Nature Forward proudly serves schools in the District of Columbia, Montgomery & Prince George’s Counties in Maryland, and Loudoun and Fairfax Counties in Virginia.
GreenKids, a grant-funded educational outreach program of the Nature Forward supported by Howard Hughes Medical Institute, provides participating public schools with two years of free resources, lessons, and field experiences to foster environmental literacy while meeting established curriculum goals. GreenKids has been a key collaborator on systemic curriculum initiatives for science in Grades 2, 4, and high school.
Learn about our new Green Careers Livestream Series
GreenKids operates in formal partnerships with both Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland and Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) in Virginia, serving more than 4,500 students each year. In addition to these students, the GreenKids school garden program, Salad Science, also serves students in the District of Columbia and in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Each year of the two-year partnership, GreenKids schools receive:
- Environmental education lessons, delivered by GreenKids educators, that support and enhance state curriculum standards;
- Green school teacher training session for the entire staff;
- Help with sustainable practices such as energy conservation and recycling programs;
- $500 in lead teacher stipends;
- $500 field trip subsidy;
- $500 infrastructure fund for projects such as outdoor classrooms and gardens;
- Assistance in attracting community partners to support environmental activities;
- Guidance in applying for Maryland Green School Certification or a Virginia Naturally Award.
GreenKids has operated in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) since 2005 and Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) since 2009.
GreenKids has partnered with both MCPS and LCPS to deliver systemic watershed education training for teachers across the school districts since 2012.
GreenKids is a regional leader in facilitating school gardens. We have created two websites in partnership with MCPS: Creating Your School Garden and Growing Edible Plants in Containers .
GreenKids awards include
- 2016 Melanie Teems award from the Chesapeake Bay Trust
- 2012 Green Award from Bethesda Magazine
- 2010 Distinguished Service to Public Education Award from the Montgomery County Board of Education
GreenKids is generously supported by Howard Hughes Medical Institute.