By Hope Gribble,
Education and Green Schools Manager
Each year, USGBC- Missouri Gateway Chapter’s Green Schools Quest challenges public and private schools within the chapter’s territory (Missouri and Southern Illinois) to devise and implement a no or low-cost sustainability initiative over a six month period of time with the help of a Green Mentor. Participating schools have the opportunity and flexibility to engage in projects that fit their schools’ unique needs and resources.
Students document their impact – such as energy savings, waste reduction, or increased biodiversity – during the project and submit their project’s process and impact for judging by an impartial panel at the conclusion.
Of the 57 schools that participated during the 2017-18 school year, 42 submitted final reports and digital presentations showcasing their accomplishments. According to their reports, more than 5,000 students and staff were directly engaged in these projects, and thousands more were impacted this school year!
First, Second and Third place winners were recognized in Elementary, Middle and High School Categories. For the first time, five additional awards were presented this year: Rookie of the Year, Sustainability Champion, Focus of the Year (Community Engagement), Judges’ Choice, and Innovation.
Elementary School Winners
- 1st Place: East Elementary School (Alton, IL), Project Waste Reduction
- 2nd Place: Carver Elementary School, Reducing Carver’s Waste-Line
- 3rd Place: Ritenour Center for Gifted Education, Piece of Trash
Middle School Winners
- 1st Place: North Kirkwood Middle School, NKMS R-4 Reduce-Reuse-Recycle-Remove
- 2nd Place TIE: Forsyth School, Waste Reduction/Compost Production
- 2nd Place TIE: Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School, “MRH Dark Day”
- 3rd Place: Premier Charter School, Defeat Carbon Footprint, Save the Planet
High School Winners
- 1st Place: Kirkwood High School, KHS Waste Reducation
- 2nd Place: St. Joseph’s Academy, Increasing Awareness to Reduce Waste
- 3rd Place: Hazelwood West High School, Hazelwood West Community Composting Initiative
Additional Awards:
- Rookie of the Year: Bourbon High School, Collection of Consumer Waste
- Sustainability Champion: W.W. Keysor Elementary, Back to the Basics
- Focus of the Year – Community Engagement: Kirkwood High School, KHS Waste Reduction
- Judges’ Choice: Mann Elementary (SLPS), Green Schools Quest 2017-2018
- Innovation: Saint Louis University High School, Waste Not, Want Not: Art Re-Imagined
Kudos to all of the participating schools for their accomplishments!
Visit www.usgbc-mogateway.org/green-school-quest to learn more about the 2017-18 Green Schools Quest participants and projects, view a playlist of project videos, and to register to participate next year as a School or Mentor!