PTOToday Insurance for Parent Groups

PTO Today

Helping Parent Leaders Make Schools Great

What's Up?

Toolbox Grant Deadline
Raise up to $5,000 for your school with a Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Grant! Imagine what you could do for your school! Application deadline is October 17, 2008. Learn More.

Advertisement

This article is part of the following categories:
Events & Programs


The Buzz: Green Groups

Parent groups across the country are finding creative ways to conserve resources and raise environmental awareness in schools.


January 2008

No-Idle Zones

The Blue Valley PTO/PTA Presidents’ Council in Overland Park, Kan., is working hard to implement “no idling” zones at student drop-off and pickup points. According to the Kansas City Star, a Girl Scout troop brought the idea to the council, pointing out that 10 percent of students have asthma that can be aggravated by car exhaust. Parent groups will pay for “no-idle zone” signs at participating school and promote the programs to parents.

Conservation Funds

In Lawrence, Kan., students at the K-6 Schwegler Elementary marked the institution’s 50th anniversary with an environmentally friendly fundraiser for the PTA, selling energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs and compost bags. The same day that the PTA launched the fundraiser, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius asked state residents to save energy by changing at least one light bulb in their home to the more energy-efficient bulbs.

Eco-Conscious Efforts

The PTO at Chickering Elementary in Dover, Mass., began a “going green” initiative in the fall. The group formed an energy task force, gave students reusable water bottles, and sponsored a performance by Bash the Trash to teach the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle.

Rate This Article

(0 Votes)

Comments

  1. Posted by J Holley on May. 05, 2008

    Our school is wanting to go green next school year 2008/09. Any suggestions on how we can go about doing this?

  2. Posted by Kathryn Lagden from PTO Today on May. 07, 2008

    Hi J Holley - this would be a great question for our message boards - http://www.ptotoday.com/boards. Lots of PTO folks on there willing to share their knowledge and experience. If you need help posting the question on the message boards, please email me at klagden@ptotoday.com

  3. Posted by John Bertles on May. 31, 2008

    Hi:

    One of our schools mentioned that Bash the Trash is mentioned on this site, so I just thought I'd forward our website:

    http://www.bashthetrash.com

    Thanks,

    John Bertles, Artistic Director, Bash the Trash

  4. Posted by Lars Leon on Jul. 26, 2008

    Some other environmental items we did at Schwegler Elementary last year --- fundraisers of selling CFLs, compost bags, organic cloth shopping bags. We had a once/month take home sheet where the kids could do 3 of the 6 listed items and return it for a prize. Things from reading about environment, to changing to cloth instead of paper towels, changing to CFL, etc. Assembly had someone from Westar talk to the kids about what they could to do save energy at home. Worked with Daniel Dancer. see artforthesky.com We just tried to work in an environmental element in most activities we did. Love to share more if others interested.

Add Comment



Click to get a new image.