Individual Participation

What Types of Individuals Can Participate?

While school districts and individual schools are the focus of the program, many others can participate.  We all have a stake in the education and health and well-being of our youth, as well as the environmental and economic performance of our schools. And there opportunities for all to participate in different ways. Some of these individual roles might be connected to a particular school or school district, and other roles might be related to promoting or supporting green schools more broadly.

Roles Related to a particular school or school district:

• Student

• Teacher/Paraprofessional or other instructional role

• Student Support- i.e. Counsellor, Social Worker, and similar

• Parent or Guardian

• School Administrator

• Administrative Support Staff

• Food Service Personnel

• Health- i.e. Nurse, Nutritionist, Athletics, and similar

• Maintenance and Operations- i.e. Facilities Management, Custodial, and similar

• Volunteer

• District Administration- i.e. Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum Director, and similar

• School Board Member

• Community Member- i.e. parent of an alumni, taxpayer, and similar

• Educational Consultant or Service Provider

• Governmental (City, County, Watershed District, Etc.)

 Roles related to Schools more broadly:

Educational Organizations, Consultants or Service Providers – for example:

• Curriculum provider or teacher training

• Professional organizations for educational professionals

• Educational teaching and research organizations

• Higher Education

• Environmental Learning Centers

Operational Consultants or Service Providers – for example:

• Vendors and services (office supplies, food suppliers, waste removal, etc.)

• Energy Auditors, 

• Design and Construction professionals

Governmental – for example:

• City

• County

• Watershed District

• State Representatives

And more broadly: 

• Corporations or Nonprofits wishing to support schools in some way

• Citizen, Future employer, Tax payer, etc.

All these roles and more can participate in the program in some way. Here is the structure of the participation categories for individuals and groups.

What are the Steps for an Individual to Take?

The steps for an individual to be involved depends on their goals and interests. While team members working on a project or best practice action do not need to have an account, they might want to. An individual could affiliate with a school or district, noting their role as part of being on a team working on an action. Or they might not affiliate with an action, but have a profile in order to make it easier for teams working on actions to contact them or invite them to an action team. Another way to use this individual account is to network with others of similar roles across the state and participate in communities of practice. 

Once an individual is part of a team that completes an action, that action becomes part of their “portfolio.” For example, if a teacher completes environmental education training to help the school complete continuing education actions, the teacher can carry that project history forward with them to their later work with another school, although the project recognition remains with the original school. Likewise, a student in a school can participate in training or community activities with students from other schools to demonstrate extra-curricular involvement in environmental community service.