Greetings!

We are excited to share that Project Green Schools has joined Earth Gives 2025, the only nationwide campaign dedicated solely to supporting nonprofits working on the environment, climate, wildlife, and renewable energy. 

Though the planet faces urgent challenges, only 2% of U.S. charitable giving goes to environmental causes. Yet, individual donors like you represent 64% of America’s giving power. Earth Gives is about shifting that balance—inviting people to invest their dollars, time, and talent in creating a more sustainable future.

“People care about the air their children breathe, the safety of their water, and the future of their communities,” said Rhonda Bannard, Founder and Executive Director of Earth Gives. “Two percent of all giving is not enough to speed and scale the work of these boots-on-the-ground organizations, serving their local communities or global systems change.”

Earth Gives is designed to ignite generosity, awareness, and action for 501c3 nonprofits working every day to protect our health, restore ecosystems, advance renewable energy, reduce pollution, and build community resilience in the face of extreme weather and environmental threats. Project Green Schools works every day to champion environmental education and stewardship, supporting the next generation of green-minded business and political leaders. 

“Project Green Schools is thrilled to join this year’s Earth Gives Day. As an environmental education organization, our supporters help to fuel our programming initiatives, creating a lasting impact on students and schools across the nation and the globe,” said Robin Sidman, Founder and Executive Director of Project Green Schools.

How to participate with Earth Gives: 

To support Project Green Schools, please visit our Earth Gives Day page.

Your donation supports our future environmental leaders.

Your gift helps Project Green Schools to engage over 500,000 students in 6,500 schools in the United States and 140 countries worldwide.

Our organization focuses on environmental education, but our students aren’t only learning about sustainability and the environment: they are leading by actively driving change in their schools and communities. 

Our students are at the forefront of the environmental movement, influencing sustainable practices and policies, designing school and community-based projects locally and globally, and more.

Through Project Green Schools’ programming, our students are offered a myriad of extraordinary opportunities, including engaging in discussions with state and federal leaders through our National Youth Council, participating in leadership events at the White House and the EPA, and presenting at the United Nations. 

PGS at Climate Week NYC

Project Green Schools was thrilled to take part in another incredible Climate Week NYC! 

As world leaders, organizations, companies, and activists convened in New York to discuss solutions and collaborative action to address the climate crisis for the UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC, youth were at the center of the conversation at Project Green Schools’ virtual event, Jumping Into a Green New School Year: Student Voices for Climate Action, held in conjunction with Climate Week NYC 2025.

The flagship event led by our National Youth Council Co-Presidents brought together students, educators, policymakers, community leaders, and others committed to driving positive environmental change from California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, and South Carolina, as well as 13 countries around the globe. 

Our speakers, Austin Braxton-Smith (Broadway Green Alliance) and Brett Matulis (ecoAmerica), provided a few resources and opportunities for our Project Green Schools members. 

Broadway Green Alliance

Theatre Climate Pledge

Green Captain Program

BGA Chapters

Resource Hub

ecoAmerica

Project Green Schools x ecoAmerica Climate Ambassador Training

American Climate Leadership Awards

9th NYC Green School Conference

Project Green Schools was thrilled to partner with Green Mentors for the 9th NYC Green School Conference during Climate Week! 

The two-day, high-impact conference focused on advancing the Greening Education Partnership, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and climate action through the lens of education.

Project Green Schools was honored to moderate the session Climate, Environment, and Health: Converging Crises, Collaborative Solutions. The Takeda-sponsored panel featured:

• Johanna Jobin, Takeda - Global Head of Environment & Sustainability & Project Green Schools Board Member
• Bob Perciasepe, Former President of C2ES / Former Deputy Administrator of EPA & Project Green Schools Advisory Board Member 
• Jennifer Macedonia, Former Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Air and Radiation & Project Green Schools Advisory Board Member 
• Tram T. Nguyen, Chair of the House Committee on Climate Action and Sustainability, Massachusetts House of Representatives
• Dr. Anna Goldman, Primary Care Physician & Medical Director of Sustainability at Boston Medical Center

The session explored the intersection of environmental sustainability and public health, highlighting solutions that improve both environmental and human well-being.

Panelists shared insights on how institutions are working collaboratively across sectors to mitigate the compounding impacts of climate change on community health, particularly in school and urban settings.

We are truly inspired by and grateful for the student leaders from Project Green Schools and our partner organizations who raised their voices and inspired action during Climate Week NYC.

We look forward to continuing to collaborate and build opportunities to amplify youth voices at Climate Week NYC and beyond! 

Meet Emily and Jeana, our new National Youth Council Vice President and Communications Officer!

Project Green Schools is proud to introduce Emily Riordan as Vice President and Jeana Jung as Communications Officer of our National Youth Council! 

Emily and Jeana are both extraordinary young environmental leaders driving positive change in their schools and communities in Massachusetts and Texas. We are pleased to welcome them to their new roles on our Youth Council and look forward to the contributions they will bring to our mission!

Meet Emily:

Emily Riordan, a junior at Newton North High School, has enjoyed working with PGS’ Youth Council this past year and is excited to take on the role of Vice President. Emily is interested in environmental policy and has worked with her state legislators, as well as four organizations, on bills to increase access to housing for individuals who’ve been displaced by factors including extreme weather and natural disasters…

Meet Jeana:

Jeana is a senior at Reedy High School in TX. She has served on the Youth Council for a year and is proud to take on the role of communications officer! She currently serves as the president of the National Green Schools Society (NGSS) at her school and has received awards for her projects in composting and waste management through art! Her passion for the environment has grown from witnessing the devastating and long-lasting impacts human action has had on the Earth’s climate…

PGS National Youth Council Co-President, Diya Balagopal, featured by Moms Clean Air Force for her environmental leadership! 

Diya Balagopal’s senior year at Reedy High School in Frisco, Texas, started on August 13. As she navigated her first weeks of classes, she was still trying to narrow down a topic for her college essay, due with applications later this fall. She has so many extracurriculars and passions, it’s hard to choose what to highlight. Should she write about the environmental group she founded at her high school, Nature’s Nurturers? Her work as co-president at Project Green Schools’ National Youth Council? How she founded NativeScape Grass Company to transform conventional lawns with native seed blends that significantly reduce water and chemical usage, plus maintenance?

“I think my two main passions are environment and data—putting those two together,” mused Diya, 17. Whatever she writes about—and wherever she winds up for college—her current plan is to major in stats and data science and minor in environmental engineering. Read on to find out how a student gets so deeply involved in environmental causes so young—and how she manages to get her homework done with such a busy schedule.

Read the full feature here: 

https://www.momscleanairforce.org/diya-balagopal-student-advocate/

Unveiling our New Pathways to Greening Your School

Project Green Schools has expanded our Pathways to Greening Your School!

Our Pathways are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and are designed to help students and educators learn about sustainability and implement environmental action in their schools and communities. 

Within each Pathway, you will find links to curriculum, games, apps, videos, days to celebrate, and more!

Be sure to check out our latest pathways on 14. Community and Collaboration, 15. Sports, 16. Arts, 17. Environmental Justice, and 18. Environmental Literacy!

Green Sports Pledge

Outdoor Classroom Challenge: Win $10,000 for your school!

Project Green Schools is excited to invite Pre-K–12 schools across the U.S. to design or enhance an outdoor learning space for a chance to win $10,000!

Top entries will pitch their designs to a panel of judges in Spring 2026. Now in its fifth year, the Outdoor Classroom Challenge celebrates student innovation and connecting learning with the natural world.

Applications open November 7th!

Interested? Learn more here:

https://projectgreenschools.org/outdoor-classroom-challenge/

Need some inspiration? Check out last year's winning designs!

Partnership Announcement

We are thrilled to partner with Mangrove Protectors! 

Co-founded by Gaurika Gautam and Vedika Gautam, Mangrove Protectors is an initiative focused on raising awareness about protecting and conserving mangrove ecosystems through interactive workshops for children. Over the past 2 years, they have conducted 19+ workshops, reaching over 1,322 children, and collaborating with organizations such as Emirates Literature Foundation (ELF Dubai), Thirst Foundation / Run Blue Official, Dubai Schools (Al Barsha & Al Khawaneej), Dubai Heights Academy, and Children’s City, Dubai Municipality, CMS Lucknow and few other features with organizations on social media etc.

Their workshops are designed to be interactive and engaging for students/kids aged 6-15, where students learn about the importance of mangroves through a short presentation, followed by a hands-on activity, such as creating a small mangrove tree model for display or participating in other craft activities, online quizzes, and simulations. They also demonstrate how mangroves protect coastal areas from floods and support biodiversity through a hands-on model.

As co-founders, Guarika and Vedika are deeply passionate about this cause and look forward to widening their reach and spreading the message. They believe this initiative will empower students to become environmental ambassadors, encourage curiosity about ecosystems, and inspire responsible action for the environment.

Learn more about Mangrove Protectors here:

https://mangroveprotectors.com/

Calendar of Events/Days to Celebrate

October

• 1st Week: Junk Mail Awareness Week
• 1st: World Vegetarian Day
• 4th: World Animal Day
• 7th: Earth Gives Day
• 8th: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Day
• 17th: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

November

• 1st: World Vegan Day
• 2nd: National Bison Day
• 5th: World Tsunami Awareness Day
• 6th-8th: UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY 20)
• 10th-21st: UN Climate Change Conference (COP 30)
• 15th: America Recycles Day
• 24th: Buy Nothing Day (U.S.)
• 29th: International Jaguar Day