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Getting Started on School Ground Greening

Getting Started on School Ground Greening. Agenda. Introduction to Evergreen Learning Grounds Why start a greening project? Benefits of green school grounds The 5-step process Discussion. What is Evergreen?.

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Getting Started on School Ground Greening

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  1. Getting Started on School Ground Greening

  2. Agenda • Introduction to Evergreen Learning Grounds • Why start a greening project? • Benefits of green school grounds • The 5-step process • Discussion

  3. What is Evergreen? Evergreen was founded in 1991 and is a national non-profit environmental organization with a mandate to bring nature to our cities through naturalization projects.

  4. The Learning Grounds Program Helps schools green their grounds by providing: • Hands-on expert advice • Funding • How-to resources, in print and online

  5. Goals for School Ground Greening • To improve children’s health and well-being • To nurture child development • To increase ecological diversity • To increase educational use • To improve energy- and cost-efficient design

  6. Why are Green School Grounds Important? • 25 percent of the school day is spent outside • They offer exciting ways to deliver the curriculum and teach ecological literacy • They can protect children from harmful exposure to sun

  7. What the research tells us…

  8. A Place for Doing

  9. A Place for Thinking

  10. A Place for Feeling

  11. A Place for Being

  12. Evergreen Research

  13. Research Highlights • 90% of respondents observed an increase in student enthusiasm for learning • 72% of respondents observed that student ability to retain knowledge had increased • 77% of respondents reported student ability to think more creatively had increased

  14. Impacts of Green School Grounds •Educational •Developmental •Social

  15. Provide a variety of opportunities for cross curricular work

  16. Improve student behaviour

  17. Increase the quality and diversity of play

  18. Provide safer spaces for children

  19. Green School Grounds…

  20. Barriers and Challenges

  21. Barriers and Challenges • Maintenance • Lack of community support • Volunteer burnout • Staff / parent / teacher mobility • Budget limitations • Vandalism

  22. An A-Mazing Idea!

  23. The School Ground Greening5-step Process

  24. School Ground GreeningStep 1: Get Started • Form a committee of volunteers • Plan a meeting with committee members • Prepare for volunteers

  25. Identifying Common Themes • Student council meetings • Identify changes they would like to see • Conduct in-class activities to capture student feedback • Provide questionnaires

  26. School Ground GreeningStep 2: Plan Your Project

  27. Key Questions to Ask Yourself • Have you checked with the caretaker and Grounds Department, the main office and the police about required sight lines for safety, fire drills and security? • Where are your sources of water? • Are there any community concerns? • Where does snow get piled up in the winter?

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