2020-2021 EarthGen Certifications

Camas High School certified in the At-Home Action category to maintain their Gold-level EarthGen certification status. Students worked with their family members to see what projects were the most achievable and how much time they could dedicate to each task. Ali Coker, forensic science teacher and Green Team advisor, also inspired students to brainstorm social media posts to get more CHS students outside of the Green Team to participate. They loved utilizing EarthGen's Carbon Calculator Tool to see how much money and how many resources they could save by making small changes in their daily lives. Camas High is also certified in Waste & Recycling, Water, and Transportation. Thanks for all your hard work this year, CHS!

Gaiser Middle School, already a Platinum-level EarthGen school, was the first in Clark County to complete the At-Home Action certification category. Students in Dr. Shea's class split up into four teams to work on projects in recycling, water reduction, home furnace temperature reduction, and reduction in meat consumption. When the projects were completed, students calculated the amount of resources and money saved by reducing their consumption. For example, they calculated that they saved over 36,000 gallons of water per year and $570 per year in cost savings in their water reduction project. One student said, "The green school certification project gave me an opportunity to help out my community from the comfort of my home and taught me that simple changes in everyday life can make a world of difference." Great job, Gaiser! 

The Gardner School of Arts & Sciences is a private PK-8 school in Vancouver with a strong focus on community and sustainability. This year, Gardner certified in Waste & Recycling and earned their first EarthGen Bronze-level certification. Their green team is not like many other green teams. The reason for this is that the whole school is the green team. Each class is involved in various projects around campus. While we were there to present them with their certification certificate, we celebrated with fresh strawberries the students had grown in their beautiful and bountiful garden. In no time, they'll have another certification in School Grounds and Gardens! 

Hockinson Heights Elementary earned their second certification in School Grounds and Gardens to take them to the Silver level. They first earned their Bronze certification in Waste & Recycling in 2017. Hockinson Heights' school garden is quite impressive. Each grade level has their own bed with hand-made signs. Teachers, Nancy O'Neill-Bratt, Nathan Tracey, Megan Miles, and Ada Carter did a great job setting up these beds, taking care of them throughout the year, and helping their students learn about gardening and other topics in line with Next Generation Science Standards. What a wonderful opportunity for students! We're looking forward to seeing what they grow next.

Lacamas Lake Elementary School has had a busy and successful year! To earn the At-Home Action certification and sustain their Gold-level status, the Green Team created habitats for critters in their yards and helped their families reduce waste, water, and energy at home. On top of that, their fearless leader, Nancy Stoy, was awarded both Clark County's Green Apple Award and EarthGen's Green Medal. Nancy is such an inspiration to students and has led them through many different projects over the years, including the installation of a milk dispenser. She is every bit deserving of these awards, and we are so lucky to have her to inspire the next generation of sustainability leaders. Congrats, Lacamas Lake!

Roosevelt Elementary School's green team is led by librarian, Jordi Yorkers. This year, her team completed tons of fun activities, had discussions about videos on various environmental topics, and created a beautiful waste reduction display once they were back at school. Because school was mostly virtual this year, the green team met over Zoom and completed projects at home, thus achieving At-Home Action certification and reaching Silver-level with EarthGen. We can't wait to see what they go on to accomplish next year! 

Washington State School for the Blind certified in two categories this year: School Grounds & Gardens and At-Home Action. Custodian, Mickey Marshall, has been an instrumental piece in creating opportunities for students to get involved in sustainability projects on campus and at home. "[My] students are learning that anyone can make a difference. Your age or ability does not matter. All you need to do is care." This year, the Green Team and Horticulture class teamed up to plant a beautiful courtyard garden. The garden is growing tomatoes, zucchini, and other veggies as well as some flowers and herbs. These new certifications bring them to the Gold-level. Way to go, Washington State School for the Blind! We are in awe of you.

Congratulations to Washougal High School for earning their first EarthGen bronze-level certification in waste and recycling! WHS has implemented several sustainability initiatives to reduce waste at school, with the switch from single-use service items in the cafeteria to durable service-ware being one of their biggest accomplishments yet. The student council also created the Panther PAW Pledge to help raise awareness of ways to reduce waste personally and in the community. It's amazing to see all that they achieved this past year, and we're so excited what they go on to do in the future!