GREEN RIBBON SCHOOLS Fostering Students’ Sustainability/Green Initiatives While Building STEM And 21 st Century Leaning/Career Skills
May 26, 2015
GREEN RIBBON SCHOOLS
Fostering Students’ Sustainability/Green InitiativesWhile Building STEM
And 21st Century Leaning/Career Skills
Children ...may spend their childhoods with little or no opportunity to play in clean dirt, swim in clear, running streams, hear and see animals in their natural habitats, feel the sensations of walking through meadows and woodlands on dewy mornings, climb trees, and explore wild places.
These are the experiences that bond children to the natural world, sharpen their senses, inspire a sense of beauty, build emerging concepts of biology, geology, physics, and language.
And they are critical brain building experiences for complementing the physical , social, and cognitive skills developed in recess, free playground play, and compact nature areas in backyards, schoolyards, and neighborhood parks."
Dr. Joe Frost, the Parker Centennial Professor Emeritus in The University of Texas at Austin College of Education's Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Texas Children in Nature Coalition member
HEALTH
IER, HAPPIER, SM
ARTER KIDS
Green Ribbon Schools’ 3 R’s Approach
Today we’ll:
• Review Green Ribbon Schools and Healthivores
• Reach and involve kids w/ engaging STEM tools/programs(Project Based Learning)
• Recognize student achievement
• Reinforce actions through individual and community support
Learning and Behavioral Change goes beyond “lesson plans” … we must:
753 SCHO
OLS IN
40 STATES GRS Launched April 2010 60+ Houston area schools
Source: Children at Risk
WH
Y GREEN
RIBBON
SCHO
OLS?
Before the What…Let’s talk about WHY Green Ribbon Schools
Reduce obesity...... stewards of resources...
... improve test scores... ... trim budgets!
CHILD
REN IN
NATU
RE COALITIO
N – 60+ O
RGS.
Green Ribbon Schools – State and National Partners
Helping students reach their potential, healthier, happier, smarter
What is a Green Ribbon School? Striving for Continual Improvement
GRS - PERM
ISSION
BASED – PU
RPOSEFU
L IN
TERACTION
SGreen Ribbon Schools – TX Children in Nature Coaltion
www.greenribbonschools.org
GREAT PU
BLISHED
ACTIVITIESGreat Published Activities
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ARTERSchools Taking and Sharing Actions
0
HEALTH
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ARTER … EN
GAG
ED
KIDS
Examples of a Few Published Projects
• NY Turtle Count • Alaska Wind Turbine• NJ Garden Plots • CA Outside Classes• Katy Fishing Trip video• Dallas Gardens and more• San Antonio Healthivores• Cedar Park Healthivores• Austin Healthivores (Spanish included in talk bubbles)
Please note, if the links do not work in the PDF or slide version, projects can be located used the Green Ribbon Schools’ web site “search” feature
DIG
ITAL PORTFO
LIO FO
R ENTIRE SCH
OO
LSchool Badges, Archived Projects – Annual Clean Green Slate
DESIG
NED
FOR SCH
OO
LS’ ACCEPTABLE USE
POLICIES
Permission Based: Projects, Publishing, Moderation, Profiles
BUILD
ING
RELATION
SHIPS
Integrated Social Media Campaigns – E-letters, Facebook, etc.
Facebook 2,600+
E-letters 2,700+, Tuesday Tips
Conferences fromPTA’s/PTO’s to Student Councils to Teacher Organizations
Other:Hays CISD included GRS in5-yr strategic plan, school principal “focus, direction”
Balcones Chap. USGBC usedGRS web site to select schools
Partnership discussions w/ TSU Meadows/Aquarena Springs
UT Brownsville & PBL
NY Parent “GRS is the glue”Page ViewsOct.’11 1,173Oct.’12 23,183
GRS Web statsVisitsOct.’11 209Oct.’12 4,265
HEALTH
IER, HAPPIER, SM
ARTER, KIDS
Engaging Students – Fabric of the School – Contest, Recognition
An innovative program and contest that ENGAGES KIDS
in learning about personal HEALTH through VIDEO
GAME DESIGN
Background Convergence: Pflugerville ISD, AMD Foundation, Green Ribbon Schools
Pilot: Fall 2011, HS kids mentored MS & Elem (90% of pilot students Hispanic/African American, conducted during 21st Century after-school program)
Observed: Grade level step up in cognitive thinking and internalization of the lesson/concept
Created: Toolkit and national contest
Kathryn, Instructional Technology Coordinator:
Healthivores enabled the teachers to be competent facilitators … Students were excited to show off what they learned for other students … Watching students helping someone else become healthy was amazing.”
Josue, Teacher:
“Students are enjoying being able to design the games. Not only am I seeing the light come on in their heads about healthy foods and exercising but they are starting to learn the vocabulary and skills around game making, which will motivate them to investigate further the mechanics behind game design and creation.“
Mariah, Student: “I started browsing around Taco Cabana's website. Most of the other students were looking at the usuals like McDonald’s, Whataburger, etc… … I heard Mexican food tastes so good because it's bad for you. I found a dish that has a total of 96 grams of fat. I was like, "holy cow, if you eat this, you can't eat for a day and a half". I decided I would never eat there again because I don’t want to be "fat".”
Austin B., Student and a Healthivores’ game winner:
"That is my dream — to actually create my own game company."
Zero Game Design and Zero Game Play Experience Needed.
If you can turn on a computer…you can complete our Lesson Plan with your
students.
Let’s just say we have made it really EASY!
WIN
NERS
Top Line Health and TechnologyPilot students reported•Almost 80% reported an increase in technology skills and about 57% reported increase in math/science skills•54% reported an increased interest in technology, 49% said increase in math and science interests•68% saying they are more aware and concerned about obesity•50% saying it has made them think about and/or adjust their food choices/habits Game Contest Participation Goal 12 to 15 schools Actual 46 schools, over 750 students About 375 games created, 50% by middle schools Published health education projects +400%
Contest students reported 68% reported an increase in technology interest 54% said program changed how they think about food choices
HEALTH
IER, HAPPIER, SM
ARTER, KIDS
Continue Student Engagement - Establish Tradition
Keep the buzz w/ Voting contest
New contest Oct. – March 2013 …
Extend Healthivores: Student newspapers,PSA’s,etc.
Establish “School Culture of Wellness”, cool to think/act regarding your health
HEALTH
IER, HAPPIER, SM
ARTERIt’s About the Kids - Future
0
HEALTH
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ARTER … FU
NN
ER KID
S Briargrove Elementary and Green Ribbon Schools
• Build and Share Your Story – Glue
• Knowledge Sharing – Grow Best Practices
• Reach and Engage Community Participation
• Empower Kids for Life Long Success .. That They Matter
Building a Culture Where it is Cool to Think … And to Act ….
“Engaging children in nature exploration and play
helps prevent obesity and related diseases, nurtures physical fitness,
enhances overall development and well being, and
adds fundamental dimensions to learning science concepts
not available in the confines of classrooms.”
Dr. Joe Frost, the Parker Centennial Professor Emeritus in The University of Texas at Austin College of Education's Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Texas Children in Nature Coalition member
Steve Amos
512-970-7443
www.greenribbonschools.org
Healthier, Happier, Smarter Kids