Time flies, and August is upon us already, so it will soon be back-to-school time in IL. Whether you’re a parent, student, or educator, if visions of classrooms or campuses are dancing in your head, the following resources will help you prepare for the new school year. As always, please keep in mind that links to specific products or services are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement by ISTC, the Prairie Research Institute, or the University of Illinois.
Choosing better school supplies
Check out this 2023 ISTC blog post for tips on more sustainable school supplies. The advice provided remains sound, and the links included to examples of various products still function.
Climate change education
Did you know that beginning next fall, IL K-12 public schools are required to provide climate change education? Public Act 103-0837, signed into law by Governor J. B. Pritzker in August 2024, provides that, “Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public school shall provide instruction on climate change, which shall include, but not be limited to, identifying the environmental and ecological impacts of climate change on individuals and communities and evaluating solutions for addressing and mitigating the impact of climate change and shall be in alignment with State learning standards, as appropriate. The State Board of Education shall, subject to appropriation, prepare and make available multi-disciplinary instructional resources and professional learning opportunities for educators that may be used to meet the requirements of this subsection.”
An organization called SubjectToClimate is already leading efforts to develop an Illinois Climate Education Hub. The goal of the online hub is to make it easier for Illinois K-12 educators of all grade levels and subjects to teach about climate change by providing access to free, vetted teaching resources, professional development opportunities, lesson plan examples, and more. They’ve previously created similar hubs for New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin, Maine, New York, Connecticut, and Michigan. Check our their “Get Involved” page if you’re interested in being part of the effort, or reach out to Katie Nahrwold, the Illinois State Lead, for more information. While the IL hub has yet to be launched (the tentative launch date is September 10, 2025), teachers may still consider registering for an account on the SubjectToClimate website to browse teaching resources already available. Resources can be searched by grade, subject, resource type, standards, providers, locations, and languages. You can also use online forms to suggest teaching resources or suggest a teacher professional development opportunity.
You may also be interested in this list of climate education resources compiled by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources: https://dnr.illinois.gov/outreach/climate-action-plan/climate-education-resources.html. The US EPA website lists climate change resources for educators and students. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) also offers a compilation of climate change teaching resources. Finally, visit the Illinois EPA website if you’d like to learn more about our state’s participation in the US Climate Alliance.
It’s worth recognizing that people of all ages may experience anxiety or other forms of distress as they learn more about climate change and potential impacts on society. So, beyond resources to expand knowledge related to climate change, you may also be interested in resources for coping with the emotions stirred by such knowledge. Check out Unthinkable’s resource hub for climate distress and other polycrisis problems, the Climate Mental Health Network, and the Climate Psychology Alliance.
Other education for sustainability resources
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) defines education for sustainability (EfS) as follows (as relayed on the Getting Started with Sustainability in Schools website): “Education for sustainability develops the knowledge, skills, values and world-views necessary for people to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable patterns of living. It enables individuals and communities to reflect on ways of interpreting and engaging with the world. Sustainability education is futures-oriented, focusing on protecting environments and creating a more ecologically and socially just world through informed action. Actions that support more sustainable patterns of living require consideration of environmental, social, cultural and economic systems and their interdependence.”
Similarly, UNESCO uses the term “education for sustainable development,” or ESD, stating “Education for Sustainable Development empowers people with the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviors to live in a way that is good for the environment, economy, and society. It encourages people to make smart, responsible choices that help create a better future for everyone.” The UNESCO ESD website provides a variety of resources to explore, along with its Education for sustainable development for 2030 toolbox.
Concordia University offers the online text “A guide to embedding education for sustainability in higher education courses.”
The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education provides professional development opportunities, EfS standards and indicators, and a variety of other resources to support educators interested in integrating sustainability in their curricula.
Specifically related to chemistry, Beyond Benign offers green chemistry resources for the K-12 classroom, higher education green chemistry resources, and the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC), an online space for sharing, learning, collaboration, networking, and mentorship including K-12 and higher education teachers and educators, students, and industry stakeholders.
Improving school facilities and grounds
The following resources may support efforts to improve the sustainability of school facilities and grounds.
- US Green Building Council (USGBC) Center for Green Schools: https://centerforgreenschools.org/
- USGBC Green Classroom Professional Certificate Program: https://www.usgbc.org/education/sessions/green-classroom-professional-certificate-12849230. This program “provides K-12 educators and school staff with the skills to identify what supports or impedes healthy, resource-efficient and environmentally sustainable learning spaces.”
- Illinois Green Schools Project: https://www.illinoisgreenalliance.org/illinois-green-schools-project-home. According to the Illinois Green Alliance, this is “an annual sustainability action and recognition program for K-12 schools in Illinois. We help educators engage students and school stakeholders in hands-on projects that improve health, efficiency, and environmental impact.”
- Learn how ISTC’s Zero Waste team has assisted K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. See our Zero Waste flyer for information on services to explore for your facility.
- Green Lunchroom Challenge archive: Launched in 2015, the Green Lunchroom Challenge (GLC) was a voluntary pledge program for K-12 schools to improve the sustainability of their food service operations. By registering, participants were accepting the challenge to reduce and prevent food waste in their facilities. The GLC website provided suggested activities that ranged in complexity and commitment, to allow participants to best suit their situation, budget, and available community resources. Participants were not required to complete activities, but with each activity that was completed successfully, they earned points toward recognition at different levels of accomplishment. When the project ended, material from the original website was folded into a topical blog that also included information on food waste reduction for sectors besides K-12 schools. The archived blog is available at https://wayback.archive-it.org/6086/20250528191406/https://green-lunchroom.istc.illinois.edu/ or . See https://tap.istc.illinois.edu/2016/12/07/green-lunchroom-challenge/ for further project information.
- Green Schoolyards America and Green Schoolyards for Healthy Communities provide resources and inspiration for transforming schoolyards from asphalt-covered areas to more park-like spaces where children can interact with nature.
Interested in aspects of sustainability for schools not covered here? Feel free to reach out to Joy Scrogum with questions.
Amanda Price piloted the unit in two fifth grade science classes at Butler Elementary and Sandburg Elementary February-March 2020. Both schools are located in Springfield, IL. Amanda works as a Graduate Public Service Intern (GPSI) in the offices of Environmental Education and Community Relations at Illinois EPA. The 
driven by student questions. It teaches students the importance of food waste reduction, landfill diversion, and composting as part of a circular food system. Students create “landfills in a jar” with materials given to them with the goal of protecting the sand, or “groundwater,” at the bottom of the jar. Students also create “compost in a jar” using fresh food scraps and other compostable materials. Students monitor their jars throughout the unit and record scientific data such as temperature and mass. They learn how bacteria act as decomposers. The unit also incorporates map-reading and asks students to think critically about the pros and cons of choosing space for new landfill construction.
The main hands-on activity in the unit is a food waste audit, which can be performed at various scales. Students use data from the audit to calculate the estimated food wasted per person, during the school year, etc. Students end the unit by creating a community awareness or action plan to inform their community or advocate for change. A few students at Butler Elementary wrote a letter to the principal asking him to install a clock in the cafeteria so students could track how much time they had to eat. The principal took swift action and ordered the clock.
What’s the problem with food waste in schools?
