Partners in Sustainability: Eco-Schools USA

In the “Partners in Sustainability” series, we turn the spotlight on our clients, many of whom are setting new standards for social and environmental responsibility in business. All of them, of course, have made the commitment to sustainability by ensuring that their operations are aligned with their values. We invited them to speak directly to the connection between green printing and sustainability. Today, we continue the series with Eco-Schools USA, an internationally acclaimed program that provides a framework to help educators integrate sustainable principles throughout their schools and curriculum.

About Eco-Schools USA

Eco-Schools International reaches 9.5 million students in 37,000 K-12 schools worldwide through the help of partnering organizations. In the U.S., the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is the sole host of this program. Launched in late 2009, Eco-Schools USA is now helping to green the school buildings, grounds and curriculum in 366 schools in 41 states, including the District of Columbia. With over 4 million members, NWF is one of the largest conservation organizations in the country. Each of this nonprofit’s programs supports one of three priorities:  Addressing global climate change, safeguarding wildlife and connecting people to nature. NWF is headquartered in Virginia and has eight regional centers and 47 state affiliates.

Eco-School USA and Sustainability

As one of the largest green schools programs, we focus on sustainability as the reason we exist for K-12 schools. We look at sustainability from a conservation standpoint as well as an education standpoint. Our program is based on a seven-step framework that is hands’ on and experiential in nature. More specifically, we believe that sustainability can be learned when students conduct sustainability audits of their schools and present a “green report” of their findings. Teachers can link the actions and activities to curriculum, thereby increasing kids’ learning both by doing and by learning. It’s all about environmental literacy. On the state level, we are working on educational advocacy called “No Child Left Inside.” The goal of No Child Left Inside is to incorporate environmental education into state plans so that all communities can benefit.

Printing Green

Eco-Schools has been printing green since day one. And our host, the National Wildlife Foundation, publishes five magazines, all of which are printed green. NWF’s paper purchasing program is guided by an internal sustainability policy (adopted in 1986) that states that NWF will incorporate environmental responsibility in its printing and paper useage.

Green Printing and Sustainability

Eco-Schools uses Greenerprinter for our business cards, brochures and large-format displays. Our business cards direct people to the program’s URL, while our brochure (pictured above) provides more info about the program. We love the matte finish and the fact that Greenerprinter paper fits so closely with our sustainability policy. Greenerprinter also did our conference displays (pictured to the left) – something we have not had until only recently. We really like how portable they are, and that now all of our printed materials send people the message that we are a green organization. Finally, we are also delighted with the excellent customer service we have received at every step along the way. For more information on just a few of the Eco-Schools USA projects, please visit their weblog. 

Many thanks to Laura Hickey, Senior Director of Eco-Schools USA, for her assistance in providing this information.