Greetings!
In the News and Dreaming Green…PGS Student President, Heather Morecock
"By late May or early June, Heather Morecock hopes to see her fellow students enjoying an outdoor classroom in a courtyard at Oliver Ames High School.

Morecock’s senior project, [in partnership with Project Green Schools and National Green Schools Society],Thinking in Sunlight, is to create a place for students to learn out in the fresh air or just spend time. With COVID, having an outdoor classroom space will be particularly helpful.

“The goal of this project is not only to provide students with a unique learning space, but to also teach students the importance of fostering a respectful relationship with nature,” Morecock said. “It is my hope that this classroom will enhance Easton's pursuit of sustainable development.” Read full article.

In order to raise funds for her project, Heather became an inaugural partner with Boon Supply Market. Boon Supply is a marketplace where you can find everyday essentials while also giving back to a great cause like Heather's. Their motto of “Good for You, Good for the Planet and Good for the Community” shines through! Shop to Support Heather! Learn more about Boon Supply.
Help the "No Styrofoam Ninja" Fight Plastic Pollution
Founded in 2017 by a dynamic and passionate 6 yr girl, Madhvi, also known as NoStyrofoamNinja, to advocate EcoEthics and raise awareness against Plastic Pollution ushering impactful change.

Support Madhvi's efforts as she petitions to eliminate polystyrene (Styrofoam) waste, Single-use plastic bags waste, single-use plastic flatware waste, Glyphosate herbicide. Sign petition.

Madhvi is also urging the U.S. EPA to set limits for Hydrogen Cyanide emissions - a toxic air pollutant emitted by petroleum refineries. Sign her Change.org petition.

Madhvi's work and her global campaign caught the attention of her role model Madam VP Harris and she was invited to meet with her as seen in the above image. 
The deadline to nominate a Green Difference Maker until this Friday, April 9th!

Project Green Schools honors and recognizes Outstanding Energy, Environmental & STEAM Education efforts led in our Schools & Communities through our Annual Green Difference Awards program.

It’s time to nominate Green Difference Makers for the 2021 GDA’s! Green Difference Makers can be Principals, Teachers, Advisors, Students, Citizens, Schools, School Groups/Clubs who have demonstrated exemplary energy and environmental leadership in their schools and communities. 

Awards are given out this year in the following areas of Outstanding Green/Sustainable Practices in:

  • Climate Education and Action
  • Energy
  • Food and Agriculture
  • Green and Healthy Schools
  • Land, Air, Natural World
  • Outdoor Learning and Exploration
  • STEM and the Future of Sustainability
  • Water Conservation
  • Waste Management
  • Lifetime Achievement Award for a hero who has dedicated his/her/their life to Green Education

Additionally, Green Schools Society Students are honored and celebrated through this annual recognition program. Learn more here.

Click to nominate a Green Difference maker today! Deadline: Friday, April 9th at midnight EST.
MA and RI Graduating Seniors - Apply for the Green Difference Maker Scholarship
Project Green Schools and National Grid will provide a $2,500 scholarship to a graduating senior(s) in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island who are pursuing higher education, and has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the fields of energy and environment. This scholarship honors impactful leadership that takes place beyond the walls of a traditional school and out in our communities. These changemakers have made a real difference in the lives of many, and we anticipate great things in these young person’s future for years to come! Learn more and apply! Deadline to apply May 9th, 2021
JOIN US FOR VIRTUAL TRAINING! Scenic America Launches Real World and Augmented Reality Learning Experiences through Agents of Discovery
Together with Scenic America, Project Green Schools will be hosting a virtual training session on Wednesday, April 14th at 3:00pm EST for students, teachers, administrators, curriculum leaders and more can join to learn how to use the newly released Scenic America/Agents of Discovery app with your students.

Scenic America has partnered with Agents of Discovery to offer an exciting new way to learn about scenic conservation. Agents of Discovery is a mobile app that provides a dynamic, engaging, learning experience. With the app, users can play informative games in the form of “Missions” that challenge them to think and learn about the environment around them.

National Green Schools Society Member Spotlight
Congratulations to Dylan on earning a NGSS Gold Leaf Pin for his 70+ hours of environmental education creating and blogging about environmental issues. Dylan says, "As a young environmentalist, I felt the need to try and get other young people engaged with important environmental issues. I started a blog with the help of the Sierra Club- Long Island Chapter called Earth Blogger. Through this blog, I try to bring attention to important environmental issues. I also created an interview series with influential environmental experts (i.e. scientists, advocates). Through the interview questions, I try to create a meaningful interactive experience that helps to reinforce the concepts in the blog post."

Green Schools Society Applications for End of Year Recognition NOW OPEN!
We are excited to let you know our end of year recognition applications are open and we can't wait to honor our students' and schools' commitment and work to our environment even during this still abnormal school.

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis and once received and reviewed require 10 business days to mail out pins or stoles. Please review the on our Green Schools Society page or by viewing our recent newsletter and when ready head to the appropriate form. Learn more here.
Koita Foods Sponsors National Youth Council Students

We are excited to announce that Koita Foods – an international company that recently launched its line of premium, Italian plant-based milks here in the US – is sponsoring three students in conducting research on green and healthy living. 
 
Participating students will learn about the benefits of these shelf-stable, plant-based milks directly from the founder, Mustafa Koita, who brought his products from Dubai to 10 countries before coming back home to the U.S. Koita’s plant-based milks are sustainable, with TetraPak packaging that is recyclable and shipments that arrive by sea to ensure a lower carbon footprint. 
 
In addition to several grocery chains and independent grocers, Koita milks are available on amazon.com. Learn more on Koita’s website at koita.com and follow @koitausa on Instagram.
 
Hear shout out on Food News and Views (It starts at 00:41:25) LISTEN HERE
Project Green Schools Welcomes New Members to Our Advisory Board
Lily Kanter, the Founder/CEO of Boon Supply and co-founder of Serena & Lily, has over 30 years of experience in the business and technology fields. She has held leadership positions for Microsoft, Deloitte & Touche and created the first Microsoft flagship earning her the Chairman’s Award from Bill Gates in July 1999. Read Full Bio.
Dr. Emily Bretl has been working in the field of education in different capacities for fifteen years. She is the founder and managing director of Marram Collaborative, an educational organization working at the intersection of artistry, ecology, and sustainability through ecological curriculum design and teacher empowerment. Read Full Bio.
Bostin Latin Youth CAN 15th Annual Youth Summit on Climate and Sustainability
Boston Latin School Youth Climate Action Network (YouthCAN) is hosting our 15th Annual Climate Summit! Each year, we host a free, fun, and interactive event Virtually Saturday, April 17th, from 12:45 pm - 3:00 pm where aspiring young leaders from all around Massachusetts can participate in educational workshops, and take action to create a more sustainable future.

This year, our theme is Don't Wait, Advocate! and our Keynote Speaker is Michelle Wu, president of the Boston City Council, and a bold advocate of the city-level Green New Deal.

The event also includes entertainment, workshops, and unique raffle prizes at the end of the event. Workshops range from designing your own climate policies to discussions about environmental justice. Learn more and register.
Register for Green Schools Conference
The Green Schools Conference (GSC) is the premier education and engagement opportunity for leaders and advocates who are passionate about the future of healthy, sustainable schools throughout the country and around the world. GSC is the only event to bring together all of the players involved in making green schools a reality: the people who lead, operate, build and teach in our nation’s schools.

Collaboration and innovation are necessary ingredients to transform schools into healthier, more sustainable places to learn, work, and play. This year, the pandemic may be preventing us from meeting in person, but we’ve created a stellar virtual experience that will allow us to come together as we work to advance the three pillars of green schools: positive environmental impact, increased health and wellness, and environmental and sustainability literacy. Register today! Visit greenschoolsconference.org for more, including scholarship information.
Support "Everyday Superheroes: Women in Energy" (A Children’s Book)

Everyday Superheroes: Women in Energy is a multicultural children’s book sharing the colorful stories, superpowers and energy careers of 26 diverse women powering our planet.

The series began with the creative collaboration of co-authors, educators, parents and friends, Erin Twamley and Joshua Sneideman. The first book, Everyday Superheroes: Women in STEM Careers has been recognized with awards, a successful crowdfunding campaign and over 5,000 copies sold.
Call on Congress to pass the Climate Change Education Act
All students deserve information to keep their communities healthy and safe, including facts about climate change. Join in supporting the Climate Change Education Act, introduced by Senator Markey and Representative Dingell. 

The Climate Change Education Act, would give sizeable grants to states to develop and implement climate change literacy plans, as well as grants to higher education institutions to engage teams of faculty and students in delivering services related to local climate mitigation and adaptation issues to their local communities. Show your support and sign on here.
Boston Earth Day 2021

Join in for Earth Day Boston’s free virtual musical event as we come together to be part of the solution to the climate crisis. Thursday, April 22, 2021 7 to 8 PM. 

Sign up on our website.

We are calling for a commitment to Climate Justice in the Greater Boston that:
  • Acknowledges and addresses the disproportionate burden of climate change on BIPOC and low-income communities, including adverse health outcomes, increased risks from severe weather, and other negative impacts.
  • Engages in transformational, holistic planning to: adopt just and equitable strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change threats in all vulnerable communities, increase and protect green, livable spaces and more!
Planting the Seeds Monthly Mental Health Series

Project Green Schools is honored to have our PGS Advisory Board Member, Jill Sylvester a licensed mental health counselor and author, providing monthly strategies and tips for our mental health.

Earth month. April is the perfect month to get in touch with nature, with Mother Earth, in order to not only feel physically well in your body by spending more time outdoors but also emotionally as well.

Here is a basic tool that hits wellness on every level:

Every day go outside and walk barefoot. Step across the grass, pavement, dirt, whatever you have access to in the moment, and focus on feeling the ground beneath your feet.

When your mind drifts to the worries and concerns of the day, bring it back to your feet, to your awareness of the earth.

Continue walking...feeling more grounded, feeling more connected to the earth as you go.

Notice how connected you might feel, to the trees, to the sky, while you step, feeling a sense of togetherness with something bigger. Notice how supported you might feel, sensing that the earth holds you in place each and every day of your life, no matter the situation, no matter the predicament.

Feel the awesome power of that support and let it heal, nurture and sustain you.
Jill 
Massachusetts 2021 STEM Virtual Summit


The summit will explore opportunities for strengthening the STEM talent pipeline through creative approaches to building students' foundational STEM skills, developing high quality, guided STEM pathways, and deepening employer partnerships to promote STEM career opportunities in this hybrid working and learning environment. Learn more and join this FREE event!
NEW CLEAN ENERGY FILM & CURRICULUM ABOUT FIRST SOLAR FLIGHT - FREE FOR TITLE 1 SCHOOLS
The Point of No Return Educational Experience utilizes the award-winning documentary, Point of No Return - the inside story of the first solar powered flight around the world - as an inspiring jumping off point for hands-on, inquiry-based, environmental STEM enrichment curriculum for upper elementary, middle, and high school students. Students create solar powered machines, design energy efficient batteries, and draw up energy plans for a sustainable future city. Next Generation Science Standards aligned lessons and activities around renewable energy, sustainable development, and global climate solutions, engage students in the process of engineering and innovation and help develop vital skills for tackling 21st century challenges, like climate change. This K-12 enrichment program can be utilized for in-person and distance learning, and is now available to a limited number of Title 1 schools at no cost (includes film, curriculum, and hands-on building kit for 30 students). Click to learn more.
Healthy Schools Network Clean Air in Every School
National #HealthySchoolsDay is Tuesday, April 6 and all week long. This annual day focusing on the health of children in our schools has never been more important. School and community outreach is critical. Put clean air in schools in the spotlight and ask your school for its plan of action on air quality. Join us at www.NationalHealthySchoolsDay.org.

Check out the Clean Air In Every School Activity Page for more ideas.
Calendar of Events/Days to Celebrate

April
  • 3rd World Aquatic Animal Day
  • Week before Earth Day: National Environmental Education Week
  • 19th: National Hanging Out Day Dedicated to encouraging people and communities to learn about the benefits of air drying laundry.
  • 22nd: Earth Day
  • 26th: National Healthy Schools Day
  • Last Friday: Arbor Day
  • Boston City Nature Challenge 2021 - Save The Date! From April 30 - May 9, 2021 join us for the 2020 City Nature Challenge!

May
  • 9th (2nd Saturday): International Migratory Bird Day
  • 16th Endangered Species Day
  • 3rd Friday: Bike-to-Work Day
  • 22nd: International Day for Biological Diversity
  • 23rd: World Turtle Day
Project Green Schools |3 Village Green North #311 PMB 191, Plymouth, MA 02360 | info@projectgreenschools.org www.projectgreenschools.org