By: Lesli Moylan, Missouri Environmental Education Association
Missouri Green Schools (MGS), a support and recognition program co-managed by the U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter and the Missouri Environmental Education Association, just completed its inaugural year as a state level program and selected its first round of honorees. Six Missouri schools have been awarded Sprout Level recognition for their commitment to improving health and wellness of students and staff, lowering their environmental impact, and providing place-based education. Place-based education grounds students in local environmental and community systems, facilitates real-world problem solving, and helps students see the relevance of educational concepts to their lived experiences. Schools that embark on the MGS journey are taking steps to make an impactful difference in the lives of their students, staff, and surrounding communities.
The following schools achieved Sprout Level by involving school administration, beginning to benchmark and track improvement, and setting goals towards further advancement of green and healthy practices:
- Central High School, Springfield Public School District, Springfield, MO
- Central Primary School, Ferguson-Florissant School District, Ferguson, MO
- Forsyth School, Independent, St. Louis, MO
- Hixson Middle School, Webster Groves School District, Webster Groves, MO
- Patrick Henry Downtown Academy, St. Louis Public School District, St. Louis, MO
- St. Francis of Assisi School, Independent, St. Louis, MO
By achieving Sprout Level, these schools are setting the stage for continued improvements to their campuses, curriculum, and culture.
Why did the 2021 MGS Sprouts commit to this journey?
“Central High School committed to this journey with Missouri Green Schools to make the school the best place it can be for its students, staff, and community.” Claire Bodnar, Student & President of Project Green Schools Club
“Central Primary School is rich in the history of education, since our school has been educating young people ever since 1880. It is our dream to commit to a journey of goodness and greenness by partnering with Missouri Green Schools to honor our past history of Ferguson community and education with responsible consumption, planning, and action.” Ryan Young, Physical Health Educator
“At Forsyth School, we strive to be responsible stewards of the environment; sustainability is an important part of our culture. Future generations depend on the choices that we make right now, and we hope our students will see how their positive actions help all people and our planet.” Susan Zareh, Grade 6 Math Teacher and Sustainability Specialist
“Hixson Middle School had many changes to our facility recently, which has opened up the opportunity to enrich our students’ learning opportunities. One such addition is the creation of a new class centered around sustainability. It has been an important topic to me, and I was excited to get to lead our students forward toward developing a “greener” building and shaping their life choices and decisions. The Missouri Green Schools initiative was a natural fit into the new curriculum and as I started talking with those around me, the excitement was contagious. It made so much sense to begin this journey with our building at this time and I am so pleased that we were selected into the program.” Eric Hayes, Teacher
“Patrick Henry committed to this journey because we care deeply about the health, well-being, and longevity of our school and neighborhood community. We believe becoming a Missouri Green School will challenge us to reach our goals and complete our green initiatives, providing the best environment for our students to thrive.” Deborah Rogers, Ed.D., Principal
“The Missouri Green Schools is the next step at St Francis of Assisi in our work toward improving our sustainability and impact footprint. I look forward to seeing how our students embrace this next step”. Mike Herries, STREAM Coordinator
Learn more at missourigreenschools.org.