Joining the rising tide of environmentally conscious institutions, many Wisconsin area elementary schools are going green. This is a step that is beneficial both to the environment and to the health of students. The Green & Healthy Schools Program consists of three steps:

• Pledge,
• Discovery and Inventory, and
• Action and Implementation.

Upon completion of all three steps your school can apply for recognition as a Wisconsin Green & Healthy School.

Step 1
The first step on the road to a Green & Healthy School includes:

• becoming familiar with the program;
• forming a Green & Healthy team; and
• indicating your school's commitment by signing a pledge.
  

Step 2
In the second step, Discovery and Inventory, students, teachers, and school staff will conduct a self-Assessment to determine what healthy and environmentally sound practices are already in place. The Assessment sections each address facilities, operations, curriculum, and community involvement. After at least five sections of the Assessment are completed and the minimum Green & Healthy Schools requirements are met, schools submit verification that they have completed this step.

Step 3
As part of the third step, Action and Implementation, schools will use the results from their Green & Healthy Schools Assessment to determine how well they are doing or where they can improve. Then, using criteria presented in the Green & Healthy Schools Requirements Chart, they can chose, develop and implement various action projects. After the minimum criteria are met and targeted areas of improvement are accomplished, a school can apply to become a Wisconsin Green & Healthy School.


For a current list of schools that have completed the Wisconsin Green and Healthy Schools Assessment, visit the website of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
For more information on the Wisconsin Green and Healthy Schools program, visit the website of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

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