In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd, we wanted to
do a special blog highlighting ways that you can make your school a greener
place. Now this doesn’t mean you have to start installing solar panels on your
roof! We’re going to list some simple ways you can do your part to protect the environment.
1.
Create a recycling center, whether this is school
wide, classroom specific, or both. This should go beyond simply recycling
paper. Have a section for cans, plastic, paper, and glass. It makes recycling
easy, which means students are more likely to do it!
2.
Have each classroom have a scratch paper bin.
For some projects, students do not need a full, nice sheet of paper. This will
cut down on the waste of paper, which will do wonders for the environment.
3.
Form a Green student club. This club will give
students a chance to brainstorm ideas to make the school greener, find
volunteer opportunities, and more. They may hold environmental presentations or
lobby the school board. It is a great way to get students involved in
protecting the environment.
4.
Stop busses from idling at your school. Many
busses will park in front of the school to pick up students with the engines
running. This is a huge waste of gas and a huge increase in unnecessary
pollution. Have busses park, turn off the engine, and only turn back on once it
is time to depart.
5.
Plant a school garden. This is great for so many
reasons. Students will get to learn about gardening, students spend more time
outdoors, and you are able to grow fresh fruits and vegetables that students
can consume!
6.
Use electronics less. Always turn off lights and
fans when they aren’t in use. Don’t put computers to sleep, shut them down.
These small things can save a ton of energy.
7.
Get your school involved with local environmental
groups. Have speakers come in and present students with volunteer
opportunities. Service learning isn’t uncommon in the classroom, so why not
center it around the environment?
8.
Use the environment in the classroom instead of
energy. Open up blinds and let sunlight light the rooms. Open the windows
instead of using fans or air conditioning. As the weather warms students love
to feel the breeze just like us. If appropriate you can even take classes
outside.
9.
Go paperless, or as much as you can. So many
forms used in a school can be just as effective if on a computer. You’ll save
an amazing amount of paper this way.
10.
Use eco-friendly cleaners in your school. Many
chemical cleaners are not only bad for the environment, they are bad for
humans. There’s plenty of natural ways to keep a building clean. In fact it may
even be cheaper.
Try out these ten tips to making
your school a greener place!
