Complete the Sustainable Schools course on BLEND and make your school greener!

We are happy to share Austin ISD’s Sustainable Schools course, available to all Austin ISD classroom educators, campus and district staff, and students! This asynchronous BLEND course is designed to help everyone take full advantage of the sustainable features on Austin ISD campuses, from rainwater catchment to refillable water bottle stations, from edible gardens to green cleaning products. Use these features and the resources available to transform your building and grounds into a hands-on learning lab for sustainability education. Complete the course asynchronously for 4 hours of HCP CEUs.

Make an Earth Week resolution to become a certified EcoSchool with the National Wildlife Federation!

Your school can be recognized for sustainability projects during Earth Week and beyond with National Wildlife Federation’s EcoSchools US program! Eco-Schools provides teachers and students with a framework to make positive, lasting change in your school community. Jump start your Eco-School journey with School Resources, and “how-to” videos to register an account and start an action plan! Submit your action plan between April 5th- June 7th to receive your Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Green Flag certification.  Follow National Wildlife (Instagram/Facebook) to see even more Earth Week activities. Questions? Email bishopk@nwf.org

Bring sustainability and innovation into the classroom with EcoRise’s Sustainable Intelligence curriculum & student funding!

Austin ISD partners with EcoRise to provide all Austin ISD teachers with OPEN-SOURCE access to the Sustainable Intelligence Program: TEKS-aligned, cross-curricular K-12 lesson plans, teacher training, and support. Teachers also have access to Green Building Lessons for a Sustainable Future, Intro to Environmental Justice, and more! Enroll here or access the lesson plans here if you are already enrolled.

Teachers can support students to apply for funding from the Student Innovation Fund! Students can apply for grants of up to $750 per project to make their green innovations a reality. Measure an eco-theme in your campus environment using an Eco-Audit and then apply for a grant to fund your sustainability-focused project-based learning. Check-out past student projects or email elizabeth@ecorise.org for support and to apply!

Creative Learning Initiative’s Earth Week Activities

Austin ISD’s Creative Learning Initiative has paired a Creative Teaching Strategy to go with each day’s Earth Week theme. In this presentation, you will find Idea & Movement, Statues, Art Talk, Visual Brainstorming, and Look & Link with open-ended questions to inspire student engagement, participation and multi-modal responses all around our beautiful planet. These lessons can stand alone or be adapted to meet the needs of your learners!

Engage in Earth Week Themes with Read Alouds

 Attention Teachers! Engage your students in the beauty of nature and the importance of environmental stewardship with captivating read alouds during Earth Week! The Humanities Department has created a spreadsheet of K-5 read alouds in English and Spanish integrating each day’s theme. They include powerful HMH texts and open-ended questions to spark meaningful discussions and inspire action. Join us in celebrating Earth Week utilizing the power of literature! All Austin ISD K-5 teachers have access to these materials. Remember, you must have an HMH Teacher’s Guide open for the links to work.

Make every day Earth Day with the City of Austin’s Earth Month Calendar!

The City of Austin Office of Climate Action & Resilience believes that every day should be Earth Day. so we’re celebrating all month long. Visit the Earth Month Calendar for daily actions you can take to support Mother Earth — whether you’d like to attend an event, join a volunteer opportunity, or simply enjoy Austin’s natural beauty!

Attend “Tour de Buzz”!

Tour de Buzz is an accessible immersive experience for Earth Day that invites students who want to learn about app development and sustainability. Learn more and register here for the April 20th event.