As eco-savvy parents, we try to instill green values in our kids at home. But once we put them on the school bus, we relinquish a lot of control over their green choices. Letting them ride the bus is a pretty sustainable act, but once they get to school, there's no guarantee the produce offered in the cafeteria will be pesticide free or that the cleaning products used in the gym will be nontoxic.
So how do we encourage our kids' schools to become more environmentally conscious? Here are a few tips, several of which I plan to try at my daughter's preschool:
- Find out if there are any green initiatives in place. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that your child's school already has a recycling program or encourages water conservation. You want to avoid stepping on toes, so call the office and find out what the school is doing before you begin making suggestions.
- Get involved. This may seem like an obvious tip, but you can't offer your suggestions if you aren't around. Attend PTA meetings and volunteer to help out at school fundraisers or chaperone field trips. It's a lot easier to encourage recycling when you're the one handing out the paper cups. Offer to speak to your child's class about sustainability. And to get even more personal, meet directly with your child's teacher and offer some simple suggestions for a greener classroom: encouraging students to write on both sides of the paper, turning off the lights when they leave a room, and setting up a small box for recycling paper. Offer to help organize a "green week" where students learn about composting, energy efficiency, and other issues related to sustainability, and suggest hands-on activities.
- Join forces with others. Sometimes, the voice of one concerned parent will be enough to spur a school to change. But when it isn't, it's great to have a group of other concerned parents to back you up. This can mean starting your own group of local parents who will turn their concerns over directly to the school or school board, or it can mean getting involved with organizations like the Green Schools Alliance, which defines itself as "an alliance of K to 12 public, private, and independent schools uniting to take action on climate change and the environment." Either way, a collective voice is often a lot more persuasive than a single one.
- Allow your child to lead by example. Perhaps the best way to help our kids' schools go green is to teach our children why green living is important at home. Chances are they will take those values with them and rub off on classmates, or even teachers. When you send your child to school with a trash-free lunch packaged in a bento box or reusable snack bags instead of plastic, that will speak volumes. Allow your child to be the one to ask the teacher about recycling.
The green movement is catching on in a big way, and your child's school may already be well on its way to becoming more sustainable. Ask first, and if the answer isn't what you think it should be, build up the courage to make a difference. Just remember that big changes start with small steps.
Have you ever tried to encourage your child's school to go green? Did your efforts lead to change? Please share your experience with the Nation so we can all help each other make sustainability an important part of our children's education.
