Youth
Tools
Ecoschools US
Ecoschools US is a non-profit, independent advocacy network that promotes the greening of K-12 educational facilities and daycare centers. The organization's website, www.ecoschools.us, provides a new and integrated platform to exchange contacts, ideas and resources between green schools experts, advocates and school system employees.
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The site also features related news, presentations, events, training, sponsorship and grant opportunities. A special resources section provides videos, press articles and interviews. There is no cost for membership in Ecoschools US, but application is subject to approval by the network. Approved members gain access to a faculty of renowned green schools experts offering presentations and free consultations on the subject of sustainable school design, operations and education.
The Ecoschools network was founded in 2008 by Anja Caldwell, a LEED-certified architect trained in Germany, and an acclaimed expert in green building design and implementation for schools. She calls Ecoschools US “an independent pollinator that is spreading green ideas and information like a busy bee." Ms. Caldwell recognizes that because of budget and schedule constraints, sustainability has not become a priority in the majority of American school districts. It is believed that the independent Ecoschools network will make readily available the necessary tools and training desperately needed by school system decision-makers, facility managers, teachers and staff, thereby enabling them to move forward with sustainable design, while further demonstrating sustainable leadership, all without wasting valuable time and resources in an unnecessary learning curve.
For more information about the Ecoschools US network, contact Anja Caldwell, at 240.481.5779 or email info@ecoschools.us. To understand more about the goals, vision, and resources of Ecoschools US, or to apply for membership, visit the network website: www.ecoschools.us.
Big Belly Solar Trash Compactor
The Forest Service as a part of a Sustainable Operations is providing Big Belly solar compactors to its partnership schools. The Big Belly is a compacting trash receptacle that is completely self-powered and uses solar power for 100% of its energy needs.
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A Big Belly has fives times the capacity of an ordinary compactor. It reduces emissions of green house gases and other pollutants. The safe and easy to use design keeps out pests and has already proven effective in urban streets, parks, colleges, arenas—and in all weather conditions.
• Big Belly Brochure -Spanish [PDF]
• Big Belly Brochure -English [PDF]
US Green Building Council explains how to build Green Schools and everything related to the LEED certification
EPA Environmental Kids Club
EPA's website for kids helps children learn about the environment through games, pictures, and stories.
Partnerships
Kids in the Woods
Articles
Letters From Leadership
March
Events
Kids in the Woods
In a society where children are becoming more technologically savvy and spending less time in the outdoors, it is important to educate children on the benefits of preserving forests and grasslands. Contributions from the Forest Service and various partnerships such as schools, environmental and youth non-profit organizations, Native American tribes and other federal, state and local government will promote children spending time in the outdoors and help develop them into environmental stewards.
National Get Outdoors Day [PDF]
In a nationwide effort to get people away from their computers and interacting with the outdoors, the Forest Service and American Recreation Coalition are launching its second annual National Get Outdoors Day. In collaborations with federal, state and local agencies, and various key enthusiasts, this event is aimed to inspire a growing interest in national forests and grasslands.
MonarchLIVE: A Distance Learning Adventure [PDF]
Be part of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the world. Millions of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) will be making their annual migration from Canada and the United States to the mountain peaks of Michoacan, Mexico. Take your class on FREE live and interactive field trips as they get to listen to scientists who study these amazing butterflies.
FAQ's
Gallery
Civil Rights Director Debra Muse (left) helps students at Bailey's Elementary School on January 11, 2008. Forest Service representatives spoke with staff at Bailey's about their Outdoor Education Program and looked at their facility and school grounds in order to see how the Forest Service can help their outdoor science program in the future.
Photo by Keith Riggs, Office of Communication, Washington Office.
Last Modified: 04/01/2009
