Young people value the environment very much. This can be seen even in young children. Ask first graders to talk about their favorite animals. They will definitely say that animals such as whales, elephants, wolves, butterflies, and turtles are endangered due to human activities.
caroline hickman conducted research We surveyed 10,000 young people (aged 16 to 25) around the world to gauge how they felt about climate change. Many of these young people reported feeling worried, anxious, and fearful about climate change. They also reported feeling betrayed by leaders who failed to take action.
Our young people expect us to take action on climate change. One way to do this is to start a green team at your child’s school.
Action is the antidote to despair. ” — Joan Baez
What is School Green Team?
A Green Team is simply a group of students who meet during or outside of class to address environmental issues. Green teams combine learning opportunities with action and field projects. The team needs an advisor, either a parent or a teacher, or ideally both.
Not sure the first thing about running a green team? Don’t worry. There are many programs across the country that provide resources and information to support green teams.
For example, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has created programs such as: green teamas “an interactive educational program that enables students and teachers to contribute to the environment through waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, energy conservation, and pollution prevention.” Many of their materials are available on their website.
green school has a comprehensive list of green education programs in various states. Some schools have curriculums that align with learning standards.
How can you start a Green Team at your child’s school?
First things first — get other parents involved.
Green Team programs cannot be run in isolation. You need at least a few other parents in your corner. Do you know other environmentally conscious parents who would like to work with you? Ask them. Use social media to gauge interest beyond your own circle.
Cooperation with school staff
Once a few people have joined, check with your child’s school. Contact your school’s principal and ask what support you can offer your team. Ask for staff contact. Ideally, staff should be present at team meetings. This is especially important if you want to introduce changes within the school itself.
Keep the focus on the child’s interests
Before the first meeting, have children fill out a form explaining why they want to join the team. Find out where your students are interested. The great thing about children is that they don’t think in terms of limitations. They try to fix everything. now.
As a Green Team leader, your job is to channel students’ energies into projects where they can effectively make a difference. More on that later.
Build a positive team culture
To enable your team to work together constructively, you need to establish a positive team culture. There are a few simple things you can do to accomplish this.
- When we meet in groups, we sit in a circle. Otherwise, students will focus on adults instead of each other.
- Encourage the group to learn each other’s names. Knowing someone’s name is the first step in building a relationship.
- Establish some rules that everyone can agree on. Pay attention to how students talk to each other. Don’t use derogatory words, disagree respectfully, etc.
- Take time to process at the end of the meeting. Ask the group how they feel about the work they have done. What worked? What will work better next time?
Teams with collaborative cultures spend less time working through conflicts and more time on the task at hand.
Teach children how to set reasonable goals
I mentioned that children tend to think big. They say things like:
- “I want to save the earth.”
- “We need to protect endangered animals.”
- “Everyone should stop polluting.”
Those ideas are great. We all want those things. However, these cannot be achieved by this team of students alone.
teach the team about smart goals — Goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Ask guiding questions such as:
- What steps will you take to achieve your goal?
- How will you know when you have achieved your goal?
- How do we communicate our goals to others?
- What will happen if we achieve our goals?
Saving polar bears from extinction is not a wise goal. It is too vague, unmeasurable, and unattainable. An example of a SMART goal is to reduce your school’s energy usage by 10%.
Projects that green teams can do
There are many projects that green teams can carry out to protect the environment and combat climate change.
Below are some examples of projects that are measurable, specific, and achievable.
- Let’s do a trash audit at school. How much waste is being thrown away? Does your school recycle as much as possible? Reduce the weight of your weekly trash by: × number of pounds.
- Start a composting program at your school. Weigh the waste this program is diverting from landfills.
- Introducing. Challenge without straws. Educate your school community about why plastic straws are harmful. Record how many straws are used in the cafeteria before and after the educational campaign.
- Start a school recycling collection program. You may consider joining. Trex Challenge or register for school terracycle. With TerraCycle, you can also earn reward points that you can donate to your school. Weigh your recycling and track your results.
- Plan a local cleanup activity. Record the amount of trash and report it to the local community.
- Work with local businesses to reduce single-use plastic bags. Create a signboard to display in your store.
Starting a Green Team at your child’s school won’t end climate change, but it will be a start. More importantly, it helps young people feel empowered to take action. Who knows where it will lead.
Other Green Team projects and resources:
Editor’s note: This article was published on October 29, 2021 and updated in October 2024.
