Eco-Schools Framework

Carver Elementary demonstrates full alignment with the Eco-Schools U.S. framework by embedding all seven steps into its school-wide structure and culture. Because Carver serves only 4th and 5th grade students, 100% of our student body (680 students) participates, ensuring true whole-school engagement. The student-led Eco-Action Team, the Guardians of the Triangle, drives environmental initiatives and decision-making, while all students engage in sustainability learning through the Outdoor Education program and Camp Wildcat. Classrooms participate in daily stewardship practices such as recycling, composting, vermicomposting, and indoor gardening. Families engage through events like Earth and Arts Night, and community partners and volunteers collaborate with students throughout the year.

Carver develops and implements action plans focused on wildlife and biodiversity, engages in hands-on projects such as habitat restoration and water quality monitoring, and uses data to evaluate environmental impact. Sustainability is integrated across the curriculum and aligned with the Georgia Standards of Excellence, while also incorporating authentic field research and community science. Through ongoing communication, school-wide participation, and a shared Eco-Code, Carver ensures that environmental stewardship is visible, practiced, and valued across the entire school community, demonstrating full alignment with the Eco-Schools framework. 

Carver Eco-Schools Framework Facts: 

• 100% of our students (680) participate in Eco-Schools programming

• Eco-Action team represents every class and spreads work school-wide 

• Work is embedded in the school day and is student-led

• Students lead, plan, act, collect data, and reflect 

• Direct alignment to Georgia Standards of Excellence, Georgia Milestones, + real field research

• Supported by authentic, meaningful, mutually beneficial, long term partnerships

• Shared community-wide goals with community partners to connect kids to nature and increase biodiversity of the Ogeechee River Basin

• Eco-Code reflects Carver's spirit of stewardship and conservation

• Measurable results through school climate and culture surveys and Milestone data

Carver's Demographics
Carver Elementary in Richmond Hill, is a public school serving students who are 9-11 years old in 4th and 5th grades. The school has 681 students, with a 20:1 student–teacher ratio. The student body is approximately 53% White, 18% African American, 13% Hispanic, and the remainder multiracial or Asian; 37% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Carver’s diverse population includes English language learners and military-connected children from Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield. Academically, 64% of students meet or exceed proficiency in math and 52% in reading. Carver’s Outdoor Education program provides all students with consistent, equitable, field-based science experiences that support both academic achievement and environmental literacy.

Outdoor Education at Carver
At Carver Elementary, we cultivate curiosity, connection, and care for the natural world by engaging every 4th and 5th grader in student-centered, place-based Outdoor Education. Rooted in the diverse coastal ecosystems of Bryan County, our program empowers students to ask questions, explore local phenomena, and conduct authentic research that supports the health of the Ogeechee River Basin. Through hands-on field investigations, unstructured nature play, and community science, students develop scientific habits of mind, social-emotional resilience, and a lifelong sense of environmental stewardship. Our goal is to cultivate nurturing connections to nature by inviting every child to explore, wonder, and learn alongside local ecosystems while guiding them to become thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and changemakers devoted to stewardship of themselves,  their community, and the environment. 

Social-emotional learning at Carver is strengthened through consistent, research-based outdoor experiences. A growing body of scientific literature demonstrates that nature-based learning environments support student wellbeing, resilience, and cognitive functioning. Research shows that exposure to green spaces can restore attention, reduce mental fatigue, and support improved focus—particularly for students with attention challenges such as ADHD. Studies have also found that outdoor learning increases student engagement, collaboration, and self-concept, while supporting the development of social and emotional skills.

In school settings, nature-based experiences have been linked to improved mental, physical, and social wellbeing, including stronger peer relationships, reduced stress, and increased positive affect. Outdoor education also supports the development of self-regulation, confidence, and perseverance (key components of SEL) especially for students who benefit from hands-on, experiential learning environments.

At Carver, these research-supported outcomes are reflected in daily practice as students collaborate on real-world environmental projects, engage in problem-solving, and build resilience through long-term stewardship work. By learning in and with nature, students develop empathy, responsibility, and a strong sense of belonging—skills that contribute to a positive school climate and lifelong wellbeing.

Carver follows and supports current SEL research in Outdoor Education: https://eepro.naaee.org/research/eeresearch

Mann J, Gray T, Truong S, Brymer E, Passy R, Ho S, Sahlberg P, Ward K, Bentsen P, Curry C and Cowper R (2022) Getting Out of the Classroom and Into Nature: A Systematic Review of Nature-Specific Outdoor Learning on School Children's Learning and Development. Front. Public Health 10:877058. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.877058

Ly, V., Vella‐Brodrick, D.A. Effects of School-led Greenspace Interventions on Mental, Physical and Social Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Educ Psychol Rev 36, 133 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09963-1

Winking, Annabelle, "The Benefits of Outdoor Education for Students with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" (2023). University Honors Theses. Paper 1317. https://doi.org/10.15760/honors.1346

Students engage in ongoing reflection throughout the Eco-Schools process by analyzing their data, discussing outcomes, and evaluating the impact of their actions on the environment. Through class discussions, field journals, and group debriefs, students reflect on questions such as: What did we observe? What changed? What can we improve? These reflective practices help students develop critical thinking skills and deepen their understanding of ecological systems. Reflection also informs future action planning, ensuring that student voice and experience guide the continuous improvement of our sustainability efforts.