My time as the

Sustainable
Schools Intern
By Katie Roberts

Some Things Ive learned:

That Sustainable Denton is much bigger and

wide spread than I had originally thought.
Ive learned how valuable these programs are to
the Denton community.
Ive learned that Sustainable Schools is under
utilized.
Ive learned that there are community resources
available to help expand Sustainable Schools.
The Master Gardeners are willing and available
to come into schools who wish to have a garden!
Ive learned that there are MANY online
resources that could be utilized for fresh new
activities.
There is a school in Lewisville participating in
the Edible Schoolyard project and their garden is
very successful.

My Observations while logging:

23

Denton Area schools are enrolled in

the program.

Only 5 are submitting their activities.

Out

of the 62 activities in the guide, 14

are repeatedly used.

That is only 22%

Schools

seem to be completing
activities that are not in the guide more
than ones included.

Activities being used are as follows

Water

- Tour of Pecan Creek/Ray Roberts Plant

- Stream Clean

Air

Quality
-Announce Ozone Action Days
-Anti Idling Education Team
Energy Efficiency & Conservation
- UNT Sustainability Tour
Land Use & Open/Natural Space
- Field Trip to Clear Creek
- Field Trip to Elm Fork

Activities being used continued

Transportation
- International Bike/Walk to School Day
Materials Resource Management
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Art Project
- Pecan Creek Water Reclamation Plant
- Trash Audit
- Student Recycling Team
- Faculty and Staff Education
Local Food Production
- No activities completed in this category

Some notes on the logging process:

Logging

is quite confusing and time

consuming.
It could be beneficial to provide participants
with a complete, black and white list of
points allotted for all activities.
Some schools have applied for grants to
better their gardens. Points could be given
for grant applications.
Certain activities might deserve more
points, like the Bike to school day.
Offering more points for teacher trainings
would increase attendance.

So what can we do?

I

would love to put together a survey for

schools that are signed up to ask:

What can we do to serve you better?

If you are signed up, but not submitting,
Why?
What do you want to get out of this
program?
I would also like to give points for
completing and submitting this survey.
Previous surveys sent out received only 6
responses.

Activities Schools are doing that are

not in the guide:
Reading

recycling related books to their

Kindergarteners.
Spending weekends at Camp Grady
Spruce.

Questions?
How

many points is Recycle Bowl?

How many points is 10 on Tuesday?
Could bike to school day count for more
points?
Could we offer points for Teacher
Trainings?
When would we need have the survey
out in order to benefit us the most?

Resources I have used:

http://www.edutopia.org/food-school-garden-farm-curriculum (article)

http://www.aginclassroom.org (program website)

http://api.ning.com/files/iQsU*pDV6*2J*B3yXe1KParqbSgunaIzH1ixA48ZWDZG4pcBS8DHPV
FJUe8KdcY3BpT*0P2EBWuThI0aboW55**WHoJtKm24/Growing_belber.pdf (curriculum order
form)

http://www.ecoliteracy.org (website with lots of resources and curriculum guides)

http://www.farmbasededucation.org/page/join-the-fbea (Huge resource website, some

good, some bad)

http://www.ecoliteracy.org/sites/default/files/uploads/shared_files/CEL_Big_Ideas_Alignment
_K-12.pdf (great pdf)

http://edibleschoolyard.org/resources-tools (resources!)

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/12/02/364712994/of-carrots-and-kids-healthyschool-lunches-that-dont-get-tossed (good waste reduction article)

http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/free-resources/teaching-resources (Australian
program, with resources and curriculum)

http://www.kidsgardening.org/classroom-projects

http://www.americainbloom.org/resources/Grant-Opportunities.aspx

http://www.gardenabcs.com/grants.html