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MAEOE Green School Certification

MAEOE=Maryland Association of Environmental & Outdoor Education

https://www.maeoe.org/

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Why is it important for HHA to become Green School Certified?

Nationally recognized, the Maryland Green Schools Award Program (MDGS) allows schools and their communities to evaluate their efforts in environmental sustainability. Participating schools empower youth to make changes to reduce environmental impact, encourage sustainability and foster environmental literacy.

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What exactly is Environmental Literacy?

  • Environmental Literacy is understanding the ecological, economic, and cultural connections between humans and the environment while recognizing the impact of our collective decisions.

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Who is responsible for teaching it?

  • Every teacher has the responsibility to teach their students the value of being environmental stewards. As our planet's resources are pressed to their limits, all of us must be knowledgeable and active stewards. Environmental literacy helps us to understand complex environmental issues and how our individual decisions affect the environment locally and globally.

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The Certification Process:

  • HHA already has many green practices in place.
  • Many of our teachers are actively engaged in teaching environmental literacy through classroom activities and lessons, field trips and partnerships with groups like Patterson Park Audubon.
  • We have an active and dedicated group of students that want to improve the Green Culture of our school.
  • We need to document all the great work we are doing!

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Your role in this process:

  • 1.1 Curriculum and Instruction: Environmental Issue Instruction

Demonstrate that outdoor, environment-based instruction, and Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences are occurring through hands-on, authentic lessons on environmental issues. (see MSDE Environmental Literacy Standards).

  • At least one example of outdoor and/or classroom environmental investigations instruction per grade level for elementary and middle school.

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Your role in this process:

  • We must document all the great work we are doing!
  • Last year We shared a google file with everyone so you can up-load photos, lesson plans and descriptions of activities and field trips. This folder will be re-shared with you next week.
  • https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12iCFdv78iBOTtINimsxpsYftATJEFP57

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Guidelines when documenting your EE:

Ideas for Documentation: (NOTE: ALL documentation should be captioned with text explaining the grade level/subject area and an explanation of the activity that describes how students are using the environment as a context for learning!)

● student work

● photos of students engaged in environmental learning

● student reflections on taking action

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One initiative you can help with NOW:

RECYCLING AT HHA

  • We have created new signs for your classroom.

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New Recycling Signage

  • Please post them next to your recycling bag.
  • Please spend a minute with your students reviewing what can and cannot be recycled!
  • Lead by example!

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Thank you for your support in this effort!

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