Green Schools Initiative

Cash Awards for Asthma-Friendly Schools

MARCH 25, 2010 - NOMINATION DEADLINE (K-12): California Breathing, a program of the California Department of Public Health, invites you to nominate schools in your area that have created healthy, asthma-friendly environments for students and school personnel. All public and private K-12 California schools are eligible for the award.

Safer Disinfectants and Disinfecting Practices

Since both disinfectants and sanitizers contain chemicals that are designed to kill organisms, it is critical that they be chosen carefully and used properly. Here are our recommendations about best practices relating to the selection, dilution and use of antimicrobial cleaning products, and a directory of disinfectant and sanitizing products that meet our health and safety criteria and are registered for use in California.

Captain Planet Foundation Grants

MARCH 31, 2010 - GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINE (K-12): The Captain Planet Foundation is accepting grant applications for K-12 projects that promote understanding of environmental issues and focus on hands-on involvement of students. Awards range from $250-$2,500

Alliance for Climate Education School Action Grant

MARCH 12, 2010 - APPLICATION DEADLINE (High School): ACE's School Action Grant program aims to help high school students lower their school's carbon footprint and raise climate awareness through collaboration and hard work. Students can win up to $5000 for their carbon-reducing project.

America's Greenest School Contest

MARCH 8, 2010 - SUBMISSION DEADLINE: K-12 Students can enter to explain -- through words, video, photos, or artwork -- what they would do if they were in charge of making their school experience the greenest in the country. Prizes include $3,000 for the winning entry, and a hybrid electric school bus for the winner's school.

March to a Million Cell Phone Recycling Project

MARCH - MAY, 2010 - EVENT & SWEEPSTAKES (Middle School & High School Students): Teachers and students can work together to collect unused cell phones and be entered to win a $1,000 Green Grant.

Obama Administration Takes Historic Steps for Sustainability Education

The Obama administration has taken an historic step toward environmental sustainability: for the first time ever, the President's 2011 budget has called out as a priority promoting healthy schools for all children and integrating environmental literacy into U.S. Department of Education programs.

Environmental Footprint Calculators: Tools for auditing your school and monitoring progress

Green school initiatives are most successful when everyone is engaged, including students, teachers, and staff. But how do you inspire and engage students and the school community to get involved and stay involved? By using these ecological footprint tools combined with our resources on school audits.

Join Us in Celebrating National Healthy Schools Day!

Monday April 26, 2010 is National Healthy Schools Day, when people across the United States celebrate and promote healthy and green school environments for all children. This year the focus is on using certified green cleaning products, which help reduce pollutants from indoor air.

Green Schools and Safe Routes to School: They're for Everyone!

Two recent articles in the New York Times highlight the benefits of students walking to school -- in Italy and beyond; and how integrating greening into the curriculum can build civic-minded students, and perhaps even help safeguard public health.

Green Schools and Safe Routes to School: They're for Everyone

AB821 The Clean & Healthy Schools Act, Dies in Appropriations

AB821 would have required schools to use less-toxic environmentally preferable cleaning products, as long as they did not costs schools more. Looking forward to National Healthy Schools Day on April 26, 2010, we are considering our next steps on this issue.

Cultivating Healthy, Lifelong Learners

In the Atlantic's “Cultivating Failure,” school garden programs are blamed for cheating students and lowering test scores. We disagree. Read our response and make your voice heard!

Bright Ideas Grants

MARCH 20, 2010 - GRANT DEADLINE: The PG&E Solar Schools Program will award up to $250,000 in Bright Ideas Grants to schools to support the understanding of renewable energy in public schools throughout northern and central California.

Do Something Grant

NO DEADLINE: The Do Something Grant is intended to motivate and support positive community action by middle school and high school youth.