Green Schools Press Release
NEW ENGLAND – October 1, 2015 – This fall the Walmart Foundation sponsored the development and implementation of a New England Green Student Leadership Council that will engage students in grades five through 12 across the region in environmental service projects, environmental education activities, project-based learning, and leadership opportunities. Modeled after the successful Massachusetts Green Student Leadership Council, the New England group (NE GSLC) is an initiative of National Green Schools Society, a Massachusetts-based national non-profit organization dedicated to innovative Environmental Education, E-STEM Education, Leadership, and Action.
With assistance from Walmart’s donation, NE GSLC will engage 60 environmentally-focused students from across New England to run interactive, cross-sector, meetings where students will discuss challenges and obstacles related to environmental sustainability in their lives. Students will be asked to collect data and be responsible for designing and implementing service projects that address local environmental problems of their schools and communities. Students will also form a feedback loop, produce a report, and be able to share best/worst practices in an informative and nurturing environment. A copy of the student-generated report will be shared with key individuals, policy makers, Green Communities, and sustainability and environmental leaders across New England and in the US.
“Green Schools is proud to be sponsored by a foundation that invests in innovative education, energy efficiency, wellness, and community engagement,” Green Schools Executive Director Robin Organ said. “There is much synergy in our work. We have seen direct impacts of the Walmart Foundation’s efforts in many of the communities we serve, and it is my belief that together, through the development of the New England Green Student Leadership Council, we can make a real difference – or what we call ‘The Green Difference’ across New England and beyond!”
“We are very happy to support Green Schools and the important work that they do to teach kids the importance of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency,” said Chris Buchanan, Walmart Director of Government Relations and Public Affairs. “Environmental sustainability is a major priority at Walmart, and we know that this work cannot be done without the partnerships between corporations like ours and local and dedicated organizations like Green Schools.”
Green Schools knows how to Create Model Students
Since 2008, Green Schools has served more than 500,000 students, 5,000 schools, 500 Award-winning student leaders, and over 20,000 hours of environmental service. Our programs have been recognized the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Labor-Women’s Bureau, the North American Association of Environmental Education, and others. Green Schools students mean business when it comes to Environmental Stewardship, Leadership, and Action. They are transforming schools and communities through environmental projects and policies, and through meaningful community engagement. Green Schools students are environmentally literate citizens that understand the complexities of our living planet and how to protect it.
Green Schools provides schools, teachers and students with a number of award-winning Environmental Education programs and resources to best develop the next generation of green students and schools. For more information about Green Schools go to:www.projectgreenschools.org
About Philanthropy at Walmart
By using our strengths to help others, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation create opportunities for people to live better every day. We have stores in 27 countries, employing more than 2.2 million associates and doing business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. We are helping people live better by accelerating upward job mobility and economic development for the retail workforce; addressing hunger and making healthier, more sustainably-grown food a reality; and building strong communities where we operate and inspiring our associates to give back. Whether it is helping to lead the fight against hunger in the United States with $2 billion in cash and in-kind donations or supporting Women’s Economic Empowerment through a series of grants totaling $10 million to the Women in Factories training program in Bangladesh, China, India and Central America, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are not only working to tackle key social issues, we are also collaborating with others to inspire solutions for long-lasting systemic change. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit www.foundation.walmart.com.
