Maryland Green School Resources
Be sure to check out Internet Resources at the bottom of this page!
 

· Resource Contacts
· Green School Funding Resources
· Documents & Publications
· Internet Resources

Environmental Education (EE) Internet Resources
Attention all current and future Maryland Green Schools and Green Centers:
This document (click above) provides active links to resources grouped according to the seven environmental best management practices (BMPs), as listed on the Maryland Green School application form.

New Resource Directory
Need help with ideas for Green Schools and Schoolyard Habitat projects? MAEOE has just issued a comprehensive - and evolving - guide to the people and programs in your county (or statewide) who can provide ideas and assistance. Click above to download - and be sure to share with colleagues!

Maryland Green Schools & Green Centers
These are alphabetical lists of all existing Green Schools and Green Centers in the State. The Green Schools list includes school information followed by the county represented, the year first awarded and then the year the school was eligible for recertification or the year the school was recertified. Finally, if a school was recertified, the last column indicates the year the next recertification is due. The Green School committee of MAEOE elected to give schools a full three years before recertification is required.

Resource Contacts

The following regional contacts can help support schools interested in applying to become Green Schools.

Western Maryland
(Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick)

Ed Hazlett 301.766.8138

North Eastern Maryland
(Harford, Cecil)

Karen Cifranick (410) 638-3903
Cindy Grove (410)260-8716

North Central Maryland
(Carroll County)

Steve Heacock 410 751-3301

Central Maryland

Jeanne Armacost (Baltimore County): 410.887.4488
Matt Yurko (Baltimore City): 410.484.2413
Dave Honchalk (Montgomery): 301.924.3123
Joe Keyser (Montgomery): 240.777.7720
Elena Takaki (Howard): 410.260.8715
Steve Barry (Anne Arundel): 410.222.3822
John Neville/ Jennifer Maulfair (Prince George's County): 301.888.1185

Eastern Shore Counties

Donna Lloyd (410) 221-8483

Southern Maryland

Gina McCullough (Calvert) (410) 535-7247
Will Williams (St. Mary's, Charles) (410) 414-5905

Green School Funding Resources

Local & Regional Funding Sources

Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee
The Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee is a volunteer group of citizens, professionals and government representatives whose primary role is to educate and inform people about the benefits of urban forests, and to enhance the public's appreciation for those forests. To help achieve our task, we promote and coordinate the Maryland Community PLANT Awards and administer Grants to schools and communities in Maryland that promote tree projects, including education, planting and care.

Chesapeake Bay Trust
60 West Street, Suite 200A
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
410-974-2941
The Chesapeake Bay Trust offers grants schools for projects that contribute to the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. The Trust favors action-oriented activities. Requests for $2,000 and under may be submitted at any time, preferably at least 4-6 weeks before the activity. Requests over $2,000 must be received before 5 p.m. on the quarterly deadline dates.

Aquatic Resources Education Grants Program /Maryland DNR
580 Taylor Ave. E-2, Annapolis MD 21401
410-260-8710
Provides reimbursement grants for Maryland public and non-public school educators to design projects which equip their students to make educated choices concerning aquatic resources. Grants of $1,000 per school and up to $4000 per school district are available to conduct aquatics related projects.

National Funding Sources

Toshiba America Foundation
The mission of Toshiba America Foundation is to promote quality science and mathematics education in U.S. schools. Grants are made for programs and activities that improve teaching and learning in science and mathematics, grades K-12. The Foundation focuses its grant making on inquiry-based projects designed by individual teachers, and small teams of teachers, for use in their own classrooms.  Click above for more information.

National Geographic Education Foundation Grants
The mission of the National Geographic Society's Education Foundation is to prepare children to embrace a diverse world, succeed in a global economy, and steward the planet's resources. Teacher grants to support innovative geography education projects are given directly to educators to facilitate their work in promoting geographic literacy in the classroom, school, district, and community. Project proposals should involve students in the research and study of a particular geographic issue/problem and create a public awareness campaign for sharing their knowledge with a wider audience. Teacher grant applications are accepted from any current teacher or administrator in an accredited K-12 school within the United States and Canada. Projects that have outreach to urban areas are particularly encouraged. The application deadline is September 2.

National Wildlife Federation
1-800-822-9919
50 grants of $250 each are available for creating schoolyard habitats. Each year, applications will be available online beginning October 1st and are due by January 15th.

Home Depot
1-800-430-3376
Offers grants to projects benefiting the environment, and to those working with at-risk youth.

Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Fund
414-272-5805
Offers small grants to schools and other educational organizations that work towards creating natural landscapes using native plants.

Lowe's Toolbox for Education
Lowe's recognizes the importance of parent involvement in education. To empower parents and further encourage their involvement in their children's schools, we have established the Lowe's Toolbox for Education grant program to fund school improvement projects initiated by parents.  Launched in partnership with PTO Today, a leading organization serving parent-teacher groups, Toolbox for Education will provide grants of up to $5,000 for public school improvement projects initiated by parents. Up to 1,000 grants nationwide will be awarded during the 2005-2006 school year.  Click above to apply online or visit for more information.

National Gardening Association
NGA supports programs across the country that actively engages kids in the garden. To be eligible for the following grants, your school or organization must plan to garden with at least 15 kids between the ages of 3 and 18.

National Tree Trust
Community Tree Planting Program
1-800-846-8733
Schools can apply to receive free tree seedlings through NTT's Community Tree Planting Program.

National 4-H Council
7100 Connecticut Ave.
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
301-961-2800
Community Tree Planting Grants for community tree planting and restoration projects.

Outdoor Classroom Grant Program
The Outdoor Classroom Grant Program provides outdoor, hands-on science education to students in grades K-12 and assists schools in enhancing their core curriculum in all subjects. Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, International Paper and National Geographic Explorer! classroom magazine have partnered to create an outdoor classroom grant program to provide schools with additional resources to improve their science curriculum by engaging students in hands-on experiences outside the traditional classroom. All K-12 public schools in the United States are welcome to apply.

This school year, the program will award grants up to $2,000 to at least 100 schools. In some cases, grants for up to $20,000 may be awarded to schools or school districts with major outdoor classroom projects. The grants can be used to build a new outdoor classroom or to enhance a current outdoor classroom at the school. This program only considers outdoor classroom proposals. Please submit all other grant proposals for community improvement projects and K-12 public school initiatives to the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation at www.lowes.com/community. After representatives from Lowe's, International Paper and National Geographic evaluate your grant application, you will receive International Paper's Life of the Forest Classroom Kit. The free kit, which contains 10 full-color posters, 10 teaching guides and 20 booklets, can be used in your classroom at your discretion.

Toshiba America Foundation
212-569-0600
Provides grants to K-12 teachers to improve science and science-related education.

Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Teachers
c/o National Science Teachers Association
1840 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington VA 22201
Available to K-12 science teachers. Application available on line.

Wal-Mart Foundation
Encourages community action by supporting environmental efforts and education

A Study of Maryland Green Schools and Student Academic Achievement
A research report by former MAEOE Executive Director Kate Clavijo, EdD, provides solid evidence reflecting the positive relationship between student achievement and the activities conducted to become a Maryland Green School.

Clearing Magazine
A non-profit, quarterly magazine for teachers and educators of all age levels and subject areas, providing lesson plans, strategies, activities, resources, and inspiration for teaching environmental literacy, critical thinking, stewardship of natural resources, sustainability, interdependence, and learning in and about the places we live.  Wanted:  Unique stories of environmental, place-based or sustainability education.  Clearing Magazine is looking for innovative, creative and unusual programs and projects in environmental education.  If you know of a program - at any grade level or subject area - that you think would make a great article for CLEARING, please contact us.

Why I Love the Nature in My Schoolyard
Nationally acclaimed speaker, naturalists, and author of the award-winning Take A Walk® Book series Jane Kirkland, is sponsoring the first annual "Why I Love the Nature in My Schoolyard Contest." Open to students in PA, DE, NJ, and MD, children are invited to write an original essay, 50 words or less, about the nature in their schoolyard and why they appreciate seeing the flora and fauna in their area. A grand prize winner in each of the four states will win a free assembly at their school by author Kirkland as well as a wild bird feeding station for their schoolyard compliments of Wild Bird Centers of America. First-place winners in several age groups in each state win a set of Take A Walk Books along with a set for their school library. Kirkland speaks nationally at schools, events, and conferences and is a regular guest on WXPN's radio program Kids Corner out of Philadelphia. Details of the contests and contest entry forms are available at www.takeawalk.com.

Environmental Health Science Lessons
Four exciting new environmental health science lessons (always built around actual articles) are now online - click above . They include Unequal Housing, Unequal Health, Following the Sun to Greener Buildings, Mapping the Air in Your School, and Using Chemistry to Tread Lead Poisoning. Each of these links has also been placed on the Greening Schools Greening Your Lessons resource list.

Butterfly Map of America's Green Space
A biologist and co-curator of the Florida Museum of Natural History (Gainesville) is using their collection to begin building a national butterfly database. This will make it possible to track butterfly populations in specific areas.

Clean Green Healthy Schools: An Environmental Health and Safety Book for Teachers and Students
The goal of the Clean, Green and Healthy Schools Manual is to protect students and the school and community's health and safety on campus and in the home. Every student has the right to attend a school whose environment, staff and training protects and nurtures physical, mental and social well being. By using the Manual's lesson plans, students can learn how to have a healthy extended life and the community is offered a model to follow. Lessons are linked to national standards.

Scott's Give Back to Grow Program (deadline is December 2)
Through its Give Back to Grow corporate caring initiative, the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company seeks to honor individuals who take pride in giving back to their communities through gardening. The annual Scotts Give Back to Grow Awards provides support for, and promotes participation in, gardening that "grows community pride." The sixth annual Scotts Give Back to Grow Awards program is now accepting nominations in four categories including Scotts Classroom Gardener of the Year Salutes elementary through high school teachers who have integrated a school gardening program into their curriculum.

Ecological Footprint Quiz. 
This is a favorite interactive quiz that can be taken in many different languages. 
 
Janitorial Products Pollution Prevention Project (JP4)
There are several sources for information on janitorial products that encourage sustainable schools and pollution prevention:
http://www.wrppn.org/Janitorial/jp4.cfm, from the Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network; http://www.ofee.gov/gp/greenjanitorial.html, from the Sustainable Environmental Stewardship and the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive.  Each offers portals to a wealth of information.

Blueprint for a Green School
A helpful resource for your project is the book compiled by the Center for Environmental Education (CEE). It's sole focus is the environmental health of your school and is chocked filled with ideas and resources about how to "green-up" your school. It can be ordered by calling CEE at 603-355-3251, writing to CEE c/o Antioch New England Graduate School, 40 Avon Street Keene, NH 03431-3516.

Student/School Greening Partnership
A basic $5 School Audit which takes a student/teacher team approach to investigating environmental conditions in the school.  Students study their school, and by using the guidelines and the suggested viable solutions, students can help "green up" their school.

The Alliance to Save Energy
The Alliance to Save Energy Green Schools Program helps students through good education, helps schools through increasing financial resources, and helps the environment by saving energy.

The Green Flag Program
The Green Flag Program is a new initiative of the national Child Proofing Our Communities campaign, coordinated by the Center for Health Environment and Justice. The program is designed to help communities make their schools healthier places to learn, and to educate students about environmental responsibility. The program works with students and adults to research problems and find solutions and promote alternatives by educating peers and advocating positive policy changes in the school.

Wisconsin Green & Healthy Schools
This web site may be of special interest to current and potential Green Schools and Green School supporters.  The Wisconsin Green & Healthy Schools Program is a web-based, voluntary program available to all public and private elementary, middle, and high schools across Wisconsin. The program encourages teachers, staff, students and parents to work together to use the school, its grounds, and the whole community as learning tools to help teach, promote, and apply healthy, safe and environmentally sound practices. Click above to learn more.