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Girl Scouts Forever Green:
National Community Action Project
Girl Scouts can change the world– and you can be a part of it!
Join Girl Scouts across Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois as we make a huge impact on the environment! Your girls can become advocates for greener schools and community areas—how they choose to do it is up to them.
Our Goal: We want every troop and Girl Scout Juliette in our council to become “Forever Green” by learning about one or more of the environmental focus areas; then girls will use their knowledge to plan and lead an environmental action project to bring about sustainable change in their school or community!
Get Started Today!
Follow these simple steps to help your girls create lasting change in their school and community.
A patch and certificate will be available from GSUSA for all Girl Scouts who participate and complete a Forever Green take action project. All girls will receive $2 off per admission to Girls Go Global and recognition at the event on April 24, 2010, at the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Coralville, IA. |
Discover.
Any Girl Scout Troop or Juliette may create a Forever Green community action project. This project can also be incorporated into a Girl Scout Bronze, Silver or Gold Award project. Start by learning more about one of the five focus areas (Air Quality, Energy Conservation, Green Space, Waste Management or Water Quality) in your school and community and determine how you can make an impact. Check out the “How To” guide below or click on any of the links to learn more!
Connect.
Find out what can be done in your school or community that will make a difference that your troop/girl can achieve by April 30, 2010. Contact your local program manager for help connecting with community members, environmental experts and school officials.
Take Action. – the deadline to register your project is December 31, 2009!
Help girls as they decide on a project and apply to be a Green Team! After approval by your program manager, the project must be completed by April 30, 2010. (This deadline will not affect projects that are ongoing.)
Forever Green Application.pdf - tell us what you are doing!
An application must be turned in before the start of the project to participate in Forever Green.
Forever Green How to Guide.pdf
More Project ideas found here:
There are many Girl Scout Badges that your girls can work on to help them get ready for their Take Action Project click on the link that corresponds with your group’s age level:
Encourage your girls to explore the links below to discover which focus areas are important to them and to find potential projects.
Air Quality
- www.epa.gov/iaq/schools: Tools and suggestions for improving air qualities within school buildings. There are resources about mold, caulk, and asthma. Within the Improve Air Quality “action kit” there are documents that give specific steps to improve air quality in projects that are based in schools.
- www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus: Clean School Bus USA is a program aimed at reducing children’s exposure to exhaust. This Web site has links to the national campaign to reduce bus idling, as well as outreach materials for the campaign.
- www.greenseal.org: The Green Seal is a nonprofit organization that sets environmental standards for products. This organization evaluates products’ compliance with standards and also enables consumers to see what products are Green Seal certified.
- www.greenguard.org: The Greenguard Environmental Institute certifies satisfactory indoor air quality in buildings, schools, and construction sites. The resources include information about why indoor air quality is so important and links to articles that stress the importance of good indoor air quality in schools.
- www.airwatchnorthwest.org: Resources for outdoor burning programs and anti-idling programs, including tips on how to reach out to schools and bus drivers. There are templates for letters that parents, students, and school officials can sign to make a pledge.
- www.earthday.net/noidling: The No Idling Campaign through the Earth Day Network is a great resource for Girl Scouts when conducting projects. There are also other helpful resources on the Earth Day Network Web site such as links to community campaigns and educational programs.
- www.earthforce.org/content/article/detail/1556: Earth Force has a long article about air quality including lists of air quality pollutants, an air pollution history timeline, and details about federal laws pertaining to air quality.
Waste Management
- www.greenschoolproject.com: This is a cartridge- and cell-phone recycling program that partners with schools to promote recycling. There are also lesson plans and printable worksheets on the Web site.
- www.therecyclingguy.com: Program for recycling cell phones and other electronics in a safe way that benefits schools and charities financially.
- www.nikegamechangers.com/earth: Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program reuses shoes to construct playgrounds and athletic facilities. Troops or councils can apply to host a shoe drive in their community.
- www.stopjunkmail.org: Ways to reduce junk mail and remove your name from mailings. This Web site has templates for letters that you can write to catalogs and credit card offers to reduce junk mail.
- www.crirecylingink.com: CRI Recycling buys e-waste including ink cartridges, cell phones, and ink jets that it then recycles.
- www.nationalgreenweek.org and www.eeweek.org: Information about two national environmental weeks aimed at schools and communities and how to make them greener. Girl Scout projects can be featured on the Web sites. There are also videos, facts, and resources about the environment and waste.
- www.terracycle.net: Resource for upcycling Capri Sun pouches and other drink pouches as well as energy bar wrappers. These unrecyclable products are made into new products such as purses and pencil cases. Candy wrappers and snack wrappers can also be upcycled!
- www.thinkgreen.com: Waste Management’s Web site helps educate people about the recycling process in a simplified and interesting way. Learn how waste is transformed to energy and how aluminum cans are recycled.
- www.howtocompost.org: A complete source of composting information and articles for beginners to experts, including educational resources for composting in schools, at home and in communities.
- www.freecycle.org: A grassroots nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) items for free in their own towns, in an effort to reuse and keep items out of landfills.
- www.newdream.org: The Center for a New American Dream’s web site provides resources that helps Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice. It includes a “green schools” section and highlights reusable water bottle efforts.
- www.catalogcancelingchallenge.com: The Catalog Canceling Challenge is a youth effort to cancel unwanted sales catalogs.
- www.kab.org: Keep America Beautiful is an organization that combines environmental education with hands-on stewardship. This Web site provides a network for action projects and gives project suggestions.
- www.farmtoschool.org: Farm to Schools is a non-profit organization that brings healthy local foods into schools and educates students about food, and how it travels from farm to fork. Learn about starting a farm to school program in your own school.
Water
- www.girlscouts.org - Water Drop Patch Project: A program resource, co-produced by GSUSA and the EPA, that teaches Girl Scouts about water quality and how to take action in their communities to protect and restore local water resources. Guidance on constructing rain gardens on school properties is included.
- www.epa.gov/safewater: The EPA has resources about water pollution, instructions on how to build rain gardens, and information about local water sources. This Web site includes links to publications about water conservation and ideas for promoting water efficiency.
- www.epa.gov/watersense/index.htm: Water Sense is an EPA partnership voluntary labeling program that offers consumers a simple way to make product choices that use less water with no sacrifice to quality or product performance.
- www.worldwatermonitoringday.org: World Water Monitoring Day is an international effort to improve water quality. There are test kits available to test the quality of local water sources.
- www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php: This Web site lists 100 ways to conserve water. One of these tips may spark a project idea.
- www.nwwater.com The North Wales Water Authority provides information and facts about water and ideas for kids on how to conserve water. This Web site includes interactive games for kids about saving water and resources to teach children about water conservation.
- www.wetcity.org/resources.htm Water Watchers: Conserving Water at Your School and Home, a school water audit and conservation handbook, helps educators mentor a student-driven audit of water use at school and in their homes. Lessons in the guide are arranged to lead students from awareness of basic water conservation issues to responsible action and stewardship of their water environment.
- www.projectwet.org According to this Web site, “the mission of Project WET is to reach children, parents, educators, and communities of the world with water education.” There are numerous resources about water and water sources.
Energy
- www.southface.org South Face focuses on energy sustainability projects. Resources include designs for green buildings.
- www.energystar.gov/powermanagement Energy Star standards require that electronics use less energy than federal efficiency standards. Counsils can join campaigns to reduce energy consumed by refrigerators, telephones, and computers.
- www.usgbc.org U.S. Green Building Council provides information about greening buildings and LEED certification. There is a link to Build Green Schools.
- www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energysmartschools: Schools are a great place to teach children about energy and the environment. This Web site includes suggestions on designing and building green schools.
- www.consumerenergycenter.org: Includes energy tips for schools, information about renewable energy, and transportation tips to reduce energy consumption.
- www.kidwind.org/lessons/teachers.html: Resources for teaching girls about renewable energy sources.
- www.windpoweringamerica.gov/schools.asp: Information about wind power in schools. This Web site also provides links for interactive activities and other resources about wind power.
- www.epeat.net: EPEAT helps consumers choose electronic products (computers) based on their environmental characteristics.
- www.focusthenation.org: Focus the Nation is a national teach-in and policy agenda with a campaign to promote the civic engagement of youth.
- www.greenroofs.com: A resource portal for green roofs.
- www.fueleconomy.gov: The United States Department of Energy gives tips on vehicle energy usage and how to drive more efficiently.
- www.epa.gov/greenvehicles: The EPA’s guide to Green Vehicles help people chose fuel-efficient vehicles to meet their needs. This information can serve as the basis of an educational session in the community.
- www.emoregon.org/pdfs/OIPL/OIPL_Kill_A_Watt_fact_sheet.pdf: This is a PDF file about how to use a Kill A Watt to save energy.
Green Space
- www.epa.gov/greenscapes Suggestions for cost-efficient and environmentally friendly landscaping solutions. This Web site addresses composting, plants, green buildings and landscapes, and recycling.
- www.erthnxt.org/programs/trees21.html: This is an educational and tree-planting toolkit. This Web site suggests science-based activities for children ages 6–18 that reinforce the value of stewardship.
- www.edibleschoolyard.org Edible School Yard is an example of an organic school garden in California. This Web site includes plans for gardens, recipes, and links to other Web sites about locally grown foods.
- www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/details/in_schools Slow Food USA has examples of projects that meet community needs, such as cooking classes and school trips to local farms.
- www.lifelab.org Life Lap gives tips for planting a school garden and has publications about school gardens.
- www.kidsgardening.org Classroom project ideas, resource directory, and grant opportunities for kids’ gardens in the community.
- www.happeninhabitats.pwnet.org This Web site is a great resource for learning about habitats and plants and includes suggested activities that are appropriate for elementary school–aged Girl Scouts.
- www.eeweek.org/resources/garden_curricula The National Environmental Education Week Web site offers lesson plans about gardening and green space for each grade level of Girl Scouting.
Additional Online Resources
- www.epa.gov/kids: The Environmental Protection Agency provides a great resource about natural resources, animals, and the environment. Certain information and Web site links (such as the links to virtual experiments) are geared toward younger girls, while other information and links to scholarships and career ideas are appropriate for older girls.
- www.sustainablesites.org: Sustainable Sites explains why sustainability is important by focusing on the ecosystem. The Web site includes descriptions of case studies of successful sustainability projects. The Orange County Great Park case study in California summarizes community participation, performance goals, and lessons learned from designing an environmentally sustainable park.
- www.buildgreenschools.org: Build Green Schools provides information about green schools including LEED standards. There are resources including power points and videos about recycling, school-wide environmental projects, and energy-efficiency strategies. Other resources focus on K-12 environmental education.
- www.loe.org/series/NCPHS: Producing radio shows about the environment is a fun project for older girls who can partner with a local radio station. Living on Earth is an independent environmental radio station, and its Web site offers links and examples of shows produced by students.
- www.bioneers.org/education: Bioneers Education Community gives examples of successful environmental education projects that create positive change.
- www.greenschoolsalliance.org/students/75ways.html: The Green School Alliance’s 75 Things You Can Do To Stop Global Warming is a great list of suggestions for living more sustainably that can inspire project ideas.
- www.nrdc.org: Natural Resources Defense Council has articles about current environmental issues, information on legislative policies, and resources for green living.
- www.sierraclub.org/education: Write about nature in the Sierra Club’s Words for Wilderness around the World project. There are links to educational organizations, environmental education resources, and information about youth awards.
- www.ase.org: The Alliance to Save Energy posts exciting news about the environment and relevant legislation. There is a link to the Green Schools Program that outlines ways to make schools more energy efficient.
- www.gogreeninitiative.org: Go Green Schools is a network for schools to help promote stewardship in their communities. There are also resources for schools such as recommended worms for composts. This Web site also has an article titled, “Why Go Green” that explains the environmental, financial, and social benefits of living more sustainably.
- www.plt.org: Project Learning Tree is a Web site that helps students to learn “how to think, not what to think, about the environment.” This Web site has many helpful resources and information about each of the focus areas. There are also surveys about resource usage (such as water usage) so that girls can assess how much is being used and how usage can be reduced.
- www.earthsky.org: Earth Sky is a partner with Project Learning Tree. This Web site features downloadable podcasts that provide information about the environment and science.
- www.nwf.org/wildlife: The National Wildlife Federation helps protect wildlife and promotes sustainability for the future. This Web site provides information about animals and how the focus areas connect to animal welfare and survival. For example, there is an article about eagles and mercury pollution that may inform and inspire projects goals to protect wildlife.
- www.eco-schoolsusa.org: Eco-Schools USA is part of the National Wildlife Federation and plans to launch its program in September 2009. This program helps schools become more sustainable and green.
- www.myfootprint.org: Individuals can calculate their carbon footprint by entering information such as number of people in household, size of household, number of miles traveled annually, and types of energy sources used.
- www.eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/index.htm: Kid’s Crossing: Living in the Greenhouse, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, provides kids with general scientific information about climate change and the environment.
- www.howgreenismytown.org: How Green is my Town? provides information about climate change, sustainability, and environmental health at the local level.
- www.greeneducationfoundation.org: The Green Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization that strives to promote and enhance environmental education in schools. This foundation helps mobilize communities through National Green Week, Green Thumb Challenge, I Play Green Campaign, and other programs and campaigns.
- www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/solutions: The CNN Web site has videos about solutions to environmental issues such as playgrounds made from recycled materials like milk jugs, tires, and sneakers.
- www.audubon.org: The National Audubon Center Web site provides environmental news and education. With more than 500 chapters around the country, this organization can create effective local connections for councils.
- http://www.epa.gov/adopt/linkinggirls/contacts.html: This is a contact list of the Linking Girls to the Land federal natural resources and associated partners that may serve as potential partners for Girl Scouts Forever Green projects. These agencies collaborate with Girl Scouts at the national and local levels to connect girls to nature, wildlife and the outdoors and empower girls to take action through projects focused on environmental education, outdoor skills development, career exploration and service.
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