Schools Work Towards the Green Movement

In 1982, the Department of Education instated the Blue Ribbon Schools Program, which is a program to honor schools that have excelled or improved dramatically in academics, especially among disadvantaged students. Each year the Department of Education has awarded schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals. The Department of Education did this to improve the teachings and learning of schools, hoping that students and teachers would be more likely to care about the future of our youths. This program has helped improve the quality of teachings around the U.S. With the success of this program, the Department of Education has realized that changing the way our youth attacks the world as adults does start in school, so they recently have decided to implement a new program for schools: The Green Ribbon Schools Program.

The Green Ribbon Schools Program is to reward K-12 buildings that create healthy and sustainable learning environments while teaching kids environmental literacy. For a school to earn a Green Ribbon, the school will have to prove that they have made great strides in greening their curricula, buildings, school grounds, and overall building operations.

Some schools have already made great strides in attempting to make small, but impactful changes. Bethpage High School, New York found out that their school district was throwing out up to 10,000 disposable markers at an expense of around $7,000 per year. With these findings the district switched to pilot AusPen eco-friendly markers, a non-toxic, refillable marker made from recycled materials. This simple change not only saved the district money, but itŐs a lot easier on the environment. Many people probably feel that small changes like these have no or little impact on the environment. Well, the energy saved by recycling a single aluminum can, can run a TV for three hours, or recycling one ton of paper save 20 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, three cubic yards of landfill space, and saves enough energy to power the average home for six months. In other words small changes do make a significant impact.

After this small change that the students at Bethpage High School were able to make, they decided to create an environmental club, Generation Green Team. Acts like these are what will win schools the Green Ribbon.

The Green Ribbon Schools Program is hoping to not only make students environmentally literate, but they are hoping to cut energy costs for schools. In 2000, the U.S Department of Energy estimated that schools spent between $6 and $8 billion on energy. With this program, people are hoping to cut that cost by 25%, which could save schools nationally more than $1 billion annually.

Educate with Green Fundraising

With schools out to win the Green Ribbon, they are more likely to start implementing green fundraisers as well. Green fundraisers use eco-friendly products that are either made from recycled material or are organic and toxic free. Making these kinds of changes will not only help educate the students, but it will help to educate their community as well, helping them to truly understand the impact of being "Green".

Here are some great green fundraising ideas to get your school started working toward The Green Ribbon:

• Green Fundraising Catalogs
• Smencils and Fruit Journals
• Flower Bulb Fundraisers

Each of these green fundraising ideas will help your organization provide a creative fundraising program while gaining support from a broader range of customers.

Whatever the case, green fundraising is here to stay and I'm sure more ideas will come along. Check back here often for more GREEN fundraising ideas every week!

Contact one of our friendly assistants to help your school get started with green fundraising!