The first two Green School Summits are done! More than 300 thought leaders registered for our educator and school leader virtual summits as part of the lead-up to the 2021 Green Schools Conference. These last two weeks of learning, collaborating and connecting with hundreds of school leaders and educators from around the world have been so inspiring.
We explored an array of topics that ranged from rethinking equity in the outdoors to expanding learning beyond school walls. Each day was full of dynamic and diverse experiences shared by both our panelists and participants. We’ve asked those participants to share some reflections from our time together—here are a few highlights.
“Very excited to try new strategies and take the information I've learned from these speakers and bring it into my classroom. It's so amazing to see how different classrooms are and ways that I could help include these ideas for my kiddos!” —Samantha, PreK teacher at West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science in Walker, Michigan
"I think the panelists were fantastic! Diverse, on point, racial and social justice at the forefront, thank you! Keep this narrative going. Racial/social/environmental justice are so intertwined, as are the solutions. Thanks so much for your continued commitment to keep us moving with intention, consciousness and reflection." —Lisa, sustainability program coordinator at Santa Fe Public Schools in Santa Fe, New Mexico
"Thank you. What an incredibly thoughtful, committed group of people! I am inspired and will plan to attend upcoming sessions. I appreciate the care put into organizing these two days. Well done!" —Laura Lamash, assistant superintendent for Instruction at Vestal Central School District in Broome County, New York
“This was one of the best professional development summits I have ever attended. Every single presenter was so good! I could not pick a favorite if I had to! The moderators did great, and also, the chat links were on point!” —Veronica, STEM teacher and sustainability coordinator at Coventry Oak Elementary School in Lexington, Kentucky
“It isn't often that racial and social justice is centered, rather than a panel topic. I appreciate the care that went into picking presenters to ensure it was present throughout and not just a 'topic' of discussion.” —Tatjana, a resilient schools coordinator with Earth Charter Indiana
“This was an inspiring conference. The speakers were all knowledgeable, and what they shared felt relevant and important right now.” —Caroline, a special education teacher at Eastwood Elementary School in Monongalia County, West Virginia
"Thank you for the timely and inspiring summit, which helped me to refocus my thoughts regarding my own response to the distress that surrounds us." —Session leader
Resources
- School Leaders Summit Schedule
- School Leaders Summit Speaker Bios
- Educators Summit Schedule
- Educators Summit Speaker Bios
The Center for Green Schools would like to thank all Green School Summit presenters and attendees. This month’s summits have us all excited about what’s to come at the virtual conference June 28–29, and we will take the feedback from these summits into consideration for that event.
We want everyone to see themselves and their students, schools and communities during the virtual conference, so please consider submitting an application to be a reviewer, or a proposal to host a session or be a speaker. Updated submission deadlines can be found on the conference’s website.