Resources
BUSD Green Star Schools

The following is a list of helpful resources for anyone involved with or looking to become involved with the Green Star Schools project – parents, teachers, custodians, or community members. For parent-, teacher-, or custodian-specific resources, go to the For Parents, For Teachers, or For Custodians pages. 

School Waste Pickup Schedule Coming Soon!
Find out when each type of waste is picked up from your school.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Green Star Schools Team:

• Deborah Moore, Green Schools Initiative Executive Director 
  Deborah(at)greenschools(dot)net; (510) 525-1026
• Susan Silber, Green Star Schools Project Coordinator 
  susan(at)greenschools(dot)net, (415) 806-8955 

City of Berkeley Recycling Manager: Andy Schneider; aschneider(at)cityofberkeley(dot)info (510) 981-6357

BUSD Recycling Coordinator: Loren Nakamura; lorennakamura(at)berkeley(dot)net, Plant Operations (510) 644-6858 

FIELD TRIPS:

ŸBerkeley’s Transfer Station, 2^nd & Gilman: Learn about how Berkeley's waste, recycling, and composting is sorted and managed.
COST: Free, but classes need to organize your own transportation.
CONTACT: Andy Schneider, City of Berkeley Recycling Manager; (510) 981-6357; Website: www.cityofberkeley.info, Email: aschneider(at)cityofberkeley(dot)info

ŸDavid Street Transfer Station (4^th grades only): Field trips to the award-winning irecycle@school Education Center in San Leandro to see what happens to their recyclables, garbage and green waste at a working material recovery facility and transfer station. Visit their website for more information.
COST: Free, including transport via school bus.
CONTACT: (510) 563-4282; edcenter@stopwaste.org

East Bay Parks: Connect your kids with nature – free naturalist-led hikes. Offers field trips for a variety of parks, including Berkeley’s Tilden Park. www.ebparks.org; (888) 327-2757

FUNDING AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES:

• Philanthropic Ventures Fund – Teacher grants in arts, math, field trips, visiting artist, and Special Ed in Alameda County.www.venturesfoundation.org/programs/teacher-grants
• Stopwaste.org – Mini-grants of $1,000-$5,000 for projects to decrease the amount of waste generated and sent to the County's landfills, and encourages the development, marketing and use of recycled products, composting food scraps, and communication.www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=502
• Altamont Education Advisory Board – Grants up to $3,000 for waste reduction and recycling supplies, program materials, field trips. April deadline. www.altamonteab.org
• Your School’s PTA – Ask your PTA for funds to purchase supplies and support activities: reusable water bottles to sell/gift; classroom zero-waste party baskets; bins; waste stations; raffle prizes; vests; etc.
• Berkeley Public Schools Fund – Deadline for classroom grants is in September, so plan for next year. www.berkeleypublicschoolsfund.org/grants
  

GREEN YOUR SCHOOL EVENTS:

• Tips for Greening PTA Events: http://greenschools.net/section.php-type=64.html
• Event Recycling/Compost Containers: The City of Berkeley offers free use of Clear Stream garbage/recycling/compost units for school-wide events, with at least 3 days advanced notice. There is no charge, and they provide bags; pickup is at Gilman and 2nd.
  Contact: Andy Schneider, City of Berkeley Recycling Manager; aschneider@cityofberkeley.info, (510) 981-6357
  
  

LOCAL RECYCLING AND REUSE RESOURCES:

• Ecology Center: Resource center and store; they also run Berkeley’s residential recycling program and Farmers Markets. (510) 527-5555, www.ecologycenter.org
• East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse: An ecological treasure trove for inexpensive reuse of art & craft materials. Great source for “raffle prizes,” or to donate materials at end of school year. (510) 547-6470, www.creativereuse.org, donation hotline: (510) 547-6535
• Urban Ore:  Ecopark store accepts donations of used materials (building materials, clothes, books, furniture, etc) and re-sells at low cost. 510-841-7283, www.urbanore.com
  
  

WWW.GREENSCHOOLS.NET:

• Green Schools Parent Toolkit - includes 3-minute video to show at a PTA event or in a classroom, how to green your events link, ideas for an Earth Day event, and other tips for parents. www.greenschools.net/parenttoolkit
• BUSD Green Star Schools Program – Virtual binder with downloadable audit tools, video, lunch monitor template, lesson plans, skits, downloadable signs, fun facts, and more. http://greenschools.net/BUSDgreenstarschools
• Tips for Green Teams - www.greenschools.net/article.php-type=361.html
  
  

WWW.GREENSTARSCHOOLS.INFO

A website to share your actions, estimate the measurable savings of your actions, and learn from other Bay Area schools working to reduce their environmental footprint across the conservation pathways of waste, water, energy and transportation.