National School Boards Association supports

Go Green

The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has recently been added to the long list of groups that have chosen to endorse or sponsor the Go Green Initiative. The association is a nationwide organization representing public school governance and has chosen to support this rapidly growing initiative.

The NSBA joins other groups such as the National Recycling Coalition and the National Audubon Society in its endorsement.

“Supporting this initiative will send a message to all our members that Go Green is the way to go,” said Anne Bryant, NSBA executive director. “This program encompasses so many possibilities for schools to take and make their own.”

The state PTAs of Texas, Georgia, Ohio and Missouri have also stated their support for the Go Green Initiative. Piloted in 2002 at Walnut Grove Elementary School in Pleasanton, Calif., Go Green has grown far past the boundaries of its hometown. It is now in place in more than 215 schools in 13 states, with 176,500 students participating.

The Pleasanton Unified School District, which had Go Green’s first participating elementary, middle and high school, still serves as a strong example of a team of people dedicated to the environmental efforts backed by the initiative.

“It’s amazing to see how the program has grown in such a short amount of time,” said Juanita Haugen, Pleasanton Unified trustee and Pacific regional director to the NSBA. “I hope to see it grow just as rapidly in the coming years. We’re so proud that Go Green got its start in Pleasanton.”

About the Go Green Initiative Association – The Go Green Initiative is the nation’s fastest growing fully comprehensive environmental action plan for schools. By promoting environmental stewardship on campuses from elementary schools through universities, Go Green works to involve families, businesses and local governments in the common goal of protecting human health through environmental stewardship. Since its inception in July 2002, the Go Green Initiative has been adopted by three State PTA Boards, implemented in 13 states and 215 schools and positively affected students throughout the United States. More information is available online at www.GoGreenInitiative.org.

Go Green Initiative welcomes more than 200 schools

The Go Green Initiative Association has accomplished a major achievement in the sheer number of schools now participating in the environmental program. The association recently added its 200^th school to the growing list of schools throughout the nation to join up to “Go Green.”

Anderson Elementary School in the suburban community of Plano, Texas, marked the 200^th school to become part of the Go Green family. Anderson is now one of 151 schools in the state of Texas to Go Green.

“We’re so honored to be a landmark school for this incredible program,” said La Donna Polston, principal of Anderson Elementary. “I look forward to seeing what kind of difference this can make for our school.”

Still in the early stages at Anderson, Go Green will be implemented in an “elementary” way, said Vickie Nise, the school’s PTA environmental chairwoman. This will start with educating the school’s 700-some students, along with teachers, parents and others in the community. By using a “can-do” approach, the hope is for students to embrace the program’s concept of becoming environmental stewards and then pass those values onto their family and friends.

“I feel our children can become an integral part of a caring, safe and healthy environment if they learn how to take care of and believe they can take care of the environment around them,” Nise said.

For students at Anderson Elementary, believing is only part of the equation. By educating students on the importance of recycling and conservation, students will be able to achieve the knowledge needed to promote a healthy environment. Once achieving this, children can succeed in this mission by teaching others in the community to be responsible for their own behavior.

“If we take a proactive role in educating our children, the students will take a proactive role in educating friends, parents and relatives, who will then bring those ideas into the community in which they live,” Nise said.

Go Green is now in place at 214 schools, serving 176,537 students and 11,715 teachers in 13 states. Texas currently holds the largest number of participating Go Green schools, partly due to an adoption of the program by the Texas State PTA Board of Directors. The board welcomed the Go Green Initiative in July 2003 after deciding Texas schoolchildren needed more environmental education in the classroom.

Texas’ Go Green schools are now “teaching the children to be responsible for taking care of their environment,” said Casey Magnuson, Texas PTA environmental chairwoman.

To get started with the program, Texas schools are encouraged to begin with paper recycling. Many schools are now participating in paperless copy days to help conserve paper and encouraging students to use both sides of sheets of paper. Children also learn to put everything - even small scraps of paper - into the recycling bin. In addition, 20 Texas teachers were recognized for their recycling efforts last year with $100 grants, which could be used for future environmentally driven projects in the classroom.

“I’m so pleased to see the initiative’s acceptance and popularity in Texas,” said Jill Buck, Go Green founder and executive director. “It would be great to see this kind of participation throughout the nation in order to better the environment for all our children.”

Now that the program has been going strong for more than a year in Texas schools, Magnuson said she sees it is starting to work. Students and parents appear to be welcoming Go Green with open arms.

“The Go Green Initiative program and its founder, Jill Buck, are amazing,” Magnuson remarked. “I've never seen a program that costs nothing and that is so easy to use.”

Containers for recycling lunch trays

Classroom container for recycled paper

The Paper Gobblers!

Dear Go Green School Leaders,

Yesterday, the Go Green Initiative received the "Integrity" award, in conjunction with Pleasanton's Community of Character program. I accepted the award on behalf of our group, but I cannot emphasize enough that this was a GROUP award.

The City's definition of Integrity is:•

Being reliable; doing what you say you'll do

• Having the courage to do the right thing

• Building a good reputation

Together, we have lived up to this definition this school year. Principals, teachers, parents and students have engaged in recycling and waste reduction activities because it was the right thing to do. And when the City gave us funding to acquire the materials we needed to implement the Go Green Initiative, we told them how we would use the money, and we did exactly what we said we would do. We collected data on our recycling and waste diversion, and let the community know about it; and hence, we have built a good reputation. As a Go Green community, we have much to celebrate!