Connecting Kids & Nature

GW Carver School District has paired with the National Wildlife Foundation (NWF) to create a number of programs for our students to inspire them to get outdoors, help wildlife, and encourage them to become more aware of nature all around them. We want our students and their families to be able to enjoy outdoor activities together as well as teach kids to become good stewards of their surrounding environment.

A Commitment to Conservation

NWF offers a number of programs to encourage our students to participate in conservation efforts. These include community service projects, “green” projects around their school campus, tree planting, and creating wildlife gardens and playgrounds.

  • ECO-Schools – ECO-Schools USA is a holistic, green school program that greens the school grounds and greens the curriculum and student experience.
  • General Motors ECO-Green – GM ECO-Green Partnership connects a network of ECO-Schools with their local GM facility employees to work together on community conservation activities.

A Commitment to Education

Green STEM Initiative – The National Wildlife Foundation is connecting students’ curiosity about the natural world with STEM-based education. The goal is to get students more interested in and enthusiastic about learning science, technology, engineering, and math through environmental programs.

The GLOBE Program – Eco-Schools USA has partnered with The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program to integrate school sustainability and earth system’s observations, data collection, and action in an effort to protect and conserve wildlife and wild places.

Education Resources – Students learn about wildlife and wild places with Ranger Rick and Ranger Rick Jr. magazines. There is also a comprehensive wildlife library on the NWF website that teaches students about all kinds of creatures. National Wildlife Week is the NWF’s longest-running education program and will celebrate its 79th year in 2017.

Rewards & Recognition Programs

Scholarships – The Craig Tufts Educational Scholarship Award is given to a young person between the ages of eight and eighteen to attend a week-long summer outdoor educational adventure camp with a parent or guardian.

Green Ribbon Schools – Through this program, the U.S. Department of Education recognizes schools which excel in:

  • having a net zero environmental impact;
  • improving the health and performance of students and staff; and
  • ensuring the environmental and sustainability literacy of all graduates.