BE THE CHANGE! All about the Leadership Strategies for Green Schools eeCredential
- Rachel Wahle
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
The BE THE CHANGE: Leadership Strategies for Greener Schools eeCredential was developed by the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE), the organization that runs the Kansas Green Schools Program. It was designed specifically with teachers, community leaders, and high school students in mind.
This eeCredential is about more than recycling bins and school gardens—it’s about creating a culture of sustainability that lasts. You’ll learn how to start small, build momentum, and ensure the great work you begin continues even if staff or leadership changes. It is a foundational piece of building a successful Kansas Green Schools program at your school, providing K-12 educators with the professional learning needed to become a Kansas Green School Leader and successfully lead their school team through the KICK Challenge, and build a Green Schools Program that lasts.
As a participant in the eeCredential you’ll gain:
A strong foundation in environmental education (EE) principles
Hands-on experience with Green School investigations and projects
Strategies to integrate EE and project-based learning into your classroom, school, or organization
Step-by-step guidance to earn official Kansas Green School recognition
Join the growing community of over 200 educators who have completed the BE THE CHANGE: Leadership Strategies for Greener Schools eeCredential and led their schools and students toward meaningful, project-based learning that leaves a positive, lasting impact on their schools, students, and communities.
The eeCredential is offered two to three times a year, and you can check the upcoming schedule here to see when your next opportunity to enroll is!
BONUS: You can also enroll in 1 hour of graduate credit through Baker University for $85 when you register for the eeCredential!
The BE THE CHANGE: Leadership Strategies for Greener Schools eeCredential is designed to prepare you to do the following:
Demonstrate an understanding of environmental education with an emphasis on green schools.
Lead environmental education green school activities.
Develop, grow, sustain or provide support to a green team.
Implement Kansas Green Schools Investigations at your site, collect data, create an action plan and earn recognition for your school.
Demonstrate an understanding of environmental education.
Lead environmental education activities with children/students.
Make a case for the utilization of environmental education activities within your classroom, homeschool classroom, or program etc.
Integrate environmental education into your classroom, homeschool classroom, or program through a multi-tiered plan that incorporates short, medium, and long term goals for integration and ongoing professional learning for educators.
Market/Promote your classroom, homeschool classroom, or program as an environmental education project based learning center.
Course Outline
Step One - Kansas Green Schools
Module 1: Intro to Environmental Education & KACEE
Course 1: Getting Started with Kansas Green Schools
Module 2: Overview of Investigations & Applying for Recognition
Module 3: Energy Investigation
Module 4: Waste and Recycling Investigation
Module 5: Water Investigation
Module 6: The Learning Community
Module 7: The Healthy School Environment
Module 8: Community Engagement
Module 9: Leadership Strategies
Step Two - EE Curriculum Integration
Module 1: Project Learning Tree
Module 2: Project WILD
Module 3: Project WET
Module 4: Project WILD Aquatic
Module 5:
OPTION A: Growing Up WILD & PLT Early Childhood (Kindergarten - Middle Elementary)
OPTION B: Leopold Education Project (Upper Elementary -High School)
Module 6: Development of an EE Action Plan/Teaching Unit
The Kansas Green School Investigations (the basis of the KGS program) are modeled after the Project Learning Tree Green Schools and National Wildlife Federation’s EcoSchools frameworks, provide a structured, hands-on way to explore real environmental challenges at your school, like energy use, waste & recycling, water conservation, healthy indoor/outdoor environments, and even how your school grounds serve the broader learning community.
Still have questions? Contact us!
Rachel Wahle
Green Schools Director, KACEE
(785) 410-0201
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