5 years of Eco-Green

5 years of Eco-Green

2015 – 2020

We live in an era of complex and interrelated systems issues that compromise the ability of humans and wildlife to thrive. Over the past 5 years, General Motors, National Wildlife Federation, schools and GM employees across the country have been working together to deliver high quality teacher professional development that empowers students to complete STEM-based conservation projects and contribute to GM’s operational sustainability goals. As we examine the past and look at the road ahead, we aspire to continue to align and strengthen the global movement towards a circular economy and healthy communities.

Content

Eco-Green Program: Moving Humanity Forward in to the Era of Sustainability

Using the Eco-Schools Framework
Introduce Eco-Green STEM model
Year 4 Overview
Partnership Path to Vision
Evaluation, Impact, and Value Metrics
Local Partnership Stories
Lessons learned
Looking forward to Year 5, 2019- 2020
Looking Forward to Year 6, 2020 – 2021
Feedback and Questions

Who is National Wildlife Federation?

For more than 80 years, the National Wildlife Federation has been educating people about the environment. Our Education efforts annually reach nearly 5 million students through a combination of programs.

• Largest US-based Conservation/ Education Organization

• Focal Education Program: Eco-schools USA

• 6 Regional Offices

• Our Priorities: Climate Change, Safeguarding Wildife and Habitat and Connecting People with Nature

Notes From the Field : Darrell Frazier, Teacher at Beechfield Elementary Middle School

“A happy planet makes a happy life.”
— Darrell Frazier

Eco-Green follows the Eco-Schools USA Framework

Eco-Schools USA is a student team driven framework that creates school and community based projects.

▪Holistic, whole-school approach
▪Experiential learning and project-based
▪Professional development
▪21^st Century Skills, metrics-based, data-driven
▪Support for young adults preparing for STEM work careers

Global Program
67 Participating Countries
51,000 K-12 Schools
1 Million Teachers
18 Million Students

Eco-Schools Process

Eco-School USA pathway descriptions can be found here

Teacher Development & Resources

All program information and teacher materials are available on the Eco-Schools USA self-guided website found here.

Year 5 Goal

Building and connecting an expansive Eco-Green Schools network

Eco-Green Team

What is the Opportunity?

Eco-Green brings together local schools with GM facilities, dealers and suppliers to support student-driven sustainability projects. Schools are provided a $700 grant, employee mentors, and complete project implementation support from NWF.
Through Eco-Green students are exposed to careers in STEM, science, technology, engineering and math, by partnering with local mentors and enacting green STEM projects.

Recruitment

Mentor team can be comprised of facilities, dealers, and/ or suppliers. School teams comprised of administrators, teacher teams, students, community supporters

Program Manager, Jen Dowd, with teacher, Mark Willis, touring the school grounds at Ludington High School in Ludington, MI.

Initiation

Preparation of the school and the facility to fulfill their roles in the partnership. Connect with NWF resources and support

Collaboration

Raymond Moore and Ken Kulski from the Ypsilanti CCA Plant exploring school grounds during planning meeting with teachers at Ypsilanti A.C.C.E. Career Academy in Ypsilanti, MI.

Initial contact. Create shared vision for the desired outcomes of the school, mentors, and NWF. Plan an initial opportunity for the Mentor team to support students

Implementation

Educational professionals empower students as change agents and begin Eco-Schools process. Mentor Teams support as outlined during planning session. Continued teacher professional development with webinar to develop and connect network as a learning community. View the recording of the 2019 Eco-Green Idea-Sharing Webinar below:

National idea-sharing Eco-Green Webinar that served as a method of teacher’s professional development training

The new Eco-Green website launched in 2019. Click the image to enter to the home page of the website.

Communications Strategy During Implementation Process Stage

Group emails
regional webinar coaching
peer-to-peer learning sessions
Individual site check-ins
phone calls for consulting and guidance
in person on-boarding of new manufacturing sites
website updates
strategic travel to maintain participation at GM priority sites
3-4 Individual projects-based mentor support during virtual collaborative check-ins with school
Partnership specific communications consultation that includes assistance with reaching out to local media with press releases for special events and local Eco-Green project activity
Social Media toolkit and guidelines for promotion of Eco-Green activity and project awareness
End of year survey
Participation branding banners, branded apparel and NWF magazine subscriptions
Receives email of end of year national impact report
Individual facilitated check-ins between school educators and mentors
Access to Eco-Schools USA Program Resources