County Schools Are Greening The Way
PGCPS Continues To Lead The Way In Maryland Green School Certification
Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) continues to lead the state in Green School certification. PGCPS had the most schools applying for certification, the highest number of new Green Schools and tops all Maryland school districts in its total number of Green Schools.
This year, 12 schools earned first-time certification and 26 schools were recertified, raising the total number of Green Schools to 148 – 74 percent of all schools systemwide and approximately 23 percent of the 642 active Maryland Green Schools.
“Students and staff made a tremendous effort to put Prince George’s County in the forefront as Maryland Green Schools,” said Dr. Monica Goldson, Chief Executive Officer. “Their work is critical as we strive to meet goals outlined in our Climate Change Action Plan while empowering students to come up with creative strategies and work together.”
Schools earning Maryland Green School certification for the first time include Barnaby Manor, Cooper Lane, James McHenry, Oaklands, Springhill Lake and Tayac elementary schools; Beltsville Academy; College Park Academy Public Charter School; Frances R. Fuchs Early Childhood Center; Isaac J. Gourdine Middle School; James E. Duckworth Regional School; and Thomas G. Pullen Creative and Performing Arts School.
Schools must recertify every four years to maintain Green School status. Calverton Elementary achieved Sustainable status this year for maintaining certification for 14 consecutive years.
In addition, other schools earning recertification include:
High Schools – Central, Frederick Douglass, DuVal, Eleanor Roosevelt and Parkdale
K-8/Middle Schools – Buck Lodge, Cesar Chavez Dual Spanish Immersion School, Greenbelt, Kenmoor, Nicholas Orem, Samuel Ogle, Samuel P. Massie
Elementary Schools – Beacon Heights, Francis Scott Key, Glenn Dale, High Bridge, Highland Park, John H. Bayne, Kingsford, Langley Park-McCormick, Longfields, Riverdale, Robert R. Gray, Thomas S. Stone
Public Charter Schools – Chesapeake Math & IT Academy North Elementary School
Schools will be honored during the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education’s (MAEOE) Annual Youth Summit on Thursday, May 18 at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis. Schools will also receive a Maryland Green School flag, statewide and local recognition and special gifts.
The Maryland Green Schools program, sponsored by MAEOE, is one of the most rigorous and comprehensive Green School certification programs in the nation. It encourages educational opportunities, increases environmental awareness and promotes environmental stewardship practices for students at all grade levels. Through a non-competitive application process, schools must demonstrate their green activities and culture in eight criteria areas.
The Williams S. Schmidt Outdoor Education Center has played a key role in growing the number of certifications by assisting schools with achieving and maintaining Green School status through modeling, educational programs, application guidance and support.
For more information about the Green School Program, visit theMAEOE website.
