There are a total of eight platinum certified schools in Washington State, and five of them are in Clark County!
York Elementary (Evergreen Public Schools) has become a Washington Green Schools Platinum Certified school! Washington Green Schools facilitates a framework for students to investigate environmental issues at schools, create an action plan, and make a meaningful, lasting change on their campus. The six project certification areas are: Energy; Healthy School Buildings; School Grounds and Gardens; Transportation; Waste & Recycling; and Water. To become platinum certified, a school must implement a lasting change project for each of those six areas. The certification program is part of a larger goal to provide schools with the support and resources to empower the next generation of environmental leaders and to create greener, healthier school environments.
"This past fall, York's Green Team focused on the importance of hand washing in order to make our school healthier. Our Green Team put together a video to teach York Explorers the proper way to wash hands. Students also designed posters to post in the bathrooms with reminders about hand washing and how to use a minimal amount of paper towels."
Amanda Pemberton, Green Team Leader
York recently submitted their sixth certification application, in the area of Healthy School Buildings. This category encourages schools to assess the health of their school and implement lasting changes that improve indoor air quality, reduce absences due to illness, and reduce exposure to chemicals. For their Healthy School Buildings project, the York Green Team, comprised of students and teachers, wanted to decrease the number of absences by educating and encouraging students to wash their hands properly and more frequently, and to decrease the number of paper towels used by encouraging the use of only one paper towel using the "shake and fold" method. This is a great example of the intersection of sustainability and health; what's good for us is good for our environment, and vice-versa!
The Platinum certified Green Schools in Clark County are, in addition to York:
- Peter S. Ogden Elementary (Vancouver Public Schools)
- La Center High School (La Center School District)
- Gaiser Middle School (Vancouver Public Schools)
- Image Elementary (Evergreen Public Schools)
Becoming a certified Green School is a team effort that involves teachers, staff, school administrators, parents, community volunteers and partners, and students. Clark County Green Schools is here to connect you with the local resources that can help you make a school in your neighborhood a Green School.