Queen of Peace students explore outside (Courtesy photo)
Salem’s Queen of Peace School earned federal recognition last week as a model school for environmental education and sustainability.
The private Catholic elementary and preschool was named a Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education, one of 27 schools in the country recognized, and the only one in Oregon.
The decade-old federal program recognizes schools that promote that reduce environmental impacts and costs, promote health and wellness and provide effective sustainability and environmental education.
The school’s efforts include a school native plant garden, a community recycling program and a curriculum that integrates environmental education into science, technology, engineering and math.
“Our school has been transforming unused, manicured lawn areas into outdoor, natural learning spaces for students while supporting wildlife. We have recently expanded our native pollinator garden and an organic vegetable garden. These spaces are pesticide-free. This requires a substantial amount of service hours by our students, staff, parents, and community. Weeds and invasive plants are removed by hand and disposed of properly,” school leaders wrote in an application.
School leaders said using environmental issues as part of their curriculum has had a positive impact on student learning.
“We have seen growth in questioning, investigating, defining problems, analyzing, interpreting, reasoning, developing conclusions, and solving problems. Our environmental and sustainable education are teaching students how to think and not follow step-by-step procedures,” the application said.
-Rachel Alexander
