Celebrating Kentucky’s Green School Champions!

This spring, schools across the Commonwealth took meaningful steps toward creating more sustainable learning environments—and we’re excited to celebrate their achievements! Through the Kentucky Green Schools (KGS) program, students are leading the way to reduce their schools’ environmental footprint while building skills in investigation, leadership, and collaboration.

What Is Kentucky Green School?

Kentucky Green School is a program place where students are at the heart of change. Through the KGS program, they examine five key areas of their school's environmental impact: energy, water, waste and recycling, school site, and environmental quality. Based on what they learn, students develop and implement action projects to make a measurable difference—whether it's reducing energy consumption, improving indoor air quality, planting native trees, or rethinking waste systems.

The process not only fosters eco-literacy and critical thinking but also inspires lifelong habits of environmental responsibility. And this spring, we’re proud to recognize schools across the state who have taken major steps forward on their green school journeys.

Spring 2025 Recognition Highlights

Green Level Recognition

These schools completed at least one investigation and implemented an action project to address their findings:

• Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary led by Michelle Jackson

• Anne Mason Elementary led by Gregory Lawson

• Wayne County High School  led by Jenny Vinson

• Northern Elementary led by Jaime Burns

• Stamping Ground Elementary led by Michael Spratt

• Lemons Mill Elementary led by Abby Snyder

• Eastern Elementary led by Stephanie Sawyer

• Rise STEM Academy for Girls led by Kristen Witt

• Garth Elementary School led by Heather Collins

These student-led efforts are creating lasting change both inside and outside the classroom.

Silver Level Recognition

Silver Level schools completed two to four investigations, showing a deeper commitment to environmental exploration and action:

• Village School of Louisville led by Grace Graves

• Lewisburg Elementary School led by Chely Gregory

• Creekside Elementary led by Kristin Morris

• Western Elementary led by Kathy Placier (completed three investigations!)

• Russell Middle School led by Beverly McDavid

• Tichenor Middle School led by Steven McNabb

Russell Middle School, led by Beverly McDavid, and Tichenor Middle School, led by Steven McNabb, both completed four investigations to maintain their Silver Level status and near Gold Level (completing five investigations).

Lloyd Memorial High School students marking drains during their water investigation.

Gold & Model Green School Recognition

We are thrilled to celebrate a major milestone: Lloyd Memorial High School has become the first Kentucky Green School to have earned Gold Level Status and continue on to achieve Model Green School status.

Their student-led Energy Team, also known as the Green Team, completed all five thematic investigations and continued to implement action projects across every category during the 2024–2025 school year. Their achievement sets a powerful example of what’s possible when student leadership and sustainability go hand-in-hand.

Building a Greener Tomorrow

Each of these schools demonstrates the power of youth-driven change. Through curiosity, teamwork, and environmental action, Kentucky’s students are making their schools—and their futures—more sustainable, healthy, and vibrant.

At a recent family night outreach event, Lloyd Memorial High School's Green Team high schoolers demonstrated the power of solar energy by showcasing jewelry they made with UV-sensitive beads—watching the colors change in sunlight as a fun way to explore the science of solar power.

Building Connections and Advancing Green Careers: Highlights from KAEE’s Recent eeHEN Meeting

KAEE’s Environmental Education in Higher Education Network (eeHEN) recently held a vibrant and energizing meeting that brought together faculty, staff, and professionals from colleges and universities across Kentucky. The day was filled with meaningful conversations, collaborative brainstorming, and a shared commitment to strengthening the role of environmental education in higher education.

We spent time diving into KAEE’s Green Career Initiative, exploring how this effort can better support students in discovering environmental career pathways and how higher education institutions can leverage it to enhance their own programming. Participants also shared ideas on how eeHEN can continue evolving to increase collaboration, deepen networking opportunities, and better serve campuses across the state.

In addition to productive discussions, the gathering offered a much-needed space for connection and community. It was a great reminder of the power of bringing like-minded educators and professionals together to learn from each other and build momentum for environmental education at the collegiate level.

Institutions Represented at the Meeting Included:

• University of Kentucky: 4-H, Forestry Extension, Dept. of Forestry & Natural Resources Extension, Writing, Rhetoric, & Digital Studies, Environmental & Sustainability Studies

• Centre College: Education

• Eastern Kentucky University: Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education

• University of Louisville: Education, SECP

• Kentucky State University: Environmental Education and Research Center (EERC)

• Bluegrass Community & Technical College: Environmental Science Technology (EST)

• Northern Kentucky University: College of Education – Science Methods and EE

• Asbury University: Adventure Education & Leadership, Biology

• Maysville Community & Technical College: Biology

• Berea College: Forestry Outreach Center

We’re so grateful to everyone who attended and contributed their insights and energy. If you're working in higher education and passionate about environmental education, we’d love for you to be a part of this growing network. 

Learn more and join us at kaee.org/eehen.

KAEE’s Early Childhood Action Team Meets at Thrive Forest School

This month, KAEE’s Early Childhood Action Team gathered for a meaningful and inspiring meeting at Thrive Forest School, located at the Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve in Goshen, KY. Thrive Forest School offers a powerful example of nature-based early learning in action, and our time there included a guided tour of their outdoor classrooms and learning spaces, nestled within the preserve’s beautiful natural setting.

The Action Team is made up of early childhood educators and representatives from across

Kentucky, including those from higher education institutions, forest schools, nonprofits, and organizations like Child Care Aware. United by a shared passion for early learning and the environment, this group is working to expand access to outdoor time and environmental education for Kentucky’s youngest learners.

During our meeting, we discussed several exciting initiatives we’re currently working on, including nature preschool licensing and an early childhood summit planned for spring 2026.

This work is a direct reflection of a key strategy in KAEE’s Strategic Plan: Support early childhood schools and centers in implementing additional outdoor time and environmental education experiences. The formation and ongoing work of the Early Childhood Action Team is a vital step in bringing this strategy to life, helping ensure that more children across the state can benefit from meaningful experiences in nature.

We’re deeply grateful to Thrive Forest School for hosting us and to all of our Action Team members for their continued commitment to this work. Together, we are helping build a brighter, greener future for Kentucky’s children.