your staff and employees with a monthly winner of the 'greenest employee' award. The average office worker in the United States goes through roughly 500 disposable cups annually - think of the difference just one keep cup per staff member could make!

unsplash-logo Jack Alexander

6. Choose can instead of glass

Those Friday beers? Opt for cans over glass for maximum green points. While glass is infinitely recyclable - without any loss in purity or quality - Aluminium is the #1 recycled material in the USA and makes up less than 1% waste because of this. So choose cans over glass options to help reduce demand on glass production.
Camylla Battani
7. Swap to plastic-free milk

Can you get your office milk from a local dairy farm? In New Zealand we definitely can! Why not try refillable milk bottles that you can use over and over again and buy direct from the source. If you do need to choose glass bottles, be sure to choose ones which are already made from recycled glass, and be sure to make these a forever use in your office (i.e whatever you do, don't throw out those glass bottles into the waste bin!).
Alberto Bogo
8. Go paperless

We live in an age where workplaces are becoming increasingly digitised. Is it really necessary to print single sided or have a paper visitor book? Start by reducing waste at the front desk and replace your paper visitor book with a digital solution (we can help with that 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️). According to Rubicon* making new paper from recycled materials uses less energy than producing paper from virgin tree products and leaves more trees to absorb excess carbon dioxide. Not only that, but for every 1 ton of paper that's produced, roughly 390 gallons of oil is used to make it. So, if you're going to use paper or print marketing material, then be sure to choose recycled options and reducing paper usage where possible is integral to implementing green initiatives in the workplace.

9. Introduce compostable options to replace plastic

If you have to go plastic for bin bags for safety purposes, opt for the compostable option. And if you have food waste or coffee grinds waste, pick up some recycled paper bags or tell your colleagues to BYO container to take them home for use in the garden compost. Everyone's a winner!

SwipedOncontinues to help numerous companies, businesses, industries and organisations throughout the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the rest of the world to better improve their front desk operations. We have helped streamline the visitor sign-in software to ensure it remains compliant to GDPR rules.Sign-up for the free 14-day trialto experience the numerous benefits it can bring to your organisation.

See more from the blog on sustainability

One Tree at a Time: How You Are Helping us Build a Better Planet

8 Office Wellness Hacks To Introduce To Your Workplace

SwipedOn Gets On Board With Trees That Count

Like what you read? Save it to Pinterest for later!

Join us on social media

*Statistics: Rubicon

Photo credit: Feature image Dan Rogers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
9 Green Workplace Initiatives That Are Easy To Implement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The idea of introducing green initiatives into the workplace can feel a little daunting at first. And while it may feel overwhelming trying to figure out where to start, there are actually lots of ways we can be more green in the office without bringing the whole forest inside, without huge cost implications and with long-term benefits to your company, employee well-being and future spend.

# data[].attributes.body
Students and their communities can begin by focusing on environmental changes. By making pretty simple alterations, from starting a recycling club to selecting eco-friendly graduation gear, schools can impact the earth in a positive way.With our enthusiasm, we will continue the green hope. I believe that with your participation, our campus will be more beautiful.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ways for Your School to Protect the Environment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sometimes it seems overwhelming to try to make an impact on this world of ours. We're living in a stressful time, and it's tough to even know where to begin to make a difference. Often...

# data[].attributes.body
In my opinion, I think schools are rethinking packaging. Before this virus, schools are using reusable plates for students to eat at lunch time. Washing trays, cups, bowls, and utensils takes more effort to help the environment, but it will make a huge impact on the earth . Student lunches generate an excessive amount of unnecessary waste. Secondly, schools are starting a recycling club. This club can be in charge of making sure each classroom has a recycling bin and helping collect the recyclables on a weekly basis. Finally
, I want to say schools did help with the environment. A little change goes a long way, when schools encourage and support positive environmental effects, everyone wins-students, teachers, parents, and our world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Eco Tourist Attractions and Schools Saving the World

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.weareteachers.com/green-school-tips/

There are so many things you can do to make your classroom and school more green. From recycling to planting gardens to powering your school with solar panels to getting a green seal, the ideas are endless. Plus teaching students about green practices now creates a lifelong interest in saving the planet. These ideas help lay the groundwork for a green school and classroom. What will you start today?

# data[].attributes.headline
yoyo：“what are schools doing to go green ”

# data[].attributes.subject
yoyo：“what are schools doing to go green ”

# data[].attributes.body
By Hiroko Tabuchi and Brad Plumer
Schools around the country are taking an interest in clean energy, putting solar panels on roofs and swapping diesel school buses for electric versions.
But it’s not always easy for a school to go green. Here’s a look at some recent developments.
Solar powe
In many ways, schools are a natural fit for solar power: They tend to require electricity only during the day, when the sun is shining, and they often have ample space on their roofs and grounds for solar panels.
More than 5,500 schools across the country have installed solar power arrays to help power their buildings, the Solar Energy Industries Association said in a report last year. That’s about 5 percent of K-12 schools in the United States, and their solar capacity has almost doubled over the past three years, the report says.
“The cost of solar power has come way down, and that’s been the No. 1 driver” of solar in schools, said Ed Gilliland of The Solar Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit that helped produce the report. “Whereas before, there tended to be a lot of small solar power arrays put up for educational purposes, schools are now embracing them as money-saving investments.”

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to the Climate Fwd: newsletter. The New York Times climate team emails readers once a week with stories and insights about climate change. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
This week, it's a back-to-school edition: We start off with news about schools using clean energy. Then, if you're a student, you might be interested in how young plaintiffs are suing the government for climate action. And, if you're a parent or teacher, see below for book recommendations for kids.

Image

Credit... Photo Illustration by The New York Times

Schools around the country are taking an interest in clean energy, putting solar panels on roofs and swapping diesel school buses for electric versions.

But it's not always easy for a school to go green. Here's a look at some recent developments.
Solar power
In many ways, schools are a natural fit for solar power: They tend to require electricity only during the day, when the sun is shining, and they often have ample space on their roofs and grounds for solar panels.

More than 5,500 schools across the country have installed solar power arrays to help power their buildings, the Solar Energy Industries Association said in a report last year. That's about 5 percent of K-12 schools in the United States, and their solar capacity has almost doubled over the past three years, the report says.

"The cost of solar power has come way down, and that's been the No. 1 driver" of solar in schools, said Ed Gilliland of The Solar Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit that helped produce the report. "Whereas before, there tended to be a lot of small solar power arrays put up for educational purposes, schools are now embracing them as money-saving investments."

California has led the way, with almost 2,000 schools installing solar panels. But solar power is reaching schools across the country.

The tiny Tri-Creek school district in Lowell, Ind., started a solar program in 2013 after a group of eighth graders asked the board to explore alternative energy options. The district has installed 120 solar panels that together shaved $140,000 off energy bills in the 12 months through July, said Dana Bogathy, the district's business manager.

The district's 3,300 students learn to monitor the panels' performance and have even carried out experiments - for example, what happens when you throw mud on a solar panel? (Answer: Performance goes down.)

Financing is an obstacle. The Tri-Creek district issued bonds to cover installation costs and has also used a system that allows users of solar energy to sell the excess electricity back to the local utility. But Indiana, along with several other states, is phasing out that program.

Tri-Creek isn't deterred. "We're looking into getting a wind turbine," Ms. Bogathy said.
Electric buses
Electric buses have been popping up in cities around the world, led by China. Now, school districts in the United States are exploring the option.

There are compelling health reasons to go electric: About 95 percent of the 480,000 school buses in the United States currently run on diesel, exposing children to soot and other harmful pollutants.

But electric buses are still twice or three times as expensive as conventional buses. In theory, schools could recoup some of that money over time through lower fuel and maintenance costs, but the upfront price tag remains a deterrent.

That's starting to change, though. States like Illinois and Vermont have recently announced pilot programs for electric school buses, using hundreds of millions of dollars from a settlement that Volkswagen paid after it was caught cheating on pollution tests. California has deployed more than 150 electric buses under a program passed by lawmakers last year.

There are still plenty of kinks to work out: A recent pilot study in Massachusetts found that while electric buses had enough range to travel routes between charges, they sometimes saved less energy than expected and had frequent mechanical problems.

But if battery prices keep falling, experts say, the economics will become more favorable. A report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicted that "e-buses" would soon spread faster than electric cars and make up 84 percent of the bus market by 2030.

So, the school bus of the future may arrive sooner than you think.

Lawyers and youth plaintiffs after a hearing in Eugene, Ore., in July. Credit... Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard, via Associated Press

How do you do, fellow kids? As a new school year starts, you're probably thinking about the extracurricular activities you'll stuff your résumé with - I mean, gain valuable life experience from. How fondly I look back on my own time as second vice president of the Ball High School student council! That work, as valuable as it almost certainly was, looks kind of puny compared to what some young people are doing: trying to save the planet by suing the government to force action on climate change.

I've written some stories about the best-known lawsuit, Juliana v. United States, which involves 21 "youth plaintiffs" suing the federal government to limit climate change. Their argument is that protecting the world from the worst effects of climate change involves a constitutional right to life, liberty and property.

This call for the government to act relies on what is known as the "public trust" doctrine, the idea that the government must protect certain natural resources for its citizens. It's an unusual and new argument; the environmental law group Our Children's Trust originally brought the suit during the Obama administration, but it has carried over into the Trump administration.

Unlike lawsuits brought in recent years by local and state governments against fossil fuel companies over the costs of climate change, the young people's suits aren't seeking money. Instead, they demand government action against climate change, which would be a tall order for a president who has called climate change a hoax. The Juliana case will go to trial Oct. 29 in Eugene, Ore.

Our Children's Trust says it has taken legal action in all 50 states and is supporting active legal cases in nine states. A state judge in Washington dismissed a suit there last month, but the group said it planned to appeal. It is also working with partner organizations in other countries, including Norway, the Netherlands and Pakistan.

There are many other ways to help the environment besides getting involved in lawsuits; see, for example, the story in this newsletter about the eighth graders who convinced their school board to use alternative energy sources. Good luck finding your own way to save the planet this school year!

These days there are lots of resources for parents and teachers who want to teach kids about climate change. We asked a group of people immersed in the issue - including journalists, scientists and activists - about their favorites. Here's a sampling of what we found:
Classic books
These stories have stood the test of time, and they remain meaningful bedtime reading choices for many parents. Thomas Kerr, a longtime energy analyst now at the International Finance Corporation, the private sector part of the World Bank, put " The Lorax" at the top of his list. "It's why I got into the environmental movement in the first place," Mr. Kerr said of the Dr. Seuss story about a town that was ruined when a greedy young inventor cut down all the Truffula trees to create Thneeds. Also getting shout-outs in this category were " Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," the 1978 best seller about a town where food falls from the sky; and " The Magic School Bus " series, which has been described as a string of educational field trips from the ocean floor to the eye of a hurricane.
Science for beginners
For older kids, parents tended to veer toward lively, clear books that lay out scientific facts about everything from the melting Arctic to ways of reducing your carbon footprint. Scott Waldman, who writes about climate change for E&E News Climatewire, an energy policy news outlet, suggested " What is Climate Change," part of a series of biographies and nonfiction books by Gail Herman. Amy Myers Jaffe, an energy expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, recommended " A Global Warming Primer" by Jeffrey Bennett, which she described as explaining complicated science "in a clear and easy-to-comprehend manner." For something completely different, Rachel Kyte, the United Nations special representative for sustainable energy, suggested for young adult readers " The Carbon Diaries " by the British writer Saci Lloyd. It's a about extreme carbon rationing under an increasingly totalitarian government.
Solutions
Finally, parents had a lot to say about teaching their kids how to care for the planet. There were a number of recommendations for " Drawdown," which models and ranks 100 solutions to climate change, as well as " The Parents' Guide to Climate Revolution" by Mary DeMocker, which includes tools, resources and projects to engage kids on climate change. And finally, there's my personal favorite idea, from Jean-Pierre Rodrigue, a Canadian clean energy policy researcher. It's a direct action, not a book: "Plant a tree and discuss."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Are Schools Doing to Go Green? (Published 2018)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to the Climate Fwd: newsletter. The New York Times climate team emails readers once a week with stories and insights about climate change. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. This week, it's a back-to-school edition: We start off with news about schools using clean energy.

# data[].attributes.body
The school can make some green environment events to students every week or every month.When we don’t use the air co lights,we can turn off them.We also can Eliminating toxics

,Using resources sustainably,Creating green schoolyards and buildings,Serving healthy food and Teaching environmental literacy and stewardship.

http://www.greenschools.net/section.php-id=4.html

# data[].attributes.body
Almost half of school aged children eat cafeteria breakfast and lunches ,To spearhead cafeteria waste, an alternative is having students participate in a litterless lunch where students and staff are encouraged to bring reusable containers, water bottles and utensils to the cafeteria. One way to start the transition and build excitement for the initiative could be offering a free lunch on the last Friday of every month when students and staff bring their own reusable containers. As your school community adapts to the idea of litterless lunches, you can introduce a small discount (eg 25 cents off) to incentivize bringing reusable containers every day.

https://rycor.net/5-impactful-green-initiatives-to-start-at-school/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Two years ago at RYCOR, we launched our RYCOR eFORMS solution to help districts easily create, assess and track custom digital forms for all school activities, including permission forms, activity registration, event ticketing and payment forms. Our objective was to increase districts' efficiency and productivity, while positively impacting the environment through paperless forms. With schools being a major paper consumer, we understood the immense effect that paperless schools could have on the sustainability of our environment.

Since 2017, we have helped 15 districts, 469 schools and 290,000 students across Canada and the US take their forms paperless using RYCOR eFORMS. We have helped our clients save over 52,000 trees or approximately enough trees to cover the area of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City four times. On top of significantly reducing paper usage, our clients have cumulatively saved approximately $9 million on purchasing paper.

What are Other Ways that Schools can Reduce their Environmental Impact?

In addition to going paperless, schools can lower their environmental impact through teaching and implementing greener practices. Below are 5 impactful green initiatives to start at school, with the aim to reduce your school's carbon footprint and educate students about sustainability.

1. Litterless Lunches

Almost half of school aged children eat cafeteria breakfast and lunches in the US. Meal waste and single-use lunch containers therefore are a large contributor to waste produced by schools. Although recycling these materials may appear to be the solution, only 29% of recyclables ends up being recycled. As well, plastics have a definite lifetime and can only be recycled 7-9 times before fibers are broken down.

To spearhead cafeteria waste, an alternative is having students participate in a litterless lunch where students and staff are encouraged to bring reusable containers, water bottles and utensils to the cafeteria. One way to start the transition and build excitement for the initiative could be offering a free lunch on the last Friday of every month when students and staff bring their own reusable containers. As your school community adapts to the idea of litterless lunches, you can introduce a small discount (eg 25 cents off) to incentivize bringing reusable containers every day.

Other ways to promote sustainable habits in the lunch room could include implementing a meatless meal days, to reduce emissions created by meat production, or partnering with a local farm vendor, to reduce emissions from transportation. To start meatless meal days, first collaborate with your lunch and nutrition staff on kid-friendly meatless alternatives to try in the lunchroom, for eg chickpeas, veggie burgers, tofu. Then pick a weekday to host your meatless lunches, eg Meatless Mondays, and frame the meals as a new, fun dish that everyone gets to try out. To start partnering with a local farm, reach out to local vendors and see if they're willing to sell in-season produce to your school once a month in exchange for promoting their local farming businesses.

2. Green Curriculum

Children live and think in the present. Hence, it can be a challenge for some children to understand and care about long term environmental consequences. Luckily, children are at a critical age for habit formation and learning. Green practices and environmental appreciation can be incorporated directly into classroom behavior and curriculum:

Recycling - Actively recycling materials in the classroom and modelling ways to minimize waste (For eg turning off the tap when washing hands)

Sustainable art - Choosing to repurpose old materials (for eg magazines, newspapers, boxes) as tools and supplies for art

Educational field trips - Visiting locations that provide depth on how different players in the community care for the environment (for eg visiting a recycling plant or local farm)

Projects - Using projects to involve children in green decisions and ownership (for eg creating and maintaining a class garden)

By modelling and consciously engaging in sustainable behavior taught at school, children can develop a gratitude for the environment that will continue past their education.

3. Sustainable Swap

Kids stain, rip and outgrow their clothing fast. Consequently, the decision to purchase cheap, fast-fashion apparel for kids is common among parents. Globally, the fashion industry contributes between 5-10% of global pollution. Huge amounts of materials and chemicals are used in the production of a single garment, for example, to produce one pair of jeans, approximately 10,000L of water and 40 chemicals are used.

In light of fast fashion issues, parents do have budget-friendly alternatives for their children's clothes. Try hosting a monthly/annual sustainable clothing swap or donation drive. Children can bring in their gently used clothing and swap for different styles with their peers. You can create rules around the clothing swap, for eg if you bring 5 used clothing pieces, you can swap for 5 other clothing pieces. A clothing swap is an affordable alternative to purchasing clothing and can be an exciting, community-building event. Similarly, students can participate in hosting a donation drive where used clothes, shoes, toys, etc are brought to school and donated to a local charity.

4. Commuting Challenge

Cars contribute 20% of the world's total carbon dioxide emissions. As most students live within walking/biking distance from school, commuting is an easy way to cut down car emissions and improve air quality. In addition to environmental benefits, walking or biking to school also supports physical activity, which has been tied to better academic performance and well-being in children.

Get your school to start a commuter program by organizing parent-supervised group walks or bike rides to school. You can also try a commuting challenge, where staff and students compete on who can commute the most in a month, and incentivize participants with prizes for their car-free transportation. Prizes could include a gift card to an running store, bike locks, helmets or a new bike as further motivation to continue commuting. As your commuter program gains participants, you can also disincentivize student and teacher parking by increasing the cost of parking at school. The increased parking revenue can be used toward building more bike racks to support your commuter program.

5. Power Down

K-12 Schools in the US spend $6 billion every year on their energy bill, an astounding figure that exceeds annual spending on computers and textbooks. On average, reducing energy use by 10% would provide savings of $65,000 per school per year. This could mean classroom upgrades, improved sport equipment or hiring an additional staff. Powering down electric equipment, such as computers, lights and projectors when not in use can lower your school's electricity bill and conserve energy. Create a tangible goal with clear rewards to get the whole school on board, for eg "If everyone turns off the light when they leave the room, we will have enough energy savings to upgrade the gym".
About RYCOR
Since 2000, RYCOR has been a leading provider of K-12 business administration school software, serving over 1700 schools and 975,000 students. RYCOR provides districts with solutions for online payments, fee management and eFORMS. In addition to eliminating the need for paper fees and forms, RYCOR enables districts and parents to have transparency, efficiency and convenience. Learn more about RYCOR's services and how we can help you go paperless at rycor.net.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Impactful Green Initiatives to Start at School - RYCOR

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Two years ago at RYCOR, we launched our RYCOR eFORMS solution to help districts easily create, assess and track custom digital forms for all school activities, including permission forms, activity registration, event ticketing and payment forms. Our objective was to increase districts' efficiency and productivity, while positively impacting the environment through paperless forms. With schools being a major paper consumer, we understood the immense effect that paperless schools could have on the sustainability of our environment.

# data[].attributes.body
This school is going to produces generation after generation of sustainably minded, environmentally conscious people. These individuals will carry the behavioural patterns they uptake under the auspices of Eco-Schools with them through life, in turn teaching the next generation the habits to make a difference.

You can find the link here：
https://www.ecoschools.global/

# data[].attributes.body
I think schools can embed environmental preservation in the curriculum so that students can learn more in the lesson. For example, the teacher can apprise the children about water scarcity and ask them to creatively think of ways to conserve water by water keep water bodies clean and so on.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man." ― Albert Einstein
Nature is beautiful and needs to be preserved. Nature, when taken care of, provides us with everything we need but it can also express its fury if abused. Lately we have been witness to the fury - with the forest fires, drought, excessive rainfall and its attendant problems. Excessive pollution and exploitation of resources is also causing immense environmental damage.

An important thing is: Though we cannot reverse the effect of our actions, we can work towards restoring the damage done, looping in the best people. In this effort we have to also include the younger generation that will inherit the planet.

'Environment preservation' should be integrated with core subjects right from preschool. When we reinforce the importance of environment preservation in children from a young age, they will be conscious of the decisions they make. They will also correct their elders when they see them doing things that are harmful for the environment. What we need is a conscious set of youngsters to take on this mantle and drive it through.

How can schools do it? In some preschools children are encouraged to be as close to nature: explore the leaves of a plant, observe their shapes and colours (shades of green) and study their parts. They observe how each plant is uniquely different from the other. The concept of 'recycling' is also reinforced with children creating posters to generate awareness about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling.
Here are eight ways of creating environment preservation awareness
1.Environmental clubs - Your school can form an environmental club or become a part of an existing one in the vicinity and conduct activities around environment preservation.These could include setting up a recycling system in the school cafeteria, planting a small organic garden that will provide fresh vegetables for the cafeteria. Children can also support local wildlife and reduce CO2 in the atmosphere by planting trees, shrubs and flowers in the school playground.

2.Cleanliness drives - Schools can have cleanliness drives on campus where children make sure that everything is kept clean and litter free. From classes to school playgrounds - they should be made to feel responsible for keeping all areas spotlessly clean. They should also be encouraged to participate in cleanliness drives in their communities.

3.Embedding environmental preservation in the curriculum - Schools can also make sure children start learning about environment preservation from an early age. If children are being taught about water as an EVS (environmental studies) topic then teachers can cover local water bodies like lakes and rivers. They can apprise the children about water scarcity and ask them to creatively think of ways to conserve water by water harvesting, innovate means to keep water bodies clean and so on.

4.Environment friendly policies - Schools should make sure they have environmental policies that they follow in school and students should be educated on the same. They can install solar panels so children can actually see and experience environment friendly practices daily.

5.Environment preservation posters created digitally - schools have adequate space where display screens can be placed to run digital posters, artwork, etc. to make it a part of their subconscious learning. One corner can be dedicated to environmental preservation where students, teachers and parents can contribute to the same with digital posters, drawings, poems, latest articles, etc.

6.Adopt a plant programme: Schools can have a programmes to adopt one plant in school and one at home and take pledge to provide complete care to it with the help of a gardener or parents and others.

7.Teach children to have empathy for living creatures - Empathy is an important value that schools need to inculcate in children. They need to understand that all living creatures need to be looked after. This can be imparted through stories and role play where children become animals, plants or insects. Ask them how they would feel if their homes and habitats are destroyed.

8.Have special days dedicated to the environment - Organise special events like a 'kids walk to school day' or 'create no trash day" involving parents too.
The author is founder of Kangaroo Kids and Billabong High International School .
Subscribe to our best newsletters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Save the planet: 8 things schools can do to create environment warriors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man." ― Albert Einstein Nature is beautiful and needs to be preserved.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
5 Impactful Green Initiatives to Start at School - RYCOR

# data[].attributes.body
Some school uses green curriculum to help the environment. Children live and think in the present. Hence, it can be a challenge for some children to understand and care about long term environmental consequences. Luckily, children are at a critical age for habit formation and learning. Green practices and environmental appreciation can be incorporated directly into classroom behavior and curriculum: recycling, creating sustainable art, organising educational field trips and doing projects.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Two years ago at RYCOR, we launched our RYCOR eFORMS solution to help districts easily create, assess and track custom digital forms for all school activities, including permission forms, activity registration, event ticketing and payment forms. Our objective was to increase districts' efficiency and productivity, while positively impacting the environment through paperless forms. With schools being a major paper consumer, we understood the immense effect that paperless schools could have on the sustainability of our environment.

Since 2017, we have helped 15 districts, 469 schools and 290,000 students across Canada and the US take their forms paperless using RYCOR eFORMS. We have helped our clients save over 52,000 trees or approximately enough trees to cover the area of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City four times. On top of significantly reducing paper usage, our clients have cumulatively saved approximately $9 million on purchasing paper.

What are Other Ways that Schools can Reduce their Environmental Impact?

In addition to going paperless, schools can lower their environmental impact through teaching and implementing greener practices. Below are 5 impactful green initiatives to start at school, with the aim to reduce your school's carbon footprint and educate students about sustainability.

1. Litterless Lunches

Almost half of school aged children eat cafeteria breakfast and lunches in the US. Meal waste and single-use lunch containers therefore are a large contributor to waste produced by schools. Although recycling these materials may appear to be the solution, only 29% of recyclables ends up being recycled. As well, plastics have a definite lifetime and can only be recycled 7-9 times before fibers are broken down.

To spearhead cafeteria waste, an alternative is having students participate in a litterless lunch where students and staff are encouraged to bring reusable containers, water bottles and utensils to the cafeteria. One way to start the transition and build excitement for the initiative could be offering a free lunch on the last Friday of every month when students and staff bring their own reusable containers. As your school community adapts to the idea of litterless lunches, you can introduce a small discount (eg 25 cents off) to incentivize bringing reusable containers every day.

Other ways to promote sustainable habits in the lunch room could include implementing a meatless meal days, to reduce emissions created by meat production, or partnering with a local farm vendor, to reduce emissions from transportation. To start meatless meal days, first collaborate with your lunch and nutrition staff on kid-friendly meatless alternatives to try in the lunchroom, for eg chickpeas, veggie burgers, tofu. Then pick a weekday to host your meatless lunches, eg Meatless Mondays, and frame the meals as a new, fun dish that everyone gets to try out. To start partnering with a local farm, reach out to local vendors and see if they're willing to sell in-season produce to your school once a month in exchange for promoting their local farming businesses.

2. Green Curriculum

Children live and think in the present. Hence, it can be a challenge for some children to understand and care about long term environmental consequences. Luckily, children are at a critical age for habit formation and learning. Green practices and environmental appreciation can be incorporated directly into classroom behavior and curriculum:

Recycling - Actively recycling materials in the classroom and modelling ways to minimize waste (For eg turning off the tap when washing hands)

Sustainable art - Choosing to repurpose old materials (for eg magazines, newspapers, boxes) as tools and supplies for art

Educational field trips - Visiting locations that provide depth on how different players in the community care for the environment (for eg visiting a recycling plant or local farm)

Projects - Using projects to involve children in green decisions and ownership (for eg creating and maintaining a class garden)

By modelling and consciously engaging in sustainable behavior taught at school, children can develop a gratitude for the environment that will continue past their education.

3. Sustainable Swap

Kids stain, rip and outgrow their clothing fast. Consequently, the decision to purchase cheap, fast-fashion apparel for kids is common among parents. Globally, the fashion industry contributes between 5-10% of global pollution. Huge amounts of materials and chemicals are used in the production of a single garment, for example, to produce one pair of jeans, approximately 10,000L of water and 40 chemicals are used.

In light of fast fashion issues, parents do have budget-friendly alternatives for their children's clothes. Try hosting a monthly/annual sustainable clothing swap or donation drive. Children can bring in their gently used clothing and swap for different styles with their peers. You can create rules around the clothing swap, for eg if you bring 5 used clothing pieces, you can swap for 5 other clothing pieces. A clothing swap is an affordable alternative to purchasing clothing and can be an exciting, community-building event. Similarly, students can participate in hosting a donation drive where used clothes, shoes, toys, etc are brought to school and donated to a local charity.

4. Commuting Challenge

Cars contribute 20% of the world's total carbon dioxide emissions. As most students live within walking/biking distance from school, commuting is an easy way to cut down car emissions and improve air quality. In addition to environmental benefits, walking or biking to school also supports physical activity, which has been tied to better academic performance and well-being in children.

Get your school to start a commuter program by organizing parent-supervised group walks or bike rides to school. You can also try a commuting challenge, where staff and students compete on who can commute the most in a month, and incentivize participants with prizes for their car-free transportation. Prizes could include a gift card to an running store, bike locks, helmets or a new bike as further motivation to continue commuting. As your commuter program gains participants, you can also disincentivize student and teacher parking by increasing the cost of parking at school. The increased parking revenue can be used toward building more bike racks to support your commuter program.

5. Power Down

K-12 Schools in the US spend $6 billion every year on their energy bill, an astounding figure that exceeds annual spending on computers and textbooks. On average, reducing energy use by 10% would provide savings of $65,000 per school per year. This could mean classroom upgrades, improved sport equipment or hiring an additional staff. Powering down electric equipment, such as computers, lights and projectors when not in use can lower your school's electricity bill and conserve energy. Create a tangible goal with clear rewards to get the whole school on board, for eg "If everyone turns off the light when they leave the room, we will have enough energy savings to upgrade the gym".
About RYCOR
Since 2000, RYCOR has been a leading provider of K-12 business administration school software, serving over 1700 schools and 975,000 students. RYCOR provides districts with solutions for online payments, fee management and eFORMS. In addition to eliminating the need for paper fees and forms, RYCOR enables districts and parents to have transparency, efficiency and convenience. Learn more about RYCOR's services and how we can help you go paperless at rycor.net.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Impactful Green Initiatives to Start at School - RYCOR

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Two years ago at RYCOR, we launched our RYCOR eFORMS solution to help districts easily create, assess and track custom digital forms for all school activities, including permission forms, activity registration, event ticketing and payment forms. Our objective was to increase districts' efficiency and productivity, while positively impacting the environment through paperless forms. With schools being a major paper consumer, we understood the immense effect that paperless schools could have on the sustainability of our environment.

# data[].attributes.body
This Teacher in Vignjana Vilasini Higher Secondary School (VVHSS)Turns School Campus Into Herbal Garden & Mini Forest With 450 Trees of 112 Varieties,he did a great greening for the world.                                              https://krishijagran.com/success-story/meet-this-teacher-who-turns-school-campus-into-herbal-garden-mini-forest-with-450-trees-of-112-varieties/

# data[].attributes.body
We learned about schools are responsible for a significant portion of the community’s environmental impacts. In areas ranging from the resources used in the construction of the school building to the energy used to operate them, greener schools can alleviate the overall impacts on the environment.

You can find the link here:

www.hkgbc.org.hk

# data[].attributes.body
We learned about the Bogus School in Fakeland. They are re-using their water bottles and making them into chairs for students!

You can find the link here:

www.google.com