Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

"Green Your Lives" is a student-led initiative in the Gilbert H. Hood Middle School in Derry, New Hampshire, dedicated to educating students and the school community about "going green" and putting their knowledge to work.

The students' goal was to promote greener lifestyle choices that reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. After surveying the student body, the students began their work within the school, focusing on energy conservation, waste reduction, and recycling. Their work has expanded to include a community outreach program: "Give and Go" in Bedford, New Hampshire, educating more students and community members on greening their lives. This outreach was accomplished by creating an informational Web site, producing public service announcements, creating educational posters and videos for several schools across the state and country, building a model solar car, and experimenting on creating a hydro prototype. The Give and Go program encouraged students and members of the public to donate items they no longer needed (such as small appliances, clean clothing, and canned food) to a local non-profit organization. Eleven vanloads of materials were diverted from landfill disposal and sold by the local Salvation Army, which netted $3,000 at its summer garage sale.

Over the project's history, the team's efforts have prompted the school to: (1) reduce paper output by 30 percent and promote the use of 100 percent recycled paper; (2) set all printers in the school to default to print double-sided; (3) power down classrooms and computers nearly 100 percent when they are not in use; and (4) increase recycling in the cafeteria. In addition, the team has educated all the students in seven schools about the lifecycle impacts (material inputs, energy use, and waste outputs) of products they buy and use.

Over the lifetime of this project, 1,000 pounds of waste has been diverted from landfills or other waste streams, and the students have received more than $3,700 in financial support from organizations for their efforts.

This team believes that school is the place to start, and that when students receive quality instruction regarding the positive effects of green practices, they will become environmentally responsible. They have expanded their goals to include staff and the community. Green Your Lives has been a motivating project that has allowed students and staff to think and act beyond the project, to make green living a way of life.