The Refinishing Touch Blog

The 1600-plus public schools in New York City include schools of all different shapes and sizes, with areas of study ranging from language-immersion programs to schools for the sciences and academies for the performing arts. Recently, these have been joined by green schools, or more specifically, schools that have involved environmental education into all subject areas.

The “green” in the name of the Green School in Brooklyn or the Growing Up Green Charter School in Queens isn’t a buzzword, but an essential part of the curriculum. How schools apply their environmental focuses varies: some high schools teach vocational skills, like how to install solar panels and insulation. Elementary schools take a different approach, teaching students introductory lessons about recycling and habitats.

Even with a well-designed, scalable curriculum, these schools face the challenge of appealing to a broad range of students. To do so, they tap into local resources, investigating contamination of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal or the ecological implications of razing homes. Through the development of practical skills and conceptual frameworks, students are meant to about more than the environment, but that their choices make an impact in the world around them.

Parents and teachers are part of a generation that is learning how to become environmentally conscious. These green schools are part of a larger movement: fostering the growth of a group of young people who already are.

Labels: Education, Environment, Green, New York, Schools