Step 1: Design

What to Consider?

"My Action Plan" | The very first step in starting your AP is filling out the "My Action Plan" section of your online AP profile. Starting at Sc3, you were introduced to the Action Plan Concept; you should continue to design and build on this post-Sc3, but before school starts. Think of this section of the AP as your outline. In it, you'll want to consider who will be involved, the feasibility of the project (covered below), the timeline for the project, the materials needed, and the AP's impact and focus.

  • Category | In creating your AP, you’ll need to base it around one of the 21 Resource Group topics on the GSA website. They range from policy to energy to architecture. Each Resource Group hosts its own array of resources that you can draw from to either expand on an existing AP or inspire a new one. To learn more about each topic, click here

  • One of the most complex parts of taking action is deciding where your efforts should be focused. Think about immediate issues in your community that affect you personally. Also, consider that location plays a significant role in the success of an AP. For instance, having an AP aimed at installing public recycling bins might not be as effective if you live in a remote or rural area away from a major township or city. So make your project work with your surroundings to yield the best results.

  • Another thing to remember is that you are going to be the one responsible for carrying out your Action Plan. That means that you need to be S.M.A.R.T. when designing it. Making an AP that is over-ambitious can be just as bad as making one that is under-ambitious. That's why it is so ​important that your AP is:

    Specific in its plan

    Measurable in its effect

    Achievable in its goal

    Realistic in its level of ambition

    Time-bound in that it's achievable by a specific date (within a year)

    *Note that a timeline is provided in the toolkit.Item description

  • Once you have found an issue you want to address, you have to think about how best to tackle the problem. To do this, it’s best to start by considering which people or groups of people your AP will benefit (schools, peers, community, etc). Think long and short term. Some APs will be small scale and others will be larger, but what remains the same is that they will all have an effect on your communities.

  • It’s important to ask yourself early on if you can do it alone or if you’ll need the assistance of your peers, teachers, school, or community to fulfill your action plan. Once you’ve considered who will benefit from your project, it will be easy for you to find those who might be willing to assist you along the way. Especially for medium- or large-scale APs, having others at the ready to help you can keep you on task and expand the resources immediately available to you when you implement your AP. Once you’ve enlisted the help of people you need for your project, define roles and responsibilities for everyone involved.

    ​Your Action Plan Advisor (APA), will also be a useful ally and will provide you will a rich source of insight. APA’s have attended Sc3 at least once before and have successfully completed an Action Plan. Their role is to be a resource to you and to guide you through the progression of your AP. Their Role:

    Action Plan mentor

    Guide you

    Answer questions

    Remind you of your reflection due date

    Ensure your AP get’s published

Resource Groups


​Your Action Plan will need to fit into one category of the 21 resource groups. Browse the list below to find where yours fits or to help you pick:

  • Share and learn about high-performance buildings and managing school grounds, including designing, renovating, or constructing schools to LEED standards or its equivalent, as well as sustainable landscaping strategies such as composting, mulching, and stormwater and biodiversity management.

  • Share and learn how to launch successful communication and outreach campaigns. Explore not “what” to communicate but “how” to communicate with students and others about sustainability programs, projects, goals, and accomplishments. As we say at GSA, “Spread the word. Not CO2.”

  • Share and learn how to develop investment policies and practices that consider triple-bottom-line sustainability. Explore investment impacts, new opportunities, and where to find funding for your school projects.

  • Share and learn about indoor environmental quality, including topics such as green cleaning, indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and noise pollution. Explore opportunities to reduce toxins and manage systems to improve the health and comfort of all occupants.

  • ​The 4R's – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink – define how we should tackle the creation, management, and elimination of waste in our schools. Explore different approaches in implementing a comprehensive approach to sustainable waste management and include the entire community.

  • Share and learn how school food and cafeteria practices impact education, health/wellness, and much more. Explore opportunities to improve operations through local food initiatives, offering vegetarian options, and reducing food waste through food donations and thoughtful purchasing.

  • Share and learn how to track and reduce your school's water consumption and teach water conservation to the school community. Explore strategies to reduce consumption in buildings through efficient fixtures and improve wasteful behavior.

  • Share and learn how to track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time. Explore current climate topics and opportunities to educate and engage your community around emissions reduction.

  • Learn and share best practices with other district-level sustainability leaders. Learn how to drive sustainability into the core of your district's mission and business and get connected to knowledge in sustainability leadership, implementation, and education.

  • Share and learn how to create and maintain a school garden that engages your community through classroom engagement, pollination, and composting. Explore “garden to table” initiatives and planting for pollinator habitats.

  • Share and learn how to integrate sustainability as a guiding principle across all institutional planning, policies, and practices. Develop a green team, mission statement, and strategic plan. Build sustainability strategies for human resources, administrations, and operations.

  • Share and learn about service learning techniques and management through volunteerism and hands-on community service programs. Explore the many opportunities that build skills, knowledge, and leadership to connect youth to nature and place, while rippling sustainability efforts to and from your community.

  • Share and learn how to infuse your classroom with triple-bottom-line sustainability. Explore professional development to support your efforts. This group explores the theories behind incorporating education for sustainability into the classroom. Topic-specific lesson plans are in the appropriate action group.

  • Share and learn about connecting youth to nature and place. Explore opportunities to build habitats, restore wetlands, and teach this generation about protecting and preserving all living things and wild places, now and for the future. (See also Gardens and Pollinators and Service Learning & Community)

  • Share and learn how to build a culture of sustainability through extra-curricular activities, including building student-led organizations, providing assemblies, taking students on field trips, and connecting to outdoor programs.

  • Share and learn how to track your school's total building energy consumption and improve it through efficiency efforts, including topics such as HVAC, lighting, insulation, hot water, occupant behavior, and other resource-saving strategies. Explore renewable energy strategies from on-site installations to renewable energy credits.

  • Share and learn how physical activity and a healthy diet provide opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to maximize their engagement with the outdoors while increasing their overall well-being.

  • Share and learn about environmentally-preferred purchasing methods to reduce consumption levels at your school. Explore opportunities to aggregate our members' collective power to impact markets, products, and pricing, and to teach others about smarter consumerism.

  • Share and learn about how to reduce emissions by creating a pedestrian and bike-friendly campus. Explore alternative commuting options, fuel-efficient/electric fleet vehicles, and more.

  • ​Share and learn about how to improve youth leadership skills and advocacy. Explore how to start programs and clubs at your school and invite others. Become a global leader in your community and connect with others as passionate about being a sustainability leader as you are!