Five county public schools have been added to the distinguished list of Maryland Green Schools and six more have earned recertification honors, the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) announced today. The latest schools to earn the distinction are:
- Jacobsville Elementary School
- Oakwood Elementary School
- Tyler Heights Elementary School
- Old Mill Middle School South
- Annapolis High School
The green school designation is earned over the course of about two years as schools establish an effective, proactive environmental program that includes getting the entire community involved in becoming more environmentally conscious. Successful schools integrate “green” thinking into every aspect of the school experience, from staff professional development to community celebrations.
Four other AACPS schools – Annapolis and Magothy River middle schools, and Overlook and Severn elementary schools – achieved their first recertification.
Pasadena Elementary School earned its second recertification.
In addition, Folger McKinsey Elementary School is one of just eight schools across the state to receive a new designation as a “sustainable” school. Schools that achieve this honor “have demonstrated a continuous effort to integrate sustainable environmental practices, environmental education curriculum, professional development and community engagement into daily operations,” according to MAEOE.
With 129 schools and centers now with Green School status, more than half of AACPS facilities have completed the challenging process to earn the state’s highest recognition of environmental literacy.
Established nearly 20 years ago, the Maryland Green School Program celebrates Maryland’s model environmental education efforts as seen through extensive projects that address at least two of the following areas: energy, water, waste, habitat restoration, transportation, healthy school environment, and/or structures for outdoor learning. After demonstrating a sustained culture of environmental action and awareness, schools are encouraged to seek recertification every four years.