Project Story 

Date: 5/16/24

Applying School District: ISD 623 Roseville Area Schools 

Applying Schools: Roseville Area High School

MN GreenStep Schools Representative: Todd Lieser: Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds, Team facilitator, TODD.LIESER@isd623.org

Additional Green Team Members: 

GreenTeam Steering Committee:

Todd Lieser: Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds, Team facilitator, TODD.LIESER@isd623.org

Shari Thompson: Director of Business Services, SHARI.THOMPSON@isd623.org

Chiara Carignan: Roseville High School Student Liaison, chiaracarignan@icloud.com

Sean Quartz: MN GreenStep Schools Liaison, seanquartz1@gmail.com

GreenTeam Advisory Committee:

Todd Lieser, Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds

Shari Thompson, Director of Business Services

Chiara Carignan, Roseville High School Student Liaison

Sean Quartz, MN GreenStep Schools Liaison

Chris Hester, Principal on Special Assignment

Allison Jensen, community member

Kira Krook-Magnuson, student

Soren Longballa, student

Alex Terrell, student

Angie Richey, Nutrition Services Supervisor

Laura Jansen, Roseville Area High School Science Teacher

Tam McGehee, community member

Daley Howey, parent and community member

Sherry Hood, community member

School Superintendent: Jenny Loeck, Superintendent, Jenny.loeck@isd623.org 

Green Team Plan: The Green Team has a plan to meet at least three times per year and will coordinate the response to the annual review.

School Board Resolution and Amendments: 

Download/View School Board Resolution 

Download/View Amendment for Roseville Area High School Participation

Project Story Description

Roseville Area Schools has a long history of implementing green initiatives including, over the past 30 years, waste reduction programs, energy savings projects, and installation of solar panels to name a few. Yet, despite prioritizing sustainability initiatives, we did not communicate to the community the important work being done. Roseville Area Schools overlooked the significance of sharing this work with the community, how it should be shared, and pinpointing the stakeholders who should be informed.

Because Roseville Area Schools did not fully recognize the importance of communicating about its sustainability efforts, and in response to the ever present threat of the climate crisis, students at Roseville Area High School (RAHS) protested by staging a walkout on March 25, 2022. These 600 students, primarily members of the RAHS Progressives Club, acted as part of a global climate strike organized by Fridays for Future, a youth-led activist organization. Along with students at Roseville Area High School that day, the world’s youth gathered in 600 locations internationally to advocate for climate reparations and justice. Yet, it was not just the students who were concerned about the climate at RAHS. Many school officials and board members joined in the walkout.

The protesting students had several requests. The first was for Roseville School District to join MN GreenStep Schools. The students also demanded that Roseville School District declare a climate emergency and adopt organic waste disposal and solar panels at RAHS. The students also called for unified trash hauling in the city of Roseville.

In the Fall of 2023, students from RAHS Progressives created RAHS Students for Climate Action. These students were passionate about climate issues and emboldened by the student support at the walkout. To sustain the momentum of the walkout, the students decided to create this new club. 

By winter of 2023, the Students for Climate Action club and the RAHS Progressives club decided to focus their efforts on persuading the Roseville Area School District to join GreenStep Schools. The clubs completed research and communicated between the students and district officials.

On June 13 2023, RAHS student Chiara Carignan spoke at the school board meeting along with Shari Thompson a district administrator, giving information on and supporting GreenStep Schools. After a few of their questions were answered by Shari and Chiara, the school board agreed to sign a resolution. This resolution agreed to the school district creating a green team and completing the steps to join GreenStep Schools.

On November 22, 2023, the District formed the GreenTeam Steering Committee consisting of two administrators, a student, and a stakeholder/GreenStep liaison. This Steering Committee serves several functions. First, it works directly with MN GreenStep Schools to engage in the program; second, it leads the larger District GreenTeam Advisory Committee composed of stakeholders from the larger public and District; third, it provides recommendations to the School Board based on the feedback received from the District GreenTeam Advisory Committee.

On January 11, 2024, the GreenTeam Steering Committee met with the larger GreenTeam Advisory Committee to provide an overview of the GreenStep program and RAS’s vision for engaging with the program. The GreenTeam Steering Committee took feedback from the GreenTeam Advisory Committee and discussed plans for writing and submitting the GreenStep Project 1 Story.

On February 21, 2024, two RAHS students, Chiara Carignan and Grace MacDonald, were invited to participate in the Minnesota Senate Youth Day held in St. Paul. The Senate Education Finance Committee used this day to hear the perspectives of Minnesota’s youth on how schools can be improved. The RAHS students presented on GreenStep Schools and the necessity of increasing clean energy funding programs. The students then met with District Senator Clare Omou Verbeten and spoke to Chair of the Senate Education Finance Committee Senator Mary Kunesh. Kunesh strongly supported their efforts, as she had created a bill for GreenStep Schools that did not pass in 2023. However, we are hopeful the bill will be reintroduced.

Acknowledgements: Roseville Area Schools would like to acknowledge the RAHS students who enacted the walkout because it demonstrated the magnitude of the concern held by the community for the climate crisis and the need to communicate the District’s past, present, and future sustainability efforts. 

Equity and Diversity Practices: 

• Roseville Area Schools recognizes that the climate crisis impacts the entire student body. This recognition was reflected in the diverse participation of the student walkout on March 25, 2022.

• Roseville Area Schools recognizes that the impacts of climate change will disproportionately impact marginalized communities. 

Timeline: 

• In Fall of 2021, RAS Progressives was formed.

• On March 25, 2022, as part of the Global Climate Strike, approximately 600 students at Roseville Area High School––approximately 25% of the student body––staged a climate walkout to demand action on climate change. Marching to Roseville City Hall, the students gave speeches and detailed their demands, one of which was for the District to join MN GreenStep Schools. The students were supported by Roseville Area Schools and the City of Roseville.

• In the fall of 2022, students at Roseville Area High School formed the Students for Climate Action group based off of the student support seen at the climate walkout.

• On June 13, 2023, Roseville Area Schools held a School Board meeting where a student representative spoke, and the board signed a resolution to join MN GreenStep Schools.

• On November 22, 2023, the first meeting of the RAS GreenTeam Steering Committee occurred.

• On January 11, 2024, the first meeting of the RAS GreenTeam Advisory Committee occurred.

• On April 11, 2024, the GreenTeam Steering Committee finalized the Project Story.

• On April 18, 2024, the RAS GreenTeam Advisory Committee met to offer feedback to the GreenTeam Steering Committee.

• On May 16, 2024, the GreenTeam Steering Committee met to submit the GreenStep 1 Project Story.

Results: The primary result from engaging with GreenStep 1 recognition is that the District realizes the necessity of communicating its ongoing sustainability efforts to the community. Communication will be a key focus as we participate through GreenStep 2 recognition . 

As we look to completing the GreenStep 2 Recognition, we anticipate that the GreenStep Schools program will help us to achieve the following:

• Continue to improve the school district’s environmental impact

• Cultivate and maintain community trust

• Amplify student leadership

• Provide healthy learning environment

• Integration of environmental education

Benefits (to school and wider community): 

Roseville Area Schools participation in the GreenStep Schools program will emphasize cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage community innovation. Roseville Area Schools is honoring its commitment to its students by completing the GreenStep 1 Recognition Level.

Education Connections: 

Roseville Area School did not integrate The GreenStep 1 activities into the curriculum because the District is primarily concerned with documenting joining GreenStep. However, educators involved in the GreenTeam Advisory Committee have expressed interest in curricular integration going forward.

Community Connections: 

• RAHS - Students for Climate Action 

• Ramsey County advocating for recycling

• Do Good Roseville

• Resilient Roseville

Lessons Learned: 

For the Project 2 Story, we plan to review communication practices and decide upon new actions to take.

Key lessons:

Communication of sustainability initiatives and actions must be prioritized.

Youth leadership can locate areas that need improvement within the process.

Supplemental Links to Resources: 

Youth Walkout and Youth Climate Leadership Interview, Holly Swiglo, former Roseville Area High School Student

https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/mngreenstepschools/articles/youth-climate-leadership-interview