The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education Announces 2021 Maryland Green School Awards

MAEOE Re-Certifies Kent School in Chestertown as Maryland Green School

Baltimore, Maryland – The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) is pleased to announce that Kent School has been re-certified for an another four years as a 2021 Maryland Green School. Maryland Green Schools are part of a national and international community of sustainable green schools. Kent School is the only independent school and only PK – Grade 8 school in Kent County with this designation.

Our students are becoming better stewards of our Earth’s resources and developing a better understanding of their own local environment. There are 672 active Maryland Green Schools, 36% of all Maryland schools.

In a very challenging year for our schools, where most students attended virtual classes or had limited access to school buildings and school grounds, our school has achieved remarkable environmental accomplishments. Kent School and 69 other schools have saved 36,369 gallons of water; reduced energy use by 7,297,118 KwH; prevented waste from going to a landfill by recycling 721,449 lbs of material; created 16,070 square feet of natural habitat; planted 1,347 native plants, including shrubs and trees; and cleaned 38,470 square feet of streambanks to protect our water quality.

Nancy Mugele, Head of Kent School said, “Our school has demonstrated and documented a continuous effort to integrate sustainable environmental management practices, environmental education curriculum, professional development opportunities, and community engagement into our daily operations. This award signifies that our school has made a commitment to developing stewards of the earth and reducing the environmental impact of our school.” Mugele continued,
I am so grateful to Heidi Usilton, Lower School Science, and Todd Mignosa, Middle School Science for co-chairing this effort and designing the application website, along with Bonnie Williams, Director of the Little School. I would also like to thank Beth Lenker, Holt Education Center Director at Sultana Education Foundation, for her work on the original application in 2017 and for her wisdom and guidance this year.

This year outdoor classrooms become part of a prevention strategy for keeping us healthy during the COVID- 19 pandemic. The 2021 cohort of schools installed 81 new outdoor classrooms, and teachers and students used the outdoor classroom 4,246 times. “Our Maryland Green Schools are using the school grounds as an extension of the classroom,” said Laura Johnson Collard, MAEOE executive director. “The CDC continues to urge us to spend time outside of buildings to stay healthy.”

Maryland Green Schools communities, including teachers, staff, and students, have worked to create a healthy and sustainable environment for everyone. During the global COVID-19 pandemic, Maryland Green Schools students have shared their passion for the environment with their families. Students have reported spending time with their families recycling, planting vegetables and native plants, and being more mindful of turning off unnecessary lights.
MAEOE and the Maryland Green School community will celebrate virtually in May and June to recognize awardees.

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MAEOE: MAEOE is a non-profit organization. MAEOEs mission is to encourage, engage and empower the community to understand, responsibly use and promote the natural world. MAEOE s Maryland Green School program began in 1999. For a complete listing of Green Schools and Green Centers visit www.maeoe.org .