Local Schools Designated as Green Schools

Michigan Green Schools is a non-profit agency dedicated to assisting all Michigan schools - public and private - achieve environmental goals of protecting the land, air, water and animals of our state along with outreach through good ecological practices and stewardship. The program, developed in partnership with local school districts, encourages and recognizes the environmental education, and energy conservation efforts within the school buildings of local districts, in conjunction with teaching educational stewardship to student in grades pre-K through 12.

Green schools provide a productive learning environment, connect students to the natural world, reduce operating costs, improve student-teacher relationships, and reduce the overall impact to the environment. Students are the driving force in becoming environmental stewards in their schools and in their communities.

Locally, 11 schools in Genesee and Lapeer Counties have been designated as a Michigan Green School:

• Beecher Adult/Alternative Education, Beecher Community School District
• Beecher High School, Beecher Community School District
• Beecher Middle School, Beecher Community School District
• Carman Park-Baker Career Academy, Carman Ainsworth Community Schools
• Davison High School, Davison Community Schools
• Elmer Knopf Learning Center, Genesee Intermediate School District
• Imlay City Middle School, Imlay City Community Schools (Lapeer County)
• LakeVille Middle School, LakeVille Community School District
• Orchard Primary School, Almont Community Schools (Lapeer County)
• Seymour Elementary, Flushing Community Schools
• St. Pius X (located in Carman Ainsworth School District)
• West Middle School, Grand Blanc Community Schools

The program was created with Public Act 146 of 2006, an amendment to the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act of 1994, which established the Green School Designation. Currently, schools apply for official state Green School designation under Michigan Public Act 301 of 2010. The Green School Designation encourages all schools to participate in easy to administer environmental and energy saving activities known as 20 Points of Energy and Environmental Saving Activities. Some of these activities include: recycling programs; classroom energy audits and energy improvements; creating a birdhouse habitat; adopting an endangered species, and increasing awareness. Any school that reaches their environmental goals would achieve Michigan Green School status and receive a Michigan Green School flag to proudly display at their school while continuing their work to protect Michigan's precious natural resources.

In the fist year of the program, 18 schools in the state participated. This year, over 600 schools are participating statewide.

Green School materials are available on the Michigan Green School website, www.michigangreenschools.org, for anyone who wants to learn more and participate in this project.