Eco-School USA

Eco-Schools USA is a program run by the National Wildlife Federation that uses school-based action teams of students, administrators, educators, and community volunteers to drive environmental stewardship and education in schools.

CYC has completed and awarded it's final renewal for Eco-School USA Green Flag Award!

Step 1: Form an Eco-Action Team

Please see the home page that lists, teachers, administrators, parents, classrooms, and others that are active members of the Center for Young Children Green Committee. The Green Committee gets monthly updates in the form a an e-meeting email, at PTP meetings, Staff Meetings, and during Kindergarten class meeting.

See of Video of the Kindergarten being asked to join the Green Committee during a Zoom meeting with Ms. Wiest. November 2020

Step 2: Conduct an Environmental Audit

See the audit

We also conducted three audits for the Green Flag.

Pre Energy Conservation - Post Energy Conservation Audit
Pre Water Conservation - (We chose to do Consumption and Waste as an Eco-Action plan. See the graph below for post results.)
Pre Schoolyard Habitats - Post Schoolyard Habitat Audit

Step 3: Create an Eco-Action Plans see below -

Energy Conservation - Turn off the lights campaign
Schoolyard Habitat - Bird feeders
Consumption and Waste - Trash Free Tuesday

Step 4: Monitor and Evaluate Progress - (Post images of actions and evaluations)

2019 -2020 - Trash Free Tuesday -

Pieces of trash are collected from each classroom. Kindergarten children count the pieces and graph them on a chart for the school to see. The whole school participates including staff. All of the classrooms also compost to help eliminate landfill trash.

Families saw the rate of landfill trash go from around 30 pieces to 12. In the past the children weighed the trash but counting seemed more developmentaly appropriate for this age to understand.

Albums with images of the children enjoying a trash free lunch were sent home to motivate families.

Every Tuesday, children would collect trash from all the rooms and count it. Then they graph it.

Child holding the trash from the whole school.

Child composting. The school has a compost pickup.

Fall 2020 - Bird Feeders -

While learning about Eco-School USA, the Orange Room decided to attract more birds outside of their window by making bird feeders. They counted how many birds came to the window without the feeders and how many came afterwards.

Childern trying to identify birds outside.

Children fill the bird feeders.

Pinecone birdfeeders made by the Orange Room November 2020.

Counting the birds.

Recording the amount of birds at the feeder.

Fall 2020 - Turn Off the Lights Campaign -

The Kindergarten class decided to make signs to remind people to turn off the lights when they don't need them so as to not waste electric energy. They made signs for each of the other classrooms and some to take home. They also kept track of when they turned the classroom lights off.

Turn off the lights signs made by the kindergarten class.

Turn off the lights sign made by the children and posted in the classroom.

Orange room keeps track of when they turn off the lights.

Orange Room child filling in Lights Out chart.

Red Room eats lunch using natural light.

Blue Room eats lunch using natural llight.

Step 5: Link to Existing Curriculum See this Maryland Green School requirement

Step 6: Involve the Community See this Maryland Green School requirement

Step 7: Create Your Eco-Code

Small Terps Leave the Smallest Footprints

The University of Maryland's Sustainability code is "Terps Leave Small Footprints." Building off this the Kindergarten Green Committee came up with "Small Terps Leave the Smallest Footprints." Teachers and other committee members agreed with the idea. The Eco code is displayed by the front door for all to see.

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