PLT's GreenSchools program inspires students to improve the environment at their school, at home, and in their community. Student-led Green Teams apply STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) to create greener and healthier schools—and save schools money!

Five hands-on, student-driven investigations are at the heart of PLT's GreenSchools program.

• Energy Investigation - Students investigate how much energy their school uses, the main sources of that energy, and ways to implement energy-saving strategies.
• Environmental Quality Investigation - Students investigate areas where improvements can be made in indoor air quality, transportation, chemical use, and more.
• School Site Investigation - Students investigate natural habitats, wildlife, trees, grounds maintenance practices, and ways to make improvements to their school site.
• Waste & Recycling Investigation - Students investigate how much waste their school generates and where it goes, as well as recycling and composting efforts.
• Water Investigation - Students investigate the source, cost, and quality of their school's water supply, and ways to enhance current water conservation practices
  
  

Each investigation details specific things for students to measure and observe, along with student worksheets to fill out and guidance on how to combine data collected into a school-wide analysis.

This printed guide includes all five of PLT's GreenSchools Investigations plus an Adult Leaders section with tips on how to form a Green Team, suggestions for how students might conduct the Investigations, and ways to obtain grants to implement action projects.

It also provides information on the importance of greening schools to make them healthier places for students and teachers to learn and work, and specific examples of how the GreenSchools Investigations support STEM education. Visit Project Learning Tree’s website to read stories of students’ action projects. Hear from students about their green school’s journey, and from teachers about lessons they learned along the way, as well as their tips for others interested in implementing similar projects.

If you are a teacher, librarian, or administrator looking to place an order with a purchase order, please contact PLT's Sales & Marketing Coordinator at PLT@forests.org. 

Price includes shipping and handling.

“When I started looking into the PLT GreenSchools curriculum, I liked it because it was very hands-on, and the kids were all on the same level as their teachers and the school administrators. Because of that, we knew that our kids would buy into the program, notice the changes they were able to make, and be proud of what they’d accomplished. PLT’s GreenSchools makes an impact because the kids have ownership of it. They leave here, and they’re still remembering and using what they’ve learned even after they graduate.”

– Richard Klein, Environmental Education Director, The Monarch School, Houston, TX

“PLT’s GreenSchools program has made a remarkable difference in our impact on our environment and learning about how we can become better citizens through our stewardship of natural resources.”

– Zayra Sota, 8th Grade Student, Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School, Kansas City, MO

“The GreenSchools program helps us meet our educational mission in a variety of ways. The STEM concepts work to build our students’ academic success while the environmental service-learning component works toward the master of trades and technology. By further connecting the skills and science concepts to careers, this program is responsive to industries’ emerging and changing global work force needs and expectations.”

– Dr. Nivea L. Torres, Superintendent of Schools, Connecticut Technical High School System, Hartford, CT