August Resources & Updates for Sustainable Schools

August 2025

Welcome back! A new school year brings new energy, fresh ideas, and a chance to take bold steps toward a more sustainable future.

Sustainability is not just an “environmental thing”.

One powerful lesson from schools leading on sustainability is this: effective advocacy starts with transforming understanding. Too often, sustainability is seen as just an environmental issue. But when school leaders, staff, and students recognize the many non-environmental benefits—like healthier learning environments, cost savings, stronger communities, and better student engagement—the momentum shifts. It’s not just an “add-on” — but a pathway to a stronger school overall.

It’s also about what’s at stake for students. Schools play a critical role in preparing young people for the world they’ll inherit. Are we equipping today’s students to become problem-solvers, innovators, and creators of a sustainable future—or leaving them to face it unprepared? Are we empowering students to see themselves as part of the solution—or burdening them with problems they didn’t create?

Read more about Transforming the Understanding of Sustainability - and the wide array of benefits of becoming sustainable school.

Students leading on sustainability at John Jay High School, NY

This month we’re spotlighting the inspiring work of students at John Jay High School, NY. The student group combined their Earth Rise club with the school’s Marketing class to take on a big sustainability challenge: assessing their school’s sustainability levels using START: Sustainability Tracking and Roadmap Tool, and presenting their findings. By empowering students to lead this process, John Jay High School is demonstrating how powerful student-driven sustainability can be—giving young people the chance to apply their passion and skills in ways that create real impact for their school.

Watch this 3-minute video to see how they did it!

START Whole School Sustainability Report

Completed your START Sustainability Assessment? The Sustainability Report template helps your to present your findings to school decision-makers, and make a case for resources, changes, and collaboration needed to move forward in your school’s sustainability journey.

Sustainability Action Plan Template

The Sustainability Action Plan template helps your school’s stakeholders to transform your START assessment into an actionable roadmap to sustainability—prioritizing goals, identifying next steps, and aligning efforts across campus to drive meaningful progress.

Learn more about how your school can use START: Sustainability Tracking, Analytics & Roadmap Tool to turn your sustainability ambition into action, or schedule a demo.

Congratulations to these schools for launching their Whole School Sustainability journeys through START!

Meadowridge School, B.C. Canada
The American School Foundation of Guadalajara, Mexico

90 schools and growing -
on the path to Whole School Sustainability!”

Upcoming Dates

September: National Wilderness Month (USA)
September 5th: International Day of Charity
September 20th: World Cleanup Day
September 21st: Zero Emissions Day
September 22nd: World Car Free Day
September 29th: International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste Reduction
October: Campus Sustainability Month
Find more dates for awareness and action in the GSA Community > #1: Events

💡 Get your Printable Calendar: Dates for Awareness & Action in the Community!

Re:wild Your Campus Virtual Bootcamp for Ecological School Grounds

Want to make real, lasting change on your campus or in your community to combat climate change and biodiversity loss? The Re:wild Your Campus team is very excited to host the next session of our Ground Up Advocacy Bootcamp, a virtual training intensive, on August 19, from 2 - 5:30pm PT.

Join the training with students from across the country to learn about toxic chemicals, rewilding spaces, the intersection of human and environmental health, and more.

The course is completely free to students and has a suggested donation of $50 for all community members. Click here to register.

Webinar: AI, Education and Ethics for a Changing World

Artificial intelligence (AI) is showing up in K–12 education, and it's likely to touch environmental education too. NAAEE hosting a webinar to explore how AI is transforming education, and what it might mean for educators like you who are helping students connect with the environment.

Wednesday, August 20, 3:00–4:00 PM ET - Register Here

GET FEATURED! We’re excited to share best practices and showcase the sustainability efforts of schools, whether it's successful sustainability strategies, your school’s overall progress, or achievements in specific sustainability metrics. Interested? Fill out this short form.
DO YOU HAVE SCHOOL SUSTAINABILITY QUESTIONS? Whether you're looking for tips on gaining buy-in from decision-makers or making progress in specific START metrics (like composting, emissions, student groups, and more), we’re here to help! Share your questions through this form, and we'll use them to shape upcoming newsletters, best-practices guides, and future webinar topics.

Green Schools Alliance is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, created by schools, for schools, with a mission is to connect and empower schools worldwide to lead the transition to a sustainable, equitable, and climate-resilient future.

Ways to get involved:

Get your school to sign the Sustainability & Climate Leadership Commitment to join schools and districts who have already
answered the call to action.
Join the Community for resources, best practices & a peer-to-peer network of school sustainability champions.
Use START: Sustainability Tracking, Analytics & Roadmap Tool to benchmark, plan, track and collaborate for Whole School Sustainability.

Your support enables us to continue our work in developing tools and programs that empower schools and students to make measurable change for a more sustainable, regenerative and climate-resilient future.

Donate