American Forest Foundation Blog

PLT GreenSchools! Teacher Receives White House Award

Dominick DeRosa, a teacher at a Project Learning Tree GreenSchool! in Kansas City, Kansas, has received the 2013 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators. "The teachers who have earned this award are inspiring our nation's future leaders to be responsible stewards of our environment, and preparing them to excel in the 21st century economy," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, which administers the award program along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Growing a New Generation of Conservation Leaders

I recently toured a PLT GreenSchool! in Washington, D.C. along with high ranking officials from the USDA and met seven energetic middle schoolers who have made a big difference in the environmental awareness of their community.

Twenty Four PLT GreenSchools! Named Green Ribbon Schools

Happy Earth Day!  We’re thrilled that 24 of the 64 national Green Ribbon Schools announced today by the U.S. Department of Education are registered Project Learning Tree GreenSchools!  We congratulate them on having been recognized as the 'best of the best.’

Five Tips to Celebrate Earth Day, Every Day

In honor of Earth Day 2013, I’ve compiled a list of five tips we can all do to protect America's forests.

What Advice Would You Give Students Interested in Pursuing a Green Career?

Our new series of PLT GreenSchools! webinars kicks off today at 4pm ET. A dynamic group of student leaders from one of PLT's model GreenSchools--Bloomfield Vocational Technical School in Bloomfield, NJ--will share how greening their school is inspiring them to pursue green careers.  Join the discussion!  Ask a question, or share your expertise, about how young people might prepare for the ever-growing green jobs industry and economy of the future.

Students Proliferate Native Plants in a New Greenhouse

A science teacher at Carmichaels High School in Pennsylvania shares what his students are doing to combat invasive species in their community for a service-learning project funded in part by a Project Learning Tree GreenWorks! grant.

Announcing a New Series of PLT GreenSchools! Webinars

Project Learning Tree is proud to be a part of the U.S. Department of Education 2013 Green Strides Webinar Series that provides school communities the tools to reduce their schools’ environmental impact and costs; improve health and wellness; and teach effective environmental education. Five new webinars will be anchored by dynamic PLT student Green Teams from across the nation, along with education and environmental professionals.

Announcing Project Learning Tree's
2013 National Outstanding Educators

Five educators who use environmental education as a tool to improve student learning and foster environmental stewardship were named the 2013 National Project Learning Tree Outstanding Educators. Their diverse experiences illustrate how PLT can be used effectively on the ground with all age groups, in the classroom and outdoors, and across the curriculum. These educators will be honored at PLT’s 27^th Conference, April 29-May 2, in Point Clear, Alabama.

Reflections from a National PLT Outstanding Educator

Being recognized as a National Project Learning Tree Outstanding Educator has been a big honor. 

Coronado Green Team Goes National

Meet the Green Team from Coronado Elementary School in Albuquerque, NM. These four pioneering kids took their community by storm with their documentary. Now they are going national. They will join PLT at the Green Schools National Conference to be held February 22-24 in West Palm Beach, FL to present their documentary and talk about their experiences greening their school to hundreds of conference attendees from around the country.

Students Restore Habitat at Santiago Park Nature Reserve in Santa Ana, California

With help from a Project Learning Tree GreenWorks! grant, high school students from Santa Ana and Orange County are learning about the value of native plants, biodiversity, and wildlife habitat.  A local non-profit, Back to Natives Restoration, is providing students opportunities to meet at the Santiago Park Nature Reserve once a month to participate in hands-on environmental education activities, and perform community service to improve the park for both wildlife and people.

PLT GreenSchools!: Get Inspired to Reduce Waste on “America Recycles Day”

Today is “America Recycles Day” - a great opportunity to recognize the efforts of so many PLT GreenSchools! that have used the Waste and Recycling Investigation to reduce the amount of trash their schools send to landfills. Plus, check out some great teacher resources and backgrounders on waste and recycling.

New Forest Service Training Grants Give Boost to PLT GreenSchools!

Since the earliest beginnings  of PLT GreenSchools!, we have been fortunate to partner with the U.S. Forest Service Conservation Education Program in our work to help students, teachers and schools make their schools and communities greener. This year, the Forest Service has boosted its support, sponsoring a series of trainings in conjunction with regional Forest Service offices in seven states.

PLT Helped Connect My Students with their Community

What do “Pass the Plants, Please”, “The Forest of S.T. Shrew”, and “Habitat Pen Pals” have in common? They are some of my favorite Project Learning Tree activities that I use with younger students for hands-on learning that’s fun and educational.

PLT GreenSchools! Grant Applications Due September 30!

Are you a registered PLT GreenSchool! with big ideas about how to make your school and community greener? Need some “green” to help make it happen? PLT GreenWorks! grants are available to help school Green Teams make their projects a reality. But you’ll need to hurry! The application deadline is September 30.

PLT GreenSchools! Rings in the New School Year with Expanded Grants Program, Revamped Website

Here at PLT GreenSchools!, our summer has been a busy one! We’ve used the time to make the GreenSchools! program even better for students and teachers. We’re beginning the 2012-13 school year with some exciting developments.

Advocating for Life-Changing Learning

Jacques Imperial, Constituent Services Liaison for Congressman Dave Reichert, contacted me about a week after returning from the second annual PLT Fly-In, July 17^th and 18^th, in Washington, DC.  She was interested to see, firsthand, the outdoor classrooms that were motivating students to want to learn, classrooms that were improving test scores, and encouraging stewardship of natural spaces.

Can Members of Congress play outside, too?

Just one short week following the second annual PLT fly-in, the Constituent Services Liaison for Rep. Reichert, Jacques Imperial, contacted me to set up a tour of Waskowitz Outdoor School! Obviously, Representative Reichert understood our message when we were in D.C. and decided it was important enough for his staff to check out our Center first-hand. 

PLT Educators Bring Outdoor Learning Inside Capitol Hill

On July 17^th, 17 PLT educators and state coordinators from seven states (FL, ME, MN, SD/WY, VA, and WA) traveled to Washington, DC to meet with their Members of Congress and educate these decision-makers on the importance of environmental education for student learning.

A New York School Completes a Nature Trail to Create a Pathway to Learning

Thanks to a PLT GreenWorks! grant, students, teachers and staff created a nature trail around their school’s perimeter.  Instead of staying inside to finish a lesson, students at Hillside Elementary School in Niskayuna, New York now walk out their classrooms into nature to grow their learning.

Project Learning Tree’s 2012 International Coordinators’ Conference

Over 150 environmental educators from across the U.S., Japan, and Mexico, participated in PLT's 26th Coordinators’ Conference held in Deadwood, South Dakota. We accomplished a lot, but most definitely had fun learning, too!

Energy, Recycling, and Gardening Projects Green a Kansas City High School

High school science teacher Michael Hotz has “been doing green things for years and years and years.” Ever since his school, Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, KS, became a PLT GreenSchool!, his students have accomplished much more.

Green Energy Is Heart of Curriculum at PLT GreenSchool! in New Jersey

Students at Bloomfield Vocational Technical School, a PLT GreenSchool! in New Jersey, have completed all five of the PLT GreenSchools! Investigations, implemented innovative—and money-saving—projects to make their already green school even greener, and regularly present their work, not only in their community but to national audiences, as well.

PLT GreenSchools! Webinars Offer Tools for Transforming Schools

In our quest to give PLT GreenSchools! the tools they need to be even more effective, we have been offering a series of free, online webinars that bring together student presenters with expert panelists who share their experience and resources with online attendees.

Ten PLT GreenSchools! Named Green Ribbon Schools

Today, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the winners of the inaugural Green Ribbon Schools competition and we're thrilled that ten PLT GreenSchools! are among those recognized as the “best of the best.”

Celebrating Environmental Education with the White House

On Monday, Kathy McGlauflin (AFF Senior VP, Education) and Al Stenstrup (Director, Education Programs, PLT) and attended the first White House Summit on Environmental Education. 

Kansas City High School Students Work Toward a Greener Future

When Randi Hartin, a junior at Schlagle High School in Kansas City, KS, was asked to speak at a local conference, she agreed. During an in-depth panel discussion, she and three other high-school students fielded questions from a group of adults that included the president of the Kansas state Parent Teacher Student Association.

Students are the Stars in the PLT GreenSchools! Program

Students  lead the way in making their schools healthier, greener, more sustainable. They become leaders, and are able to test their new leadership skills in situations usually dominated by adults.

PLT GreenSchools! Featured at National Conference

The PLT GreenSchools! program was well-represented last week in Denver, Colorado, as thousands of leading educators from all over the U.S. gathered to discuss the burgeoning field of environmental education at the 2^nd Annual Green Schools National Conference.

PLT’s 2012 National Outstanding Educators Recognized for Improving Student Learning and Stewardship

Five educators who use environmental education as a tool to teach core subjects and foster environmental stewardship were named the 2012 National Outstanding Educators by Project Learning Tree®.

Latino GreenSchools! Students in National Spotlight This Week

In 1971, when the late social justice activist and Latino leader Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales incorporated Escuela Tlatelolco Centro de Estudios, a PLT GreenSchool in Denver, CO,  he did so because he believed that the Denver public school system was not responding adequately to the educational needs of the community’s Latino children.

PLT GreenSchools! and U.S. Forest Service: Nurturing Conservation Education

The PLT GreenSchools! program is built on partnerships, and one of our key partners since the program’s beginning in 2009 has been the U.S. Forest Service, which has provided funding and staff expertise every step of the way.

Project Learning Tree Supports "Learning by Doing" with 26 GreenWorks! Grants

AFF recently awarded more than $24,000 in Project Learning Tree GreenWorks! grants to schools and youth organizations in 19 states to help students complete environmental action projects.

PLT GreenSchools! Gardens Thrive with Help from Chef’s Green Thumb

Former chef Mark Haskell, a certified Master Gardener, has perfected a school garden recipe that has as its main ingredients the PLT GreenSchools! investigations, his own green thumb and passion for home-grown food, and the excitement of city-raised students who for the first time are learning the connections between gardening and the food they eat.

New Year Offers New GreenSchools! Learning Opportunities

The PLT GreenSchools! program team is looking ahead to an exciting new year for GreenSchools!

Congress Wants to Get Rid of Smokey Bear

Congress wants to eliminate funding for the U.S. Forest Service’s conservation education program, which could mean we say farewell to Smokey Bear.

PLT GreenSchools! in Connecticut: Young Naturalists Inspire Hope

As an urban forester—or a “forest-her,” as my mother would say—I have made a commitment to protect the health of the forests in which we live, work and play. But I have also made a commitment to the educational development of our youth, who will be protecting our forests after me.

Celebrate and Help Protect America’s Forests

The holidays are a time when I can help out those who are less fortunate and support my community, in order to celebrate one another. When you are making your year-end donations this year, please consider a gift to the American Forest Foundation.

PLT GreenSchools! Gives My Students Leadership Opportunities—And a Voice

All the projects our Green Rivers club has undertaken have grown from a Project Learning Tree GreenSchools! training that I, two science teachers, and two of our seventh-graders attended back in the fall of 2009.

Five GreenSchools! Students Take on a Roomful of Science Teachers

Recently five middle school students from Two Rivers Magnet Middle School in Connecticut had the opportunity to present at a National Science Teachers Association conference in Hartford about what their green team does and what they have accomplished.

Discover the Forest with Cheecker

Greetings! Cheecker here, writing you from the forest—my favorite place in the world.  I’m here with some great tips on how to get you and your family back into nature this fall.

Big Win for Environmental Education and Project Learning Tree

Environmental Education was handed a “big win” yesterday when the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee reported the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) out of committee with a bi-partisan vote of 15-7.

PLT GreenSchools! Plays on the National Stage at NAAEE Conference

The PLT GreenSchools! program was a hot topic at the 40^th annual conference of the North American Alliance for Environmental Education (NAAEE). I joined more than 1,000 teachers, administrators, government agencies and nonprofit organizations involved in K-12 environmental education programs across the U.S. PLT and the GreenSchools! program were well represented throughout this year's conference.

We're tickled "Green!"

The U.S. Department of Education released their final plans for the new Green Ribbon Schools awards program last week.  Through this program, the Department is seeking to recognize schools that save energy, reduce costs, and feature environmentally sustainable learning spaces, as well as protect health, foster wellness and impart effective environmental education.  

Urban tree identification volunteer day at Paul Middle School

The morning of September 15^th was filled with tree measurements and identifications, gardening, and painting water proofing paint on the beautiful mural that was created by Michelle Goosby and Paul Middle School Students.  Keep reading to hear more about our day of volunteering and learning.

Nominate a School for a Chance to Win a Green Makeover

In the United States, we spend more on school energy bills than we do for textbooks and computers combined. Sadly, countless children attend school in classrooms with no daylight and stuffy, moldy air made worse by toxic cleaning supplies. 

Global Green USA, an environmental non-profit organization, is hosting a Green School Makeover Competition with a $65,000 cash prize, plus approximately $65,000 of in-kind technical assistance, to help one winning school go green.

GreenSchools! Team Volunteers at McKinley Technology High School

Gathering on the HSBC Corporate Day of Service, the USDA Forest Service and Urban Forestry Administration employees met at McKinley Technology High School for a morning of volunteer activities at this Project Learning Tree Green School!

A South Carolinian Teacher Goes to Washington, Talks GreenSchools!

“I’m just a bill, yeah, I’m only a bill, and I’m sittin’ here on Capitol Hill…” the old Schoolhouse Rock song was plunking its way through my brain as I walked up to the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.  I was joined in the nation's capital by other educators to share the successes of Project Learning Tree’s GreenSchools! with our political leaders.

Summer Break? Not for these PLT Educators!

On July 26^th and 27^th, PLT coordinators from several states met with our Representatives and Senators in Washington DC to report program successes, share best practices and above all, promote the importance of natural resources education inside AND outside the classroom.

Forest to Faucet

Did you know the water from your faucet could be naturally filtered by a forest, instead of by a water treatment plant? Forest to Faucet is one of many student activities available in Project Learning Tree (PLT)’s new high school curriculum Exploring Environmental Issues: Focus on Forests.  This educational guide teaches students about forest health, fresh water supply, our changing climate, who owns America’s forests, and more.  

Students Transform Washington, D.C. Community with Eco-Mural

The immense wall at the intersection of 8^th Street and Peabody Street Northwest used to be a huge, rusty cement eye sore of the Brightwood community in Washington, D.C. However, sixth grade students at Paul Public Charter School--a Project Learning Tree GreenSchool--had other plans for that space.

EPA Summer Program Students Learn Outside with Project Learning Tree

On July 18^th, Project Learning Tree (PLT) and the Environmental Protection Agency engaged 18 rising eighth graders in learning the science of biodiversity.  PLT activities consumed two and a half hours of the morning, taking us on a global discussion that included simulating artificial selection, trekking outside on a schoolyard safari, and embarking on a self-guided tour of the water cycle.  It was quite a way to start the week.

Day 5: Oil City Students Reflect on Colorado, Head Back Home

Day 5 is 7th grade guest blogger Elizabeth's final day in Colorado with her school.  You can check out photos from Oil City Elementary School's Rocky Mountain adventure at www.facebook.com/projectlearningtree. 

Day 4: Whitewater Rafting and The Beast

On our fourth day at Cal-Wood Education Center, we woke up early because we had a great day planned: whitewater rafting!

Day 3: Snowballs and Poetry in Rocky Mountain National Park

It's our third day at Colorado's Cal-Wood Education Center. Today we went to the Rocky Mountain National Park, shared poetry around Bear Lake, and had a snowball fight in Estes Park.

Day 2: Hiking to a Mica Mine

Today was my second day at Cal-Wood. I had an awesome day today! We did so many things, I’m not sure if I have enough room to type it all! We woke up early in the morning, ready for a new adventure. I was excited to see our guides and the forest again.

Day 1: My Adventure in the Rockies

Students from Louisiana's Oil City Elementary School spent a week at Cal-Wood Education Center in the Rocky Mountains. The students from Oil City, a Project Learning Tree (PLT) GreenSchool, raised money to fund their trip. Guest blogger Elizabeth is a 7th grader at the school and her teacher, Cindy Kilpatrick, is a 2011 PLT National Outstanding Educator. 

Environmental Education Gets a Boost!

Environmental education is finally getting the attention it deserves – from Members of Congress at the federal level, to State Boards of Education at the local level.

First in the Nation: Maryland Requires Students to be Environmentally Literate

On Tuesday, Maryland became the first state in the nation to require students be environmentally literate in order to graduate from high school. 

“I am thrilled about the environmental literacy requirement for students to be able to graduate in Maryland,” said Dr. Sarah Haines, Director of the Center for Science & Mathematics Education in the Department of Biological Sciences at Towson University, and Maryland Project Learning Tree State Coordinator. 

Deep in the Heart of Texas: A Look at PLT’s 25th Coordinators’ Conference

Last week, 120 environmental educators from the United States, Japan, and Mexico gathered together in Montgomery, Texas.  The participants convened on Lake Conroe for Project Learning Tree (PLT)’s 25^th International Coordinators’ Conference.  This annual event serves as a platform to provide ongoing professional development for state and international PLT leaders, launch new PLT initiatives, share models of success, and celebrate our accomplishments.

Spring Creek Greenway Reconnects Houston to Nature

On June 8, Project Learning Tree state and international coordinators headed out on a field trip to Spring Creek Greenway.  Together we narrowly avoided poison ivy on the newer trails, saw wildlife like a wading yellow-crowned night heron, learned about riverside forests in Texas, and gasped when we heard we were just two miles north of Houston's Intercontinental Airport.

2011 Outstanding Educators: Honoring Excellence Deep in the Heart of Texas

Since 1994, Project Learning Tree has formally recognized the efforts of outstanding educators for their commitment to environmental education, their exemplary use of PLT, and their exceptional teaching skills.

On June 7, the second day of the Project Learning Tree conference in Montgomery, Texas, our coordinators gathered for the 2011 National Outstanding Educator awards presentation.  Check out some photos on www.facebook.com/projectlearningtree.

National Teacher Day: Here's a Story from PLT Outstanding Educator Robert Taylor

On National Teacher Day, 2011 National Project Learning Tree Outstanding Educator Robert Taylor shares his thoughts on ways to provide a balanced education--inside and outside the classroom.

Celebrating National Garden Month: All About The White House Kitchen Garden

In June 2009, the White House Kitchen Garden celebrated its first harvest—which produced more than 200 pounds of food.

Celebrating National Garden Month: Project Produce Sparks Healthy Changes

Beth Sellers is sixth grade science teacher at Virginia's Glenvar Middle School. Thanks to the support of a GreenWorks! grant, Project Produce is well into its second full year at her school.

PLT GreenSchools!: 808 Green Ribbon Award Contenders

Project Learning Tree's Kathy McGlauflin spent the morning outdoors at the Department of Education headquarters in D.C. and was present during the announcement of the Green Ribbon schools program.

Reflections on Earth Day: It Takes a Village

Despite the apparent skepticism from media and bloggers about whether Earth Day has outlived its usefulness, we were proud to celebrate a model PLT GreenSchool! on Earth Day.

Celebrating National Garden Month: GreenWorks! Students Break Ground in April

The National Gardening Association has declared April to be National Garden Month.  AFF is celebrating with school garden plantings and by blogging about planting project success stories.

Project Learning Tree Celebrates Earth Day with School Garden Planting

In celebration of Earth Day, Project Learning Tree and the U.S. Forest Service joined students of D.C.'s Barnard Elementary School to plant in 12 organic raised garden beds.

One Year Later: Lessons of the Gulf Oil Spill

The environmental and social effects of the Gulf oil spill will draw the attention of educators for years to come as scientists continue to learn more about the Deepwater Horizon blowout and its impacts over time.

On the one-year anniversary of this incident, use Project Learning Tree’s specially created guide that includes a wealth of online resources and information to teach your students about this event. 

Butterfly Dance: Behind-the-Scenes with Chikawa Aztec Dance Group

This is the second and final post in a series by guest blogger Megan Matonis.  The U.S. Forest Service Policy Analyst shares her experience with students, some of whom were Project Learning Tree GreenWorks! grant recipients, during the filming of a PollinatorLIVE!-hosted webcast/broadcast.

Behind-the-Scenes with Students of PollinatorLIVE!

U.S. Forest Service Policy Analyst Megan Matonis shares her experience with students during the filming of a PollinatorLIVE!-hosted webcast/broadcast.

Curious about Pollinators, Plants and People? Join Wednesday's Electronic Field Trip

Curious about people and pollination? Join GreenWorks! grant recipients and others for an electronic field trip on Wednesday, April 13.

Green Captains in Georgia: Students Present at National Service-Learning Conference

10th grade student Madeleine shares her GreenSchools! experience at the National Youth Leadership Council's 2011 National Service-Learning Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Sec. Vilsack Boosts Support for Local Programs that Get Youth Outside

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Monday $1 million in funding to connect youth to the great outdoors, by way of Children's Forest programs and More Kids in the Woods projects.

Barnard Elementary Students show USDA Sec. Vilsack Forest Exchange Box at Year of Forests Event

The principal of Washington, D.C.’s Barnard Elementary School talks about her evening at the International Year of Forests celebration, where she and fellow students, parents and teachers presented Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack with a copy of The Giving Tree.

Virginia Students Celebrate International Year of Forests

Last month, elementary students from Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts (PHSSA) in Richmond, Virginia presented a “forest exchange box” to Virginia public officials.  This special ceremony was held at their school in celebration of the United Nations-designated International Year of Forests.

AFF Responds to USFS on Community Forest Program

In response to the January 6 proposed rule for the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (CFP), the American Forest Foundation (AFF) released comments in support of CFP’s educational goals for environmental curricula integration.

PLT Announces 2011 Outstanding Educators

Five individuals who use environmental education to spur students’ enthusiasm to learn were named the 2011 National Outstanding Educators by AFF’s Project Learning Tree (PLT) program.

Project Learning Tree Announces 2011 Outstanding Educators

Five individuals who use environmental education to spur students’ enthusiasm to learn were named the 2011 National Outstanding Educators by AFF’s Project Learning Tree (PLT) program.

As pollinator numbers decline, PLT and USFS support youth-planted gardens

A decline in the numbers and health of pollinators such as bees, birds, and butterflies poses a threat to biodiversity, global food webs and human health.

PLT’s GreenSchools! Helps Promote STEM Education in DC, Virginia

Project Learning Tree (PLT) program has helped engage millions of students in environment and STEM education.  In Virginia yesterday, I saw PLT in action when I attended a GreenSchools! program training for local teachers and students. PLT’s GreenSchools! is a program of the American Forest Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service.

America’s Great Outdoors: Our Nation’s Laboratory

When President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir stood atop the mountains of Yosemite and argued the merits of conservation and/or preservation, neither would have guessed that the greatest threat to the country’s natural resources would not come from external pressures but rather the internal disconnect that would occur between land and people. 

Increase in Monarch butterflies is good news for PLT students who created habitat

The number of monarch butterflies migrating from Canada and the U.S. to Mexico has increased this year, according to a study released yesterday.  This is good news for many Project Learning Tree students and their teachers who worked hard last year to create butterfly gardens in their schools and communities as part of MonarchLIVE.

PLT GreenSchool Receives USDA Healthier Schools Gold Award

Yesterday I had the pleasure of taking part in a ceremony to recognize the students and staff at Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School – one of Project Learning Tree’s model GreenSchools! in Washington, DC – for their efforts to create a healthier school environment through proper nutrition and physical activity.

Forest Exchange Boxes Displayed at U.S. Mission to the United Nations

2011 is International Year of Forests!

The United Nations designated 2011 as International Year of Forests to promote broader understanding of the importance of forests, and to bolster global efforts to promote sustainable forest management and conservation.

Greening Our Schools

I recently attended and presented at the first Green Schools National Conference held in Minneapolis and it was inspirational to see the broad spectrum of green school activities that are happening nationally. Project Learning Tree GreenSchools! is a national program of the American Forest Foundation that combines environmental education, service-learning, and leadership opportunities for students to reduce the ecological footprint of their school, and turn their school into a model GreenSchool. 

Policy to Educate the Next Generation of Green Citizens

Environmental education has received a good bit of attention this week in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Department of Education held its first ever Sustainability Education Summit, with the theme “Citizenship and Pathways for a Green Economy.”  What began as an event mandated by the most recent Higher Education Act, quickly became an opportunity for a wide range of partners and stakeholders to come together and talk about the future of environmental education.

NH Elementary School Credits Dramatic Increase in Science Scores to PLT

For nearly two years, New HampshireProject Learning Tree has been working closely with Nashua District’s Bicentennial Elementary School, a model “PLT GreenSchool”.  The school’s principal, Kyle Langille credits PLT in part for the school’s dramatic increase in 4th grade science scores announced today by the New Hampshire Department of Education. 

Training GreenSchools! Student Leaders

About 70 students and teachers from 10 middle and high schools from the greater Tulsa area are attending a two-day professional development training workshop in Owasso, OK learning how to conduct school-wide investigations in five areas: energy use, waste and recycling, water, school site, and environmental quality (such as indoor air quality, school transportation, and use of chemicals).  As one of the facilitators of this workshop, I’m teaching teams of middle- and high-school students, alongside their teachers – and this is what makes Project Learning Tree’s GreenSchools! program so unique.

PLT Educator Speaks Up for Environmental Education

As part of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, the Administration held a youth-focused listening session in Orlando, Florida, on August 26. A Project Learning Tree representative attended the session to speak up about the role environmental education should play in the initiative to connect youth to the Great Outdoors.  Mark Miller, an enthusiastic PLT Facilitator from Apopka, FL shared some of his feedback from the session

8th Grader Describes his Energy-saving GreenSchools! Project to Iowa Senator

Yesterday, one of Project Learning Tree’s Iowa GreenSchools! families, the Isbells, along with AFF’s Melissa Harden (far right) and James McGirt (far left), were afforded the opportunity to meet with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and his staff. The gathering, which was held to allow the Senator to connect with his constituents, had about 25 people in

WNBA and PLT Help Elementary Students Plant School Garden

The Washington Mystics players worked with 30 students from PreK through 4th grade to help green their school.  Master Chef and Gardener Mark Haskell helped lead activities in which students learned the basics of planting a garden and the importance of proper nutrition.   "You have to dig the hole about 12 inches," a 2nd grader told me before planting a tomato plant.

“Watching These Kids GET IT was Really Heartwarming”

“Watching these kids get it [learning about trees with Project Learning Tree activities] was…really heartwarming.”

Honoring the Outstanding Educators Who Make PLT Come Alive

Last Tuesday, at Project Learning Tree’s 24th International Coordinators’ Conference in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, I had the great honor to recognize and award outstanding educators who make PLT come alive.

Forests are Part of a Healthy Outdoor Strategy!

It was inspiring, encouraging, and yet perhaps a bit frustrating to attend the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors today.

Celebrate National Environmental Education Week!

National Environmental Education Week (EE Week), the nation’s largest environmental education event held each year before Earth Day, inspires environmental learning and stewardship among K-12 students.  Now in its sixth consecutive year, EE Week connects educators with environmental resources to promote K-12 students’ understanding of the environment.

PLT’s National Outstanding Educators Make a Difference

Project Learning Tree’s 2010 National Outstanding Educators encompass teaching excellence through their use of environmental education techniques designed by PLT.

Back to School Shouldn’t Mean Back Indoors for Children

Using the outdoors to enhance classroom performance is not a new idea, but a 14-page report recently released by The National Wildlife Federation highlights the vast research linking time kids spend outside to improved learning.

Can anyone recommend any good, balanced books on forestry/forest management appropriate for younger

This was a question posted to Project Learning Tree’s listserv by Rebecca Roy, Conservation Education Coordinator with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation, and Vermont Project Learning Tree State Coordinator.  She went on to add, “The gal looking for book suggestions said she specifically didn’t want anything one-sided.  Do you have any suggestions?”

Teaching Kids About Trees Through Music

“I love to engage kids in learning about the environment through music,” says children’s performing artist and songwriter Billy B. Brennan.  Billy B. has teamed with Project Learning Tree® (PLT) to produce a new CD — all about trees.

Students Gain Perspective And Knowledge In Outdoor Classroom

Watch this video clip about why environmental education is so important to our nation’s children.

Fun with a purpose

During Project Learning Tree’s annual conference, five educators were named 2009 National Outstanding Environmental Educators.  These awards are widely recognized as a top honor by environmental educators who teach both in schools and via informal nature programs.  The awards were presented on May 5 in recognition of National Teacher Day.

Project Learning Tree’s GreenSchools! Program Takes Root

Project Learning Tree (PLT), the environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation, is progressing rapidly on the development and implementation of its GreenSchools! program.  In 2009, a pilot group of schools have been selected to trial a national GreenSchools! initiative.  Students and teachers at 38 schools in ten states will receive training in environmental education and Project Learning Tree.  Students will investigate environmental issues at their school and come up with an action plan to create a green and heathy learning environment. Based on their investigations, students will work with their community in service-learning projects to create a model GreenSchool.

Tune in to New Radio Series on Forests April 9th: PLT Partners with EarthSky

Project Learning Tree and its parent group, the American Forest Foundation, are partnering with EarthSky to produce absorbing radio spots and podcasts about our nation’s forests, and what forest landowners are doing to manage their lands. 

2009 Outstanding Educators of the Year Announced by Project Learning Tree