Central High School

High schoolers in Springfield, Missouri installed a rainwater catchment system on their garden shed.  This was phase one of a three phase plan to collect rainwater from the roofs of the buildings and use the rainwater to augment watering their school gardens. This project provided a solution to a serious problem at their school – the Garden Club of Central High School has seven separate gardens with an incredible number of garden beds that require water. This project will save an estimated 2,000 gallons of water just in phase 1, and over 3,500 gallons of water in phase 2, while still allowing the gardens to flourish and grow essential produce and support local biodiversity.

 Central High School (Springfield)

High school students at SLUH focused intensely on data analytics to improve their indoor air quality. They installed two temperature and humidity sensors to collect baseline data. They also collected data from an occupant satisfaction and transportation survey. The data gathered will help students write maintenance programs for the Building Automation System and help them support the maintenance department in conserving the school’s energy usage. Not only was this a deep dive into data, it also provided the students with the opportunity to impact their own school.

Students at Ladue High School not only demonstrated the ongoing impact of their previous Green Schools Quest projects and past sustainability efforts, but they also added to these initiatives and started training up the next generation of sustainability experts. Ladue High School students partnered with Ladue middle school and elementary students to help them join the Green Schools Quest for their first year. High school students also designed a native pollinator garden and formed a district sustainability council to present sustainability initiatives to district board members.

High school students at Kirkwood engineered solutions to bring the outdoors in, increase biodiversity on their campus, and promote student interaction with it. Students identified a problem with their recent construction on campus and they split into groups that  focused on different problems stemming from the construction. There was a group that focused on bringing the outdoors in, another group that focused on supporting the outdoor life that already existed, and a third group that focused on wildlife on campus who had experienced a loss of habitat. The overall school project centered around identifying the school’s biodiversity needs, increasing biodiversity on their campus, and improving student interaction with the many forms of life that made Kirkwood High School their home. 

Second graders at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School learned about, raised, and released Monarch butterflies to understand the part they can play in supporting a biodiverse habitat for migrating creatures. Students learned about what Monarchs need along their journey and how planting Milkweed and other flowering food sources is very important. The students found monarch caterpillars in the gardens on their school campus and raised them inside so they could see firsthand what they eat and the process they go through to become adults. Then they tagged and released the butterflies to support their understanding that some Monarchs would migrate to Mexico for the winter. They realized how long the journey for the little butterflies is and how much food they need along their way. They noticed that there are fewer spots for the butterflies to stop and eat and lay eggs which greatly impacts each generation. They decided to apply for free plants to do their part to increase pollinators around their school and will receive those plants in the fall. 

Fern Ridge students took on an incredible number of projects in one year, each one making an impact on a larger community. Students grew food on a tower garden to use in culinary classes and to give to families. They also planted a pollinator garden with 10 trees. Furthermore, students explored recycling, terracycling, “Wellness Wednesdays,”  fundraising money for reforestation in Africa, and sustainable waste management and energy conservation. The amount of work and creativity that went into each project was impressive!

Columbia Elementary championed food justice through hydroponic tower gardens, uniquely integrated into each grade level. From kindergarten to fifth grade, students engaged in hands-on learning experiences, tending to their tower gardens and witnessing the magic of plant growth firsthand. These gardens not only provided fresh produce for school meals but also served as powerful tools for teaching about sustainability, nutrition, and environmental stewardship. The provision of fresh fruits and vegetables to the community and students’ families is an invaluable result of this project because Columbia Elementary is located in a food desert, grocery stores with healthy food options are not accessible to families. By empowering students at every grade level to participate in this food justice effort, Columbia Elementary instilled a sense of responsibility and cultivated future leaders who are committed to creating a more equitable and sustainable food system.

Arcadia Valley High School pursued sustainability from the literal ground up. They realized they needed support from the experts in order to begin their sustainability journey, so they sought out guest speakers and began the quest to educate their student population, their staff members, and their local community. 

Rockwood South Middle School took on an expansion project of an existing school garden, and created a learning garden to educate the entire Fenton community on biodiversity, pollinators, soil health, and native plants.

Crestwood Elementary took on several projects to raise awareness about biodiversity loss and community involvement in the solution. They fundraised and held several events throughout the course of their project, impacting not only their school but also their local community.

Spoede Elementary focused on bird population decline, and created a solution to combat the loss of local birds from their campus construction projects. Students created nesting boxes and feeders out of wood and collected materials from their recycling bins. Students monitored camera footage and they watched in delight as several birds began enjoying their new habitat.

Althoff Catholic High School took a completely different approach to this year’s project and conducted a lighting audit of their school. They analyzed their lighting audit from a cost savings, safety, and design perspective.  They also analyzed solar panels and LED lighting as a potential solution to energy savings.