38 schools applied to par cipate in the 2014‐2015 Green Schools Quest. 31 of

these schools submi ed results of their projects for review by an impar al

panel of judges. Please join us in celebra ng ALL par cipants of the 2014‐15

challenge!

2014‐15 GREEN SCHOOLS QUEST SUBMISSIONS 

BIN THERE, DONE THAT: A RECYCLING STORY, FORD ELEMENTARY  

Mentor Name:  Katherine Golden, Missouri Botanical Garden 

Students in Kindergarten and 2nd grade at Ford Elementary learned about the importance of

recycling through a variety of hands‐on ac vi es, and shared their understanding with parents,

faculty, and the other students. The kindergarten students sang a “Going Green” song. Second

graders gave speeches about recycling and presented each classroom with their own recycling bin.  

The Green Schools Quest is a challenge issued by the U.S. Green Building Council‐Missouri Gateway Chapter to public and private schools within the chapter’s territory

(Missouri and southern Illinois) to devise and implement, with the help of green mentors, the most crea ve, effec ve and no or low cost sustainable prac ces for their schools.

For more informa on, visit www.usgbc‐mogateway.org/green‐school‐quest/ or contact Hope Gribble, Green Schools Coordinator, at (314) 577‐0225.

AMIGAS DE LA TIERRA, CASA DE NIÑOS 

Mentor:  Erin Allen 

The students at Casa de Niños explored how to reduce, reuse, and recycle both at school and at home

through projects and ac vi es. Students created coasters out of used fabric and denim for local

re rement facili es, and performed a song called “Amigas de la Tierra” (friends of the earth) for

parents, grandparents and friends.

RUNOFF REMIX: A RAIN GARDEN PROJECT, CHRIST PRINCE OF PEACE 

Mentor: Susan Maag, SLM Consul ng, LLC 

4th graders at Christ Prince of Peace were alarmed when they saw the amount of water runoff

created by their school parking lot. Armed with their knowledge of ecosystems and the water cycle,

students worked together to create plans for a rain garden that would benefit the en re school.

Building a wide range of community support, students plan break ground in the spring!

STUDENT STEWARDSHIP: ENHANCING RECYCLING, FORSYTH SCHOOL 

Mentor: David Hecht, Waste Management 

Forsyth’s Sustainability Commi ee, Go Green Forsyth, focused on enhancing, refining and

measuring recycling efforts. Students learned in‐depth informa on about recycling, monitored

the school’s waste diversion rates, toured a recycling facility, and used recyclable materials to

create projects that were sold to benefit charitable organiza ons.  

ELEMENTARY PARTICIPANTS 

ON PACE FOR ZERO WASTE, KENNARD CLASSICAL JUNIOR ACADEMY 

Mentor:  Mary Ann Lazarus, AIA Resident Fellow 

Kennard Academy moved closer toward their goal of becoming a Zero Waste school. Students

formed a student‐led green team, conducted a baseline waste audit, and brainstormed ideas

on how to reduce waste, focusing on the cafeteria. Students also installed no idling signs and

are planning events for Earth Day that will con nue their waste reduc on efforts.

IT’S IN THE BAG, MANN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 

Mentor:  Gordon Schweitzer III, Microgrid Energy 

Students chose to focus their recycling efforts on something people use and collect every single

day, plas c shopping bags. They held their 2nd annual shopping bag collec on event and exceeded

their goal of collec ng 2,000 bags. Students learned how to separate waste and determine

whether it should be recycled, reused, composted, or sent to a landfill.

A GARDEN IN WINTER, ROHAN WOODS SCHOOL 

Mentor:  Ralph Bicknese, Hellmuth + Bicknese Architects  

Students at Rohan Woods took on the challenge of plan ng and growing a garden in the winter.

Star ng from scratch, the students designed and built two garden beds at their school. They filled

them with soil, planted a variety of vegetables, protected them from the cold, and monitored the

vegetables throughout the en re growing process.  

GO GREEN, THERE IS NO PLANET B, ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY 

Mentor:  Erik Illies, FGM Architects 

The Art Club at Roosevelt Elementary School was inspired to explore waste reduc on when 30

keyboard boxes became available. The students turned the boxes into works of art that

communicated the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling waste. In addi on, they created

posters reminding students of their global responsibility and held a school wide can recycling

campaign.

LIGHTS OUT ON WASTE, ROSS ELEMENTARY  

Mentor: Steve O’Rourke, Microgrid Energy 

Ross Elementary’s students, Adventure Club, and Girl Scout Troop came together to make Ross a

greener school. Students started a lights out campaign, crea ng posters to remind students to

turn off the lights when they leave a room. They also started a compos ng program in their

cafeteria, and collected over 1,000 juice pouches to be recycled!  

ELEMENTARY PARTICIPANTS       2014‐15 Green Schools Quest 

For more informa on about the Green Schools Quest, visit www.usgbc‐mogateway.org/green‐school‐quest/

or contact Hope Gribble, Green Schools Coordinator, at (314) 577‐0225.

HOOKED ON RECYCLING, PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 

Mentor: Lisa Williams, St. Louis Public Schools 

One Dunbar Elementary student interested in star ng a recycling club created change throughout

his school! Students joined this new club and promoted recycling at school, created recycling

posters, placed bins in each room, and took daily inventory of what they had collected. By March,

they had collected 47 bags that held 55 gallons each!

WATER QUALITY CHAMPIONS, SAUL MIROWITZ JEWISH COMMUNITY SCHOOL 

Mentor:  Rob Kennedy, Missouri Botanical Garden 

A er no cing an eroded area on campus, the 4th grade students at Saul Mirowitz decided to monitor

the erosion and its impact on the water quality of their nearby stream. With the help of 6th graders,

they designed and built a rain garden that will reduce erosion and filter the water before it enters the

stream. During a 1” rainfall, their garden will capture 652 gallons of water!

SERVICE LEARNING SUSTAINS, SORRENTO SPRINGS ELEMENTARY 

Mentor:  Richard Schuessler, Huntleigh McGehee 

Inspired to create a space for the en re community to enjoy, 4th graders at Sorrento Spring are

crea ng a wildflower garden to a ract pollinators and a vegetable garden to grow food to be

shared and studied. Students explored service learning and the many ways their work in the

garden will make a difference in their community, their classrooms, and their ecosystem.

PREPARING FOR THE 7TH GENERATION, TILLMAN ELEMENTARY 

Mentor:  Ka e Belisle‐Iffrig, Code Green Collabora ve 

While learning about their school’s history, the students at Tillman decided to take on projects that

would benefit future genera ons. Students increased their recycling and compos ng efforts, seeded

a prairie restora on area, installed a water bo le filling sta on, and created a backdrop for their

outside stage made out of up‐cycled materials.  

RAIN STUDIES, W.W. KEYSOR ELEMENTARY  

Mentor:  Thomas Bruns, The Green House 

Mo vated to conserve water used in their Project Idea space, students at W.W. Keysor Elementary

added 3 rain barrels for irriga on. 5th graders gave presenta ons on rain studies to the rest of the

students, and 1st graders created a voluntary ac vity to encourage water conserva on at home!

 

PLANT LIFE BIO BLITZ, WESTCHESTER ELEMENTARY 

Mentor:  Alice Kranz 

The students at Westchester performed a Plant Life Bio blitz of Westchester Elementary Woods.

They surveyed plant life and iden fied and documented whether plants were na ve or invasive. 470

students and parent volunteers cleared invasive species in three areas of the woods. Since then,

students have been working to determine the landscape design, the appropriate na ve plant

choices, and growing na ve plants!

ELEMENTARY PARTICIPANTS       2014‐15 Green Schools Quest 

For more informa on about the Green Schools Quest, visit www.usgbc‐mogateway.org/green‐school‐quest/

or contact Hope Gribble, Green Schools Coordinator, at (314) 577‐0225.

PLANTING FOR THE FUTURE, ALTON MOTIVATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT CENTER 

Mentor:  Kim Petzing, Madison County Government 

The students at MAC took a hands‐on approach to learning about sustainability and recycling.

Middle school students created sub‐irrigated and biodegradable planters, and took their knowledge

to younger students where they planted and monitored variety of flowers and vegetables. In the

spring, they hope to install rain barrels and build a greenhouse using collected plas c bo les.

THE COMPOSTERS, CITY GARDEN MONTESSORI 

Mentor:  Ross Welch, Core10 Architecture 

Mo vated by the amount of waste created at their school and the need for good quality soil,

Junior High students at City Garden Montessori School decided to create their own compost!

They created a three bin compost system, and monitored their waste produc on throughout the

process. With this program, the students have integrated compos ng in every classroom, and

have been able to reduce their annual waste by 450lbs!

LEARNING IN NATURE, HAZELWOOD EAST MIDDLE SCHOOL 

Mentor:  Jonathan Roper, City of Olive e 

Inspired to promote biodiversity near their school and create an ac ve learning environment,

students at Hazelwood East Middle School plan to create bu erfly garden filled with na ve plants.

Students researched the importance of pollinators, created plans to implement compos ng and

rainwater collec on at their school. They intend their garden to be a learning and study space for

students and an asset for the community.  

IT’S ELECTRIC, HOLY REDEEMER 

Mentor:  Ross Watson, Jacobs 

The Green Machines at Holy Redeemer worked hard this year to reduce their school’s electricity use.

They created an informa ve (and fun!) video about energy efficiency to help students and faculty

understand the importance of choosing efficient light bulbs and turning off the lights when leaving a

room. They are also working with their pastor to improve the energy efficiency in their church, and

plan to implement a no idling campaign.  

ENERGY EXCELLENCE, LITTLE FLOWER SCHOOL 

Mentor:  Franklin P. Eppert, AFRAM 

The students at Li le Flower performed a school energy audit to determine the best ways to save

energy at their school. First they logged their water, electricity and gas use in the online ENERGY

STAR Por olio Manager program. They challenged their school to decrease energy use and improve

their ENERGY STAR score. They now have monitors to ensure that lights aren’t being used in empty

spaces, and have started to raising money to create efficiency improvements in the future!

MIDDLE SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS     2014‐15 Green Schools Quest 

For more informa on about the Green Schools Quest, visit www.usgbc‐mogateway.org/green‐school‐quest/

or contact Hope Gribble, Green Schools Coordinator, at (314) 577‐0225.

TRANSFORMING TRANSPORTATION, MAPLEWOOD RICHMOND HEIGHTS 

Mentor:  Jessica Rudnick, Washington University 

Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School created a survey to determine how students traveled to

school, and held a contest where students received points for using sustainable modes of

transporta on. They are hos ng a bicycle race this spring to encourage students to use more

sustainable methods of transporta on during the warmer months!

FIGHTING FOOD WASTE, MARIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL 

Mentor:  Katy Mike Smiastrla, University of Missouri St. Louis 

The 8th grade students at Marian monitored the amount of waste that was produced during

school lunch periods. They saw a significant amount of wasted food and decided to educate

students about waste reduc on and create a compost program during school lunches. The

compost created will be used in their school garden!

GOING GREEN X4, NORTH KIRKWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL 

Mentor:  Jennifer Carter, Washington University 

Students at North Kirkwood hosted a no idling campaign and are working to build a beehive and rain

garden, and created educa onal videos. They have already seen posi ve results from these projects,

and are eager to con nue to sharing their knowledge with their community.

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS     2014‐15 Green Schools Quest 

For more informa on about the Green Schools Quest, visit www.usgbc‐mogateway.org/green‐school‐quest/

or contact Hope Gribble, Green Schools Coordinator, at (314) 577‐0225.

HIGH SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS  

ILLINOIS YOUTH ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK, EDWARDSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL 

Mentors:  Stacey & Bob Towell, CxE Group, LLC 

The Environmental Club at Edwardsville High School realized that there was no organiza on

connec ng high school environmental groups, and set out to make a statewide network that did just

that– the Illinois Youth Environmental Network. They reached out to high schools throughout Illinois,

created officer posi ons, and achieved official non‐profit status.

GSA GOES GREEN, GATEWAY SCIENCE ACADEMY 

Mentor:  Erik Lueders, Parkway School District 

Sophomores at Gateway Science Academy realized that their fellow students didn’t know much

about recycling, and decided this needed to change. Students performed waste audits, monitored

the trash during lunch periods, and made educa onal vine videos and posters about recycling. The

results of their efforts showed a posi ve change in the way students were recycling !

ENERGY SAVINGS & THE GREEN BUDGET, GOVERNOR FRENCH ACADEMY 

Mentor:  Ed Choklek, FGM Architects 

Students at Governor French Academy set out to make an impact on their school’s carbon footprint.

They had an energy audit performed on their school, and worked to reduce their use of electricity.

They brainstormed no cost ways to conserve energy. Money saved will be placed in a Green Budget

to fund future sustainability efforts!  

WHO YOU GONNA CALL? WATT BUSTERS! HANCOCK PLACE SCHOOL DISTRICT 

Mentors:  Cindy Bambini, Brightergy Solar and Michele Dow, MAD Energy 

The Wa Busters at Hancock Place set out on a mission of energy efficiency. They created signs, per‐

formed energy audits, created school videos, and sponsored the first annual “Go Green Kick‐off” dur‐

ing a home JV and Varsity game to promote energy awareness. Their message is threefold: save,

charge, and share.  

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION TEAM, PARKWAY NORTH HIGH SCHOOL 

Mentor:  Paul Toenjes, SWT Design 

The Parkway North Environmental Ac on Team has taken a mul faceted approach to spreading

environmental awareness in their school. They have created rain barrels, cleared invasive species to

plant a na ve garden, established vermicompos ng, and educated middle and elementary students.

In addi on, they are hoping to start a na onwide ini a ve that deals with pes cides.

HIGH SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS       2014‐15 Green Schools Quest 

The Green Schools Quest is a challenge issued by the U.S. Green Building Council‐Missouri Gateway Chapter to public and private

schools within the chapter’s territory (Missouri and southern Illinois) to devise and implement, with the help of green mentors, the

most crea ve, effec ve and no or low cost sustainable prac ces for their schools. For more informa on, please visit www.usgbc‐

mogateway.org/green‐school‐quest/ or contact Hope Gribble, Green Schools Coordinator, at (314) 577‐0225.

PAPER CUT, PRINCIPIA 

Mentors:  Caryl Kinsey‐Fox, Straight Up Solar 

The students at Principia collec vely worked to conserve paper, with a goal of reducing use by 20%.

The lower school learned how paper is made and middle school classes researched the lifecycle of

paper. The upper school collected and analyzed data about paper use, and are using their findings to

con nue to create behavior change among students, teachers and administrators.

FUELED BY BIODIESEL, ROCKWOOD SUMMIT HIGH SCHOOL 

Mentor:  Robert Vogt, Automa c Controls Equipment Systems, Inc 

Sophmores at Rockwood Summit worked to spread the use of biodiesel, which the Biodiesel club

has been producing for several years, throughout the district. Through collabora on with the

district’s lawn care managers, Students were able to start using biodiesel in one of their schools

lawn mowers. They are planning to create a garden with soil for fied by their compost, and grow

corn and soybeans in order to create their own biofuel!

GROWING GREEN, ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL 

Mentor:  Thomas Taylor, Vertegy W.L.L. 

Students at SLUH decided to work on ways to get more students interested and involved with their

new school garden. They held a school wide recyclable design contest for a bird bath that would be

placed in the garden, and have been plan ng seedlings that they will sell this spring in order to bring

awareness to what they are doing with the garden at SLUH.