August 23, 2024
What better way to kick off the school year than by making your space a greener place? Use your school grounds to explore outdoor learning and earn Tree Campus K-12 recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation!
The Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus K-12 program, now in its 4th year, encourages schools, students, and communities to come together and use trees as an experiential learning tool. Students build their collaboration and leadership skills, give back to their communities, and learn valuable lessons about partnering together to make a positive impact.
A Parallel to Green Schools Initiatives
A “green school” is a learning institution that promotes sustainability through its teaching, facilities, operations, governance, and community partnerships. Green schools aim to educate students about the environment, and to develop skills for the social, economic, cultural, and environmental aspects of sustainable development. Green schools promote student and teacher health and wellbeing by ensuring a clean and healthy indoor environment, as well as providing programs and services for good nutrition and physical activity.
There are many Green Schools initiatives across the country. Green Schools programs can vary in scope and offerings; for example, some are national in scope while others operate at the state level. Some Green Schools programs offer certification pathways while others focus on educational resources.
Project Learning Tree (PLT) offers a suite of Green Schools educational materials to help support your school’s sustainability goals, but we look to other programs to offer the final level of “Certification.” PLT’s Green Schools materials are centered around 5 topical investigations, which can all be accessed online for free. Start your exploration today:
- School Site
- Energy
- Water
- Waste & Recycling
- Environmental Quality
Project Learning Tree & Arbor Day Foundation
With their origins dating back to the very first Earth Day in the 1970s, Project Learning Tree and Arbor Day Foundation have touted many collaborations over the years. The Tree Campus K-12 program is no different!
One of the key components of Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus K-12 program is education. Learning about trees and how vital they are to the health of our ecosystem helps us all understand why we need them in our communities.
To receive annual Tree Campus recognition through the Arbor Day Foundation, schools must meet four goals:
- Form a Tree Campus team made up of students, staff, and leadership
- Develop and implement an education plan to incorporate tree-related learning experiences
- Carry out a service-learning project in your community
- Observe Arbor Day on your school’s campus or through your community
The education plan is developed by each school to meet their individual goals – whether it is implementing a tree-focused classroom curriculum, outdoor activities, or field experiences in the community. And Project Learning Tree activities are a perfect addition for schools looking to incorporate a “tree-centric curriculum.”
How to Get Started
It starts with a “Yes”! Take the pledge today, and work toward becoming a Tree Campus K-12 school. First, identify your staff and student tree champions, who will lead the way to recognition and then view this helpful checklist to begin the journey toward a greener, more sustainable future!
Do you work with schools in your community? Nominate a school that you think would benefit from participating in the program.
