Lincoln Public Schools continues to serve as a community leader in waste management. During the 2022-23 school year, over 1.6 million pounds of recyclables were collected, and over 1.1 million pounds of organic materials were collected for composting. This resulted in an annual diversion rate of 49%! Need a refresh on the LPS recycling procedures? Review the recycling guidelines HERE.
As a result of waste diversion efforts during the 2022-23 school year, LPS saved:
- 13,179 trees
- 3,178,526 kWh of energy
- 5,426,752 gallons of water
- 2,558 cubic yards of local landfill space
- 46,515 lbs of air pollution
- 317,853 gallons of fuel
August’s Sustainability Spotlight is shining on Carol Flora, a social studies teacher at Lincoln High School. Carol sponsors 2 student clubs at LHS–Feminists For Change and Community Youth Collaborative. Following last Earth Day’s Turtle Island Celebration Youth Parade For Environmental Advocacy, these two student organizations have emerged from a single group and both have big plans for this school year! Get all the details about the amazing things happening in the LHS Community Healing Garden and beyond in our latest Update.
The Green Schools Recognition Program is still going strong! There are a wide variety of ways to earn points, including creating a sustainability-focused activity of your own. Be sure to photograph and submit any upcoming green activities and your school can be awarded up to $500. Our website features a spotlight on exemplary Green Team student involvement and planning by East High School’s Eco Club–be sure to check it out!
Walk to School Day is coming up on Wednesday, October 4th. Join the movement that inspires the entire community to come together to promote healthy habits and safe routes for students to walk or bike to school. For inspiration on how to bring your school’s Walk, Bike, and Roll celebration to life, check out these Resource Slides and learn about Clinton Elementary’s Bike to School Day last year.
GSRP TIP: Organizing a walk and bike to school day event earns your school 15 points through the Green Schools Recognition Program.
Calling all recycling trailblazers! LPS Sustainability is now offering Hefty ReNew bags to schools upon request. These bags are designed to collect hard-to-recycle plastic that cannot be processed via normal mixed recycling channels. If you’re interested in collecting these materials for recycling, fill out our ReNew Bag Request Form. We’ll check back in with you periodically on how the collection and disposal is coming along and use your valuable input to expand the district’s recycling!
GSRP Tip: Participating in the Hefty ReNew Bag Pilot Program earns your school 10 points through the Green Schools Recognition Program.
Second Quarter Garden Gathering–November 8th
- Our next Garden Gathering is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, November 8th at Roper Elementary. This Garden Gathering will focus on winter garden activities including tower gardens and hydroponic systems. Click HERE for more event information and to register.
First Quarter Garden Gathering
- August 2nd marked the first Garden Gathering of the 2023-24 school year! Attendees heard from Northeast High School students, LPS staff, and a wide variety of community partners from in and around Lincoln. If you weren’t able to make it out to Northeast last month, head to the LPS website for all the details.
Family Garden Night How-To Guide
- A Family Garden Night is a great way to bring together your school community for an evening outdoors! Our How To: Organizing a Family Garden Night resource covers planning considerations, engaging community partners, and selecting activities suited for your unique group. No garden? No problem! An event like this can be adapted to any outdoor learning environment, and may even spark support for a new garden project at your school.
GSRP Tip: Hosting a Family Garden Night earns your school 15 points through the Green Schools Recognition Program.
Our team can lead, support, or provide kits for grade-level appropriate Sustainability Experiences for your students. Choose from topics like energy, nature, and water, or work with us to create something unique to your school. If you’re interested in a Sustainability Experience for an upcoming Day Zero grade level assembly, please submit an interest form and we’ll be in touch!
GSRP Tip: Signing up for a sustainability themed grade level assembly earns your school 20 points through the Green Schools Recognition Program.
Our office is a little crowded these days, and we couldn’t be more excited about it! We’ve added 3 new interns in addition to our existing Gardens & Outdoor Learning specialist. Our July Sustainability Spotlight includes a feature on each intern’s background, role, and goals.
Keep in Touch with LPS Sustainability
Stay in the loop with timely sustainability news and updates by connecting with us on social media! We regularly post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and can help spread the word about upcoming events when you tag our pages.
We also encourage you to join conversations about Gardens and Outdoor Learning via the LPS School Gardens Slack channel. If you need advice or volunteers, or just want to share your garden’s progress, this is the place to do it! Visit LPS Jump and enter jump code GXY3 to get started.
