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.