What is the Illinois Green Schools Project?
The Illinois Green Schools Project is a year-long sustainability initiative designed for K-12 schools in Illinois. Participants can form a green team, identify their school's sustainability needs and goals, and reduce their school's impact by designing and implementing a personalized no-to low-cost sustainability project.
Join the cohort of schools who are implementing sustainability projects with educational tools and mentor guidance.
No matter where you are on your sustainability journey, we want to help you advance down the path to sustainability through projects that reduce your school’s impact and waste of energy, water, and materials.
How Does it work?
List of Services
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Complete the IGSP Sustainability Workbook.List Item 1
Make your way through the IGSP Sustainability Workbook to discover your school's current footprint, brainstorm possible pathways to efficiency improvements, and create an outline for a low-cost schoolwide sustainability project focused on resource use reduction.
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Execute a sustainability project.List Item 2
Using the data collected and project outline created during Stage One, execute a school-wide sustainability project that addresses multiple pillars of sustainability and engages the school community.
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Receive recognition for your work!List Item 3
Share your project outcomes with the IGSP Cohort during our Virtual Celebration Event. We'll recognize schools across each project stage, celebrate achievements with an awards ceremony, and help schools consider sustainability next steps.
Program Timeline
September 9 - November 11
School Registration Period
September 9 - October 1
Mentor Application Period
January 31
Sustainability Workbook Due
February 14
Mini Grant Award Winners Announced
May 2
Project Report Due
May 22
End of Year Celebration Event
Mentors are here to help!
We have an amazing network of volunteers excited to help you and your school's green team benchmark your progress and identify the next steps on your path to a more sustainable future!
Mentors are matched with IGSP Schools to help:
- Complete the IGSP Sustainability Workbook.
- Understand sustainability practices.
- Effectively assemble and communicate with school stakeholders.
- Research and identify achievable goals.
- Brainstorming funding opportunities unique to each school
- And more!
Join the 2024-25 Cohort to be paired with a sustainability professional!
Benefits of joining the cohort
Access a framework to guide your efforts
Let us help you get started! IGSP is a great catalyst for recruiting school stakeholders to support sustainability efforts, developing student-involved initiatives, or forming an action plan towards future work.
- The 'What's in it for me?' Resource and Letter of Commitment templates make it simple to recruite a diverse community of school stakeholders to join your Green Team.
- The Sustainability Workbook is designed to help schools determine their next steps forward.
Receive personal support from a sustainability professional
We have an amazing network of volunteers with professional backgrounds in sustainability and building science who are excited to help you and your Green Team create a relevant and effective project! Green Schools Mentors work with their assigned school to answer questions, make informed recommedations, and work through their IGSP Sustainability Workbook.
Discover potential funding and savings
School decarbonization efforts like reducing resource use and increasing resource efficiency are linked to significant potential savings. On top of that, there are many ways for schools to seek funding and benefit from free programs!
- Participating schools are eligable to apply for the IGSP Mini Grant to help fund projects up to $1000.
- Green Teams will also receive resources and support in exploring other local funding sources.
- All public schools in Illinois can request a FREE school-wide sustainability assessment through their region's primary energy provider, ComEd or Ameren.
Earn the Green Classroom Professional Certificate
Participating schools can receive up to 3 course subscriptions for USGBC's Green Classroom Professional program, which provides pre K-12 educators and school staff with the knowledge to identify what supports or impedes healthy, resource-efficient and environmentally sustainable learning spaces.
Work towards national recognition
We welcome schools to participate in the IGSP program as many times as they like! Schools that make significant advancements towards sustainability goals are urged to apply for the US Department of Education's national program, Green Ribbon Schools.
Illinois Green Alliance is the Illinois host of the Green Ribbon program and will offer additional support to IGSP schools working on a Green Ribbon application.
Discover how sustainability
benefits all school stakeholders:
- Administrators
- Students
- Teachers
- School Board
- Facility Director
- Grounds Supervisor
- Custodians
- Nutrition Staff
- Parents/Community Members
