A recognition program for environmentally focused students who achieve extraordinary impact in schools and communities. Students are awarded pins and certificates for recognition of their hours of service. Seniors can achieve a graduation stole by completing a capstone project.

Meet our 2021-2022 Student Leadership Team!

Meet our 2020-2021 Green Schools Society Honor Roll Cohort!

Incorporate NGSS/IGSS at Your School

Project Green Schools provides a structured program and process for high-achieving, environmentally focused students to create extraordinary impact in schools, organizations, and communities while getting the recognition they deserve on a state and national level. The program develops bright, civic-minded, energy and environmentally literate citizens. By incorporating NGSS/IGSS in your school, students in grades K through 12 will advance their passion for preserving the environment through service projects, leadership, and activism. Green Student Leaders [Gr K-12] are recognized annually for their accomplishments in the form of National and International Green Schools Society Certificates, Pins [Bronze, Silver, Gold], and Honor stoles based on their accomplishments with this nationally-recognized program.

 

Essentially, this is the formula:

 

Benefits of National and International Green Schools Society

Students, individually or as a club or class, participate in environmental service projects, including STEM projects that have a direct impact on the school and local environment.

  • Students are seen as environmental leaders in their school and community.
  • Members get real world experience by leading fundraising events, organizing and managing projects, working in teams, and making presentations.
  • Students have the opportunity to take on leadership roles on a national level and participate in student-led webinars, conference calls, and events.
  • Graduating student members are honored at graduation with a distinctive National and International Green Schools Society stole when they meet specified requirements showing exemplary environmental stewardship in environmental education and service.
  • Students graduating key benchmark years such as fifth and eighth grade can also be honored at school-wide events (i.e. moving up ceremonies, promotion nights, end of year recognition events) through NGSS/IGSS.
  • Project Green Schools facilitates student recognition and awards at the state and national level.
  • Members are invited to participate and present at the national student recognition ceremony during the induction ceremony or school/community events
  • Members use their environmental projects to qualify for scholarships and awards.

Frequently Asked Questions

National and International Green Schools society (NGSS/IGSS) is a program that allows schools and students to be recognized for their environmental efforts. NGSS/IGSS can be an individual student with an advisor doing green work throughout their school and community, be a brand new club or be integrated into an already existing eco-club. Our program is free.

All you need to do is sign up.

If you already working on a project, keep working on it, then apply for recognition in spring.

If you need help with a project idea or how to start one check out:

Please download a copy of the NGSS Handbook to help guide you through the NGSS Program as well as the NGSS marketing template.

Please download a copy of the IGSS Handbook to help guide you through the IGSS Program as well as the IGSS marketing template.

NEW! Having an NGSS/IGSS Induction Ceremony? Download our fillable PDF
NGSS Induction Certificate

IGSS Induction Certificate

Save and use our Green Schools Society Postcard for events! Download as PDF

In the handbook you can find suggestions for fundraising activities, environmental service project ideas, environmental days to celebrate, sample induction and end of year ceremony scripts and more!

K- 12 members pledge 20 hours of environmental service to their school and community, and are encouraged to do more hours if they work on multiple projects. Students should have a combination of environmental service and environmental education hours. Your honor pin is based on the number of hours submitted at the end of your school year.

For those schools using Google Classroom there will be a field available when uploading applications for recognition to provide a link to a Google Doc for your end of year report as well as a Google Sheet for Service Hour Tracking. See below to find and save a copy of each of these documents.

In order to receive pins, students and/or classes are required to complete and submit their end of year paperwork ONLINE:

  • End of Year Report (Download) (IGSS End Of Year Report) (Google Doc)
  • Service Hour Tracking Sheet – depending on the grade level this can be done as a class or on an individual basis (Download) (IGSS Download) (Google Sheet)
  • All documentation (end of year report and tracking sheet) is collected and uploaded through our ONLINE application which is open.
  • Once documentation is received pins will be mailed and a certificate template will be available for download for Advisors. Students not involved with a club or class can work directly with our NGSS Staff to obtain their certificate and pin.
  • Project Green Schools requires a minimum of 10 business days once you’ve submitted your paperwork to process and mail pins to your school. Please be mindful of the calendar and your end of year celebrations so that the pins can arrive in time.
Service and Education Hours Honor
20-39 hours Bronze Leaf pin
40-69 hours Silver Leaf pin
70-100+ hours Gold Leaf pin

Graduating Seniors must perform hours in environmental service and environmental education to be eligible to receive a National or International Green Schools Society honor stole to wear at their graduation ceremony. Service hours can be accumulated over their four years of high school from a combination of courses, club activities, service or class projects, STEM projects, attended events, special programs and conferences.

Service and Education Hours Honor Level*
100 – 199 Hours Green
200 – 299 Hours Silver
300+ Hours Gold

*Honor level determines which stole you will receive

For those schools using Google Classroom there will be a field available when uploading applications for recognition to provide a link to a Google Doc for your end of year report, graduation essay as well as a Google Sheet for Service Hour Tracking. See below to find and save a copy of each of these documents.

Students who meet these requirements must complete and submit ONLINE:

  • A Graduation Form which includes a two-page essay about environmental service or STEM and its impact (Download) (Google Doc)
  • End of Year Report (Download) (IGSS End Of Year Report) (Google Doc)
  • Service Hour Tracking Sheet (Download) ( IGSS Tracking Form) (Google Sheet)
  • All graduate documentation (essay, end of year report, tracking sheet) is collected and uploaded through our ONLINE application which is open.
  • Submit a fee of $45 to cover the honor stole, citations, and related processing and mailing fees.
  • Project Green Schools requires a minimum of 10 business days once you’ve submitted your paperwork to process and mail stoles to your school. Please be mindful of the calendar and your graduation date so that your stole can arrive in time

The application period for End of Year Awards and Graduation Honor Stoles the 2022-2023 school year is open!

Apply for End of Year Recognition and Pins

Graduating Seniors: Apply for Graduation Stoles and Recognition

Reminder: Project Green Schools requires a minimum of 10 business days once you’ve submitted your paperwork to process and mail pins or stoles to your school. Please be mindful of the calendar and your end of year celebrations so that the pins or stoles can arrive in time.

Questions? Please email ngss@projectgreenschools.org