ROCK HALL — Earlier this spring Kent County Middle School met the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education’s criteria for certification as a Green School.
Now, all five schools in the district are certified Green.
Kent County Public Schools becomes just the third school system in the state to have all schools receive Green School certification.
“We are proud to announce that Kent County is 100% Green School certified,” Amelia Markosian, Kent County Public Schools’ coordinator of accountability and instruction, told the Kent County Board of Education at its May 12 meeting.
“This is a big celebration,” Markosian said.
Kent County High School was the first to earn the designation in 2016, and was recertified in 2023.
Also in 2023, Galena Elementary School received its Green School designation certification, followed by H.H. Garnet Elementary School in Chestertown and Rock Hall Elementary School in 2024.
Kent County Middle School earned its Green School certification this year after demonstrating and documenting a continuous effort to integrate sustainable environmental management practices, environmental education curriculum, professional development opportunities and community engagement into its daily operations.
“The Green Schools Program is essentially all about environmental literacy and being environmentally friendly,” Markosian said. “We had partners involved, we had teachers involved and, of course, the kids.”
Community partners include Echo Hill Outdoor School, Kent Soil and Water Conservation District, Sultana Education Foundation and Washington College.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Maryland Green Schools Program.
The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education’s mission is to encourage, engage and empower the community to understand, responsibly use and promote the natural world.
“Green Schools provide engaging and effective instruction by integrating environmental learning across all subjects,” MAEOE Executive Director Laura Johnson Collard said in a written statement.
“The results are powerful,” she said. “We see students leading composting programs, conserving energy, joining environmental clubs and advocating for what is important to them.”
Kent County Public Schools earned the Green Schools awards by establishing environmental leadership teams in each school, with students and staff collaborating on initiatives.
According to a news release from KCPS, students were enthusiastic about leading meaningful environmental action projects at their schools. Teachers received specialized environmental education training, and the curriculum incorporated a focus on Kent County’s ecosystems.
None of this would have been possible without the community’s support, according to a KCPS spokesperson. Local businesses and organizations joined the effort, and experts visited schools and classrooms to share their knowledge.