Is your children’s school a “Green School”?  

With its “Green School” certification, the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) recognizes schools that have integrated environmental education into their programs.  What’s cool about the certification is that it doesn’t focus on energy conservation alone, which is a great focus but is totally boring and not terribly supportive of dynamic school programming.

Instead, the organization wants to see that a school has incorporated environmental learning holistically, involving the greater community, initiating and sustaining environmental projects in and out of the classroom and celebrating environmental initiatives.

Even if you aren’t interested in being Green School certified, you can help promote fun, educational and environmentally aware projects at your school.  The MAEOE website (www.maeoe.org) has a loads of information, including how-to’s for great school-based environmental projects (like theme gardens, habitat creation and recycling drives).  

Kudos to all of the Anne Arundel County schools (private and public) that have achieved Green School Certification:

Annapolis High School
Benfield Elementary School
Bodkin Elementary School
Broadneck High School
Chesapeake Bay Middle School
Davidsonville Elementary School
Folger McKinsey Elementary School
Gibson Island Country Day School
Hebron-Harman Elementary School
Mayo Elementary School
Millersville Elementary School
Saint Mary Elementary School
Severna Park Elementary School
Shipley’s Choice Elementary School
St Andrews United Methodist Day School
The Harbour School of Annapolis
West Annapolis Elementary School