Green & Healthy Schools

  Green & Healthy Schools - Wisconsin

Green & Healthy Schools is a voluntary program available to all public and private schools in
Wisconsin. This program is administered through a joint partnership between the Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Since 2015, McDill has participated in Green & Healthy Schools and achieved all levels of
recognition in this program increasing from Sprout, Seeding, Sapling, to Sugar Maple. In
addition, due to McDills documented achievements McDill was nominated and recognized as a
U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School in the spring of 2020. McDill joins about
thirty other schools in Wisconsin who have been recognized as a Green Ribbon School.
Congratulations to the whole McDill School community!

 

The students, teachers, staff, and parent volunteers at McDill Elementary School have pledged
to continue our participation in the Green & Healthy Schools program with a goal to reduce
environmental impact and costs, improve health and wellness, and increase environmental and
sustainability literacy. We hold school events, offer classroom and school grounds learning
opportunities, and provide school-wide communication to improve student safety and health as
well as increase environmental awareness and activism.

In 2025, Green & Healthy Schools implemented a badge program to highlight projects and
events in a number of different categories. There are twelve core badges that can be earned
and different levels of recognition are given based on how many badges are achieved: Sprout,
Seeding, Sapling, and Sugar Maple. Sugar Maple participants may be reviewed for the
prestigious Wisconsin Stewardship and Sustainability Award presented at an annual award
ceremony. McDill maintains our recognition of being a Sugar Maple school, with continued
opportunities for achieving additional badges and awards.

Join us!

We welcome you to join the Green & Healthy Schools efforts at McDill! It takes the whole
school community to embrace Green & Healthy initiatives, including staff, students, and
families.

If you are interested in learning more about Green & Healthy Schools and how you can become
involved, please contact Sarah Zdroik at sarahzdroik@gmail.com or Alison Richardson at
alisondrichardson@gmail.com. Additional information about past successes in the many
different focus areas of Green & Healthy Schools can also be requested. Thank you for your
interest in this important program!