NEOEA	Green School Award	

Created in 2010 by the Environmental Concerns Committee, NEOEA’s Green School Award honors schools within local affiliates that are leaders in environmental education.  The winning school(s) will receive a cash award.  To receive the NEOEA Green School Award, a school building that is part of a local association needs to demonstrate having met at least one criterion in each of the following objective areas:
Intro:  500-word abstract of program
Objective 1:  Curriculum and Instruction
A.	Environmental Issue Investigation
B.	Professional Development
C.	Celebration
Objective 2:  Operation, Design, and Maintenance of School 
Building and Grounds
A.	Water Conservation/Water Pollution Prevention
B.	Energy Conservation
C.	Solid Waste
D.	Habitat Restoration
E.	Building Structures for Learning about the Environment
F.	Responsible Transportation
G.	Healthy School Environment
H.	Air Pollution
Objective 3:  School and Community Partnerships
A.	Community Partnerships – Local
B.	Community Partnerships – On Campus

Please also include a 2-5 minute video and/or a slideshow highlighting your school’s program. The chart on the back of this sheet provides examples of activities and documents verifying that your school is an NEOEA Green School. If you are uncertain about the activities at your school or about the appropriate documentation, please contact Ben Beukeman of the Environmental Concerns Committee at 440.231.3781 or email him at bbeukeman@gmail.com. For ease of review and to lessen the impact on the environment, the committee prefers to receive documentation of artifacts in electronic format.
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NEOEA Green School Award, deadline: Friday, February 14, 2025
Please complete the accompanying form (also provide documentation of activities) and mail to: NEOEA, Green School Award, 6001 Landerhaven Drive, Suite D, Mayfield Hts., OH  44124-4190 OR email to: desk@neoea.org. For ease of review and to lessen the impact on the environment, the committee prefers to receive documentation of artifacts in electronic format.  Questions:  Please call Ben Beukeman of the Environmental Concerns Committee at 440.231.3781 or email him at bbeukeman@gmail.com. For a Word-fillable form, go to neoea.org/MemberData/GreenSchoolAward.rtf.
Name		
Address		
City, State, Zip		
Phone (day)		(evening)		
Email		
Local Association		
Signature of Local Association President		
Building applying for award		
Criteria met in Objective 1		Criteria met in Objective 2		Criteria met in Objective 3		

Criteria	Examples of Activities	Examples of Documentation	
Objective 1:  Curriculum and Instruction	
A.	Environmental Issue Investigation	Students examine and evaluate data to identify the decline in macroinvertebrate populations in a local waterway.  They investigate possible reasons for the decline.  They construct a rearing tank, raise and monitor a population of invertebrates, and record weekly data on population size.	Student journals, school newspaper article, original educator lesson plan.	
B.	Professional Development	Educators attend conference centered on incorporating environmental education into other subject areas.  Principal develops a school instructional workshop for developing lesson plans that use local environmental issues as the authentic context for learning.	Workshop agenda, summary reflection by educator on workshop, workshop product.	
C.	Celebration	Students and educators plan and implement a month-long celebration for Environmental Awareness Month, including an Earth Day celebration, tree seedling sale, and a tree planting on the school grounds.	Photographs, newspaper article, program, advertisement.	
Objective 2:  Operation, Design, and Maintenance of School Building and Grounds	
A.	Water Conservation/ Water Pollution Prevention	Students evaluate erosion on school grounds.  They create and implement an action plan to control the erosion problem with help from Local Soil Conservation District.	Newspaper articles, letter to Soil & Water Conservation District, action plan, photographs.	
B.	Energy Conservation	Students develop a plan to reduce energy usage in school buildings.  Students monitor plan by contacting treasurer for monthly energy bill to determine percentage of energy conserved.	Action plan, math lesson on calculating the percentage of energy saved on monthly bill.	
C.	Solid Waste	Students and educators design and implement a recycling program.	Newspaper articles, description of program.	
D.	Habitat Restoration	Using a map of school grounds, students complete a habitat evaluation of grounds.  They identify areas for habitat restoration and develop a 5-year implementation plan.	Student habitat checklist, 5-year plan, school map with habitat areas marked, newspaper articles.	
E.	Building Structures for Learning about the Environment	Students identify a location on school grounds for an outdoor classroom.  They work with PTA or community partner to design and construct the outdoor classroom.	Grant application, site design, dedication ceremony program, newspaper article, photographs.	
F.	Responsible Transportation	High School students develop and implement a "Share-a-Ride" plan for after school activities.  The plan includes a process for establishing carpools for students.  Students work with administration to provide a location for a "ride board" in the school commons.	Share-a-Ride plan, data showing car pool results, advertisements.	
G.	Healthy School Environment	Students monitor drinking fountains for lead content and report their findings to the principal and school board.	Letter to principal, data report, original lesson plan.	
H.	Air Pollution	Students brainstorm contributors of air pollution they are able to control.  Create and implement a plan that will show marked decrease in air pollution via alternative fuel sources or reduction in consumption.  	Student journals, newspaper article, original, educator lesson plan description of program, charts/graphs documenting reduction.	
Objective 3:  School and Community Partnerships	
A.	Community Partnerships – Local	Students work with the local Chamber of Commerce, Master Gardeners, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, or Boy Scouts to implement habitat restoration at a local park.	Newspaper article, grant application, letter to partners, photographs.	
B.	Community Partner-ships – On Campus	Students work with Waste Management Company to organize recycling program.	Letter to waste management company.