By Deborah Rogers Curtis,
Green Schools Coordinator for the Missouri Gateway Green Building Council
Missouri Green Schools is excited to announce a new learning series for schools interested in becoming more sustainable. Missouri Green Schools is one of three programs within Show-Me Green Schools; each program is a state-wide recognition program for school sustainability initiatives for K-12 schools across Missouri and Southern Illinois. Missouri Green Schools specifically focuses on long-term initiatives that teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and even students are taking on in order to make their school healthier for both people and planet.
Throughout 2025, Missouri Green Schools will offer a professional development learning series to support school and district staff on their sustainability journeys. Each month offers new insights into topics like creating a Green Team, tracking water and energy usage and creating a plan to reduce both, tracking waste streams and creating an alternative pathway in order to avoid landfills, finding funding sources for sustainability projects, including students in the sustainability initiatives, and much more! Each session will include experts on the topic of the session, question & answer for individual problem-solving, and networking with other schools pursuing similar goals. The Missouri Green Schools learning series is designed to support schools at any point in their journey, even at the very beginning or at very advanced levels, so there is something for everyone! Schools are able to sign up for sessions that apply to them as well as office hours for questions specific to their context. There will also be two sessions offered throughout the year that will support schools interested in applying for the US Department of Education Green Ribbon Award. Schools can enroll in Missouri Green Schools at any time of the year, and the program is 100% free! The Missouri Green Schools learning series kicks off on January 23, 2025 with a welcome to the program, and the first professional development session is on January 28. Learn more at showmegreenschools.org/mgs.