A student-led, energy-saving initiative at Johnson Elementary in northern Kentucky started with a simple question: What can fourth and fifth graders do to help the school conserve energy?
The students brainstormed ideas before selecting a tangible action they could take to reduce energy consumption at their Fort Thomas-area school, near the Ohio border. They decided to implement “lights-out Fridays,” school-wide.
If a class is successful in keeping the lights off, they’re awarded a sign to hang outside the door, advertising to the school community their commitment to save energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint.
This meaningful, environmental action is one of hundreds led by Kentucky elementary, middle and high school students, all taking part in the Kentucky Green Schools initiative. The work is guided by the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE), a non-profit organization, which, since 1976, has brought environmental education to teachers, community educators, park rangers, administrators, government and agency personnel, business and industry representatives, and private citizens.
KAEE works with schools across Kentucky, offering its programming free of charge thanks to grants and donations from the community.
“The goal of Kentucky Green Schools is to create sustainable and healthy learning environments for students by implementing green practices in their schools,” explains Ashley Hoffman, KAEE’s executive director.
“The impact to the students is that they get outside of the books to learn about how to actually take action and make change in their community, starting with their school.”
Launched in 2023, Kentucky Green Schools attracted more than 100 schools in its first year. Teachers wishing to implement the program at their school can attend training through KAEE and access guides to help facilitate the interests of the students and translate that interest into meaningful action.
Students choose the area of environmental education they wish to investigate—for example, energy, waste and recycling, school site, school environment or water.
“Once the students choose an area, they conduct an investigation. They might count the number of lights left on in empty rooms or assess the utility bill. Then, they select an action to improve the current state,” Hoffman says.
“What we really want is for students to learn how they can take action to improve their school grounds and environment,” she adds.
