The Green Team Links
State and Federal Government Agencies
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
http://www.mass.gov/dep - State agency charged with ensuring clean air and water, safe management and recycling of solid and hazardous wastes, timely cleanup of hazardous waste sites and spills, and the preservation of wetlands and coastal resources in Massachusetts. Sponsors and manages THE GREEN TEAM program.
Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
http://www.mass.gov/envir/ - Massachusetts secretariat established to safeguard public health from environmental threats and to preserve, protect, and enhance the natural resources of the Commonwealth. Departments within EEA include the Department of Environmental Protection http://www.mass.gov/dep/ , Department of Agricultural Resources http://www.mass.gov/agr/ , Department of Conservation and Recreation http://www.mass.gov/dcr/ and Department of Fish and Game http://www.mass.gov/dfwele , each of which offers educational resources related to their missions.
Massachusetts Operational Services Division Environmentally Preferable Product Procurement
http://www.mass.gov/epp/ - State office of procurement's program through which environmentally preferable products are available on state contract for schools and other political subdivisions of the Commonwealth.
Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov - Federal agency charged with protecting human health and the environment in the United States. Provides educational resources on every environmental topic.
Organizations and Associations
Center for Ecological Technology (CET)
http://www.cetonline.org/Schools/for_your_school.htm - Massachusetts non-profit organization that demonstrates and promotes practical, affordable solutions to the environmental challenges encountered in our daily activities. Provides environmental education and resources.
Massrecycle
http://www.massrecycle.org/ - Massachusetts coalition of individuals, governments, businesses, institutions and non-profit organizations dedicated to promoting and realizing the vital environmental, social and economic benefits created by reducing, reusing, and recycling waste materials, and by increasing the utilization of recycled products. Provides recycling resources and links for teachers, students and parents and sponsors a recycling listserve.
Wastecap
http://www.wastecap.org Massachusetts non-profit, public/private partnership working with the business community to develop and implement cost-effective programs for recycling, buying recycled, reuse, and waste reduction. Provides Recycling Services Directory of vendors who accept, collect, or purchase recyclable materials from Massachusetts communities, institutions and businesses.
The Green Schools Initiative
http://www.projectgreenschools.org/ - Greenschools is a non-profit organization whose mission is to create Greener & Healthier learning environments through education and awareness.
The Green Education Foundation
http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org/ - Provides educational resources that promote sustainable, impactful pro-green habits and practices in children, families, and communities.
General Recycling
MassDEP Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Page
www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reducere.htm - Recycling, composting, reuse, hazardous waste management, electronics, green living, municipal assistance, bottle and can deposits, kids & teachers resources (http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/kidsteac.htm)
Earth 911
http://earth911.com - Find out what can be recycled in your community, locate haulers for various recyclables and other environmental resources.
EPA Educational Resources Page for Recycling
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/index.htm - A wealth of materials for teachers, kids, students, and researchers to develop an increased knowledge of recycling and other solid waste issues.
Mass Recycles Paper!
http://www.massrecyclespaper.org/ - Paper recycling information in Massachusetts.
Composting & Worm Composting
MassDEP Composting Page
http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/composti.htm - Resources and tips for a successful composting project and vermicomposting "how to" (worm composting).
Composting is Easy
http://www.thegreenteam.org/StepstoComposting-Image.pdf - Instructions on how to make a compost pile as a one-page handout or poster.
The food web of the compost pile
http://www.thegreenteam.org/Compostfoodwebposter.pdf - One-page illustration of the organisms in the decomposer food web.
The Green Team Composting Lesson Plan
http://www.thegreenteam.org/Compost%20Lesson%20Plan.pdf - Step-by-step lesson plan for teaching the principles of composting and building a compost pile.
Mansfield CT Middle School Where Compost Happens
http://www.mansfieldct.org/schools/mms/compost/ - Learn how Mansfield Middle School in Storrs, CT created an on-site, school-wide food waste composting program.
School Composting Manual by Mansfield Middle School, CT
http://www.mansfieldct.org/schools/mms/compost/manual.pdf - How to set up a school wide cafeteria composting program.
Florida's Online Composting Center
http://www.compostinfo.com/ - Composting tutorial and information website.
Cornell Composting in Schools
http://compost.css.cornell.edu/composting_homepage.html - A variety of composting educational materials and programs developed at Cornell University.
Waste Reduction
The Catalog Canceling Challenge
http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/ - Join kids across the country and cancel unwanted sales catalogs to save trees, water, energy, and our climate.
California Integrated Waste Management Board
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Schools/WasteReduce/default.htm - Provides tips and resources for setting up or improving an existing school waste reduction program.
Fort Collins Waste Reduction at School
http://www.ci.fort-collins.co.us/recycling/reduction.php - Waste reduction suggestions for classrooms and offices.
EPA Reuse + Recycling = Waste Reduction : A Guide for Schools and Groups
http://www.epa.gov/osw/education/pdfs/school.pdf - A manual full of helpful tips on school waste reduction programs.
Rotten Truth About Garbage
http://www.astc.org/exhibitions/rotten/rthome.htm - An in-depth look at the complex issues surrounding municipal solid waste.
Climate Change
Teachers' Guide to High Quality Educational Materials on Climate Change and Global Warming http://hdgc.epp.cmu.edu/teachersguide/teachersguide.htm - This guide points K-12 educators to the best sites for teaching about climate change.
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program
http://education.arm.gov/ Funded by the Department of Energy, ARM's website offers many resources for teaching students about climate change.
The Clean Air Trust Carbon Calculator
http://www.carboncounter.org/ - Calculate your own carbon footprint.
EPA Climate Change at School
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/school.html - A directory of education and action planning resources for schools.
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association (NOAA) Education Resources
http://www.education.noaa.gov/ - A variety of educational materials on weather, climate change, oceans, satellites, space, research and training opportunities.
Clean Air
MassDEP's Air Quality
http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/community/cleanair.htm - Information about the environmental and health effects of air quality.
MassDEP's Daily Air Quality Forecasts
http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/community/todaysai.htm Find out the quality of the air in your community day by day.
MassDEP's MassCleanDiesel: Clean Air for Kids Program
http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/diesel/masscleandiesel.htm - Statewide program designed to reduce air pollution from school buses. Funding is available to municipal and private bus owners who apply to cover 100% of the costs for parts and labor to install emission reduction devices on diesel school buses.
EPA's Office of Air and Radiation
http://www.epa.gov/air/ - Information about pollution prevention and energy efficiency, indoor and outdoor air quality, industrial air pollution, pollution from vehicles and engines, radon, acid rain, stratospheric ozone depletion, climate change, and radiation protection.
DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/ - A variety of lesson plans and activities on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Air Now http://www.airnow.gov/ National air quality outlook.
Clean Air Activities / Idling Reduction
http://www.thegreenteam.org/GT_CleanAirColor.pdf - Activities and pledges to create an idle free zone for your school.
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA)
http://www.nesea.org/about/ - K-12 education - professional development and curriculum resources for teachers about sustainable energy solutions.
U.S. Department of Energy
http://www.fueleconomy.gov - Information about fuel economy of specific cars and alternative fuels.
WalkBoston
http://www.walkboston.org - Nonprofit organization dedicated to improving walking conditions in cities and towns across Massachusetts.
"Air Pollution: What's the Solution?"
http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/airproj - An educational web site designed for grades 6-9 by the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) at Stevens Institute of Technology, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The National Association of Clean Air Agencies
http://www.4cleanair.org/learn.asp - Learn about air pollution, find the latest news and information on important air topics and link to governmental air pollution control agencies around the world.
Ecokids
http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/climate/anti_idling/home.cfm An interactive web site designed for students by Earth Day Canada.
Water
Project WET (Water Education for Teachers)
http://www.projectwet.org/ - Project WET is committed to educating children, teachers and communities about water education. Hands on activities and lessons that teach important concepts about water and conservation.
EPA Water Education
http://www.epa.gov/water/kids/watered2.html - List of websites directing you to lessons and projects for an educator to teach about water.
Every Little Drop Counts
http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/kits/littledropofwater_teachers.pdf - This teacher's guide is part of "Every Little Drop Counts," a collection of education materials developed by Southwest Florida Water Management District that helps kindergarten through third-grade students learn about water conservation through reading skill enhancement and hands-on science.
The Watershed Game
http://www.bellmuseum.org/distancelearning/watershed/watershed2.html - An interactive game for 3rd grade students and older who want to learn about the watershed.
Household Hazardous Waste
EPA's Waste and Recycling Teaching Resources
http://www.epa.gov/teachers/waste.htm A wealth of resources for teaching various ages about hazardous waste.
Mass Water Resources Authority (MWRA)
http://www.mwra.com/02org/html/sti.htm - MWRA educational guides contain hands-on activities for a range of topics and grade levels and are supported by free teacher workshops.
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/p2au/pps/ppsp/index.htm - Tips on the management of hazardous materials in schools.
"A Healthy Environment Starts At Home"
http://www.mwra.com/publications/hhw2005.pdf - Massachusetts Water Resources Authority's guide to reducing our use of household hazardous products.
Mercury
EPA's Schools and Mercury
http://epa.gov/mercury/schools.htm - Information about how to reduce the hazards of mercury on children's health, avoid chemical liabilities, develop planning tools, and establish collection programs for mercury.
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/p2au/pps/ppsp/index.htm - Guidelines and suggestions for the disposal of mercury in schools.
"Mercury (the Element) in Our Environment - Problems and Solutions"
http://www.cetonline.org/Schools/Hgcurriculum.pdf - Center for Ecological Technology's Mercury Curriculum and Teacher Resources for Grades 4-8.
Kids
EPA's Environmental Kids Club
http://www.epa.gov/kids/ - Information and games about all things environmental.
EPA's Student Center
http://www.epa.gov/students/
DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Kids Saving Energy
http://www.eere.energy.gov/kids/ - Energy activities and facts for kids.
National Geographic Kids
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ - An interactive site that offers many ways to explore the world around us.
High School Students
EPA's High School Environmental Center
http://www.epa.gov/highschool/ - This site will inform you about environmental issues and help you protect the environment.
Educators Organizations
The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)
http://www.naaee.org - Provides a variety of resources for educators that include information about environmental education organizations, materials, events, employment opportunities, awards, and grants programs.
New England Environmental Education Alliance (NEEEA)
http://www.neeea.org/ - Promotes quality environmental education across New England in partnership with the state environmental educational organizations.
Massachusetts Environmental Educational Society (MEES)
http://massmees.org/ - MEES provides tools for environmental educators, including an annual conference in March, the MEES Observer newsletter, massmees.org, and sponsorship of Project WET.
Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers (MAST)
http://www.massscienceteach.org/ - Provides resources, annual conference and educational information for science teachers in Massachusetts.
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
http://www.nsta.org/ - NSTA is committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching in all age levels. Members are able to access NSTA's books and journals, find out about conferences and professional development opportunities, as well as stay informed about relevant news and events.
Farms to Schools
http://www.farmtoschool.org/ - These programs connect schools with local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing health and nutrition education opportunities that will last a lifetime.
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom
http://www.aginclassroom.org/ - Fosters an awareness and learning in all areas related to the food and agricultural industries.
School Fundraisers
Abitibi - Paper Retriever Recycling
http://www.paperretriever.com/default.asp?id=226 - The Paper Retriever® Program promotes recycling by placing distinctive green and yellow Paper Retriever bins, at no cost. Organizations are then paid for the recyclable paper they and members of their surrounding community collect.
Got Books Inc.
http://www.gotbooks.com/ - Provides fundraising opportunities for Massachusetts schools through used book collections and provides free books to schools that participate.
Reuse This Bag
http://www.reusethisbag.com/fundraising.asp - Reuse This Bag offers an eco-friendly fundraising option... reusable grocery bags. The bags can be personalized with your organization's name.
Greenraising
http://www.greenraising.com/ - Greenraising offers a fundraising option with green and socially responsible products.
Let's Go Green
http://letsgogreen.biz/index.html - Let's Go Green offers a fundraising option that allows students to get involved with helping the environment at a grassroots level.
Enviro Solutions Printer cartridge and Phone Recycling Programs
http://www.envirosolutionsllc.com/ - Recycling printer cartridges and cell phones is a fundraiser for your school, club, or business.
Cradle to Crayons
http://www.cradlestocrayons.org/2/index.php - To provide, free of charge, low-income and homeless children from birth to pre-teen the basic essentials they need to be safe, warm, ready to learn, and valued.
Terracycle
http://www.terracycle.net/brigades/ - Earn money for your school by collecting used food containers.
Environmentally Friendly Products
Extras for Creative Learning
http://www.exclrecycles.org/ - A Boston-based non-profit organization that offers recycled materials for art projects and workshops to parents, teachers and kids at low or no-cost, and takes donations of reusable, recycled and surplus material for redistribution.
Contests & Awards
Massachusetts Envirothon
http://www.maenvirothon.org/ - The natural education program for high school students. Teams of five students represent their organization in a state-wide competition testing their knowledge about various environmental issues.
North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Student Award and Grant Programs
http://eelink.net/pages/Student+Award+and+Grant+Programs+(Environmental+Topics) - A list of environmental award program opportunities for students and teachers.
Secretary's Awards for Excellent in Energy and Environmental Education
Commonwealth Awards - The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs award program for excellence in energy and environmental education.
Environmental Education Award
http://www.neafcs.org/content.asp?pageID=54 - The Environmental Education Award is presented for an outstanding program conducted by an individual or team who have been involved in educating families on issues concerning water quality, air quality, recycling, and natural resource conservation.
Environmental Events
EPA's Earth Day Website
http://www.epa.gov/earthday/ - Offers many tips and fun ways to protect the environment and your health every day.
National Recycling Coalition's America Recycles Day
http://www.nrc-recycle.org/americarecycles.aspx - Help build awareness about the importance of recycling on November 15th.
Arbor Day Foundation
http://www.arborday.org/ - Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance on April 24th that encourages tree planting and care.
Earth Hour
http://www.earthhour.org/ - Join communities, businesses and governments around the world by turning off your lights for 1 hour on March 28th.
National Green Week
http://www.nationalgreenweek.com/national-green-week/national-green-week-overview.html - Provides educational resources that promote sustainable, impactful pro-green habits and practices in children, families, and communities.
Focus the Nation
http://focusthenation.org/ - Through education, engagement and action, Focus the Nation empowers young leaders to accelerate the transition to a more just and prosperous clean energy future.
