By Deborah Rogers Curtis, Green Schools Coordinator for the Missouri Gateway Green Building Council
Show-Me Green Schools has announced winners of the Green Schools Quest, a six-month low- or no-cost sustainability project with the support of a School Leader and a Mentor from the community. Students chose a project meaningful to them, and they were involved at the inception, planning, implementation, data analysis, and reflection stages of the project. This year’s theme of Biodiversity allowed schools to explore the natural world around them, and many projects focused on protecting, supporting, or bolstering the biodiversity of their local environment. Several themes emerged from the 67 school submissions, including invasive species removal, native plant replacement, outdoor learning environments to encourage whole-school or neighborhood protection of the biodiverse landscape, and educating the community on sustainable practices. After the schools submitted their projects, a panel of judges from across the United States reviewed their projects and determined the winners. We are proud not only of those schools recognized below, but of all schools who participated in this year’s Quest – everyone wins when we adopt more sustainable practices!
Want to learn more? Visit showmegreenschools.org.
Elementary
- 1st Place: City Garden Montessori, “Folsom Field Playscape Project”
- 2nd Place: Kingston Elementary, “Kingston Grows Green”
- 3rd Place: Principia, “Buzzing with Excitement: A Lesson in Economics”
Middle School
- 1st Place: Brittany Woods Middle School, “UbiodiverCITY”
- 2nd Place: Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School, “Community Biodiversity in Maplewood, Missouri”
- 3rd Place: Marian Middle School, “MMS Produce Pioneers!”
High School:
- 1st Place: Pattonville High School, “What’s Old is New Again”
- 2nd Place: Central High School, “Just Add Water”
- 3rd Place: St. Louis University High School, “What’s in the Air We Breathe?”
Special Recognitions:
- Rookie of the Year (a school in its first year of the Green Schools Quest that demonstrated effective student involvement and project execution): Pershing Elementary, “Green Schools Quest Afterschool Club”
- Theme of the Year (a school that demonstrated the strongest understanding of Biodiversity and impacted their natural setting): Kirkwood High School, “Engineering Solutions to Increase Biodiversity Appreciation for It,” and Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School, “Monarch Madness at Mirowitz (Blessings for Butterflies)”
- Sustainability Champion (a school that impacted the long-term sustainable practices of the school or district): Ladue Horton Watkins High School, “Planting the Seed”
- Judges’ Choice (a school that stood out to the judging panel as unique and inspirational): Fern Ridge High School, “Harvesting Harmony”
- Honorable Mentions: Arcadia Valley High School, Rockwood South Middle School, Crestwood Elementary, Spoede Elementary, and Althoff Catholic High School