Dear colleagues and friends of Project Green Schools,

The most exciting thing in this world, to me, is change… Large-scale changes in companies, industries, communities, and countries… The changes that fundamentally shift the way things operate, what people believe, what is needed to succeed, the culture. Change is hard, but the results of evolution are rewarding.

This past year I have had the pleasure of serving Project Green Schools, an organization with a measurable impact on developing the next generation to lead in the face of environmental challenges and our changing world. 2017 was a year of evolution for Project Green Schools. We celebrated our 10 Year Anniversary and looked back on our journey.

Our programs… started as a project to make schools healthier for children and teachers. Today we’re an organization that develops youth into change-makers who can lead the world into a green and sustainable future.

Our operations… started with a few schools in Massachusetts. As of this year we’ve worked with more than 6,300 schools in 43 U.S. states and 13 countries.

Our reach… started with educators and students. Today our audience is broad, including education, government and industry, in addition to students. Across our social media platforms, we receive 20,000 – 50,000 hits on a weekly basis.

I am proud of what Project Green Schools has accomplished in its first 10 years. These accomplishments laid the groundwork to do even more. And we made the bold decision to make it happen. To evolve our model we took a critical look and decided on many changes, most importantly, focus and funding.

First, our focus has been broadening. The organization has grown many projects, including student & teacher curriculum, awards, leadership groups, access to educational resources, and student recognition. Above all, our recognition and leadership programs deliver the highest value to our students. Going forward we will center our work around the National Green Schools Society and our State and National Leadership Councils. Focusing on these areas aligns with our primary goals: motivating environmental learning and stewardship, developing the skills of students, and creating leaders.

Second, we have made the strategic shift from a school and student-paid membership to a donor and grant funded model. Industry, government and community organizations have a keen interest in developing students into both environmentally knowledgeable citizens and an environmentally proficient workforce. With support from these interested and invested parties, we can grow to offer our programs to all K-12 across the United States and globally.

The fundamentals of these changes have already been instituted. Over the next few years, we will build upon this evolution aiming for tremendous growth and increased impact, reaching exponentially more students and schools around the globe each year.

I am honored and excited to be a part of developing the environmental leaders of the next generation with Project Green Schools.

Stacy Goodman

Board Chair, Project Green Schools