Kelsey Hammond manages the Green Schools Program under the City of Ventura's Division of Environmental Sustainability.

The City of Ventura's Green Schools Program
The City of Ventura has partnered with Ventura Unified School District to provide environmentally-focused presentations in all K-5 classrooms through the Green Schools Program. The topics range from ocean pollution prevention to composting and recycling. As students move through elementary school, they are exposed to a variety of STEAM-based lessons and activities that help foster their love for Ventura and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

Through our partnership with Ventura Unified School District and our local hauler, EJ Harrison, we have implemented a large-scale composting and recycling program in K-5 schools throughout the City of Ventura. The Green Schools Program incorporates both education and action components, which have led us to further successes, including eliminating plastic spork packets from the cafeteria, incorporating food sharetables, and expanding composting programs to local middle schools.

Angelina Vergara is the StopWaste Schools Program Manager in Alameda County.

StopWaste
Angelina Vergara will be sharing StopWaste's best practices, and lessons learned on onboarding K-12 students and school champions to amplify thier public agency's sustainability initiatives, such as food waste reduction educational outreach, in thier action-based and citizen science approach.

Karen Riley is the Executive Director ofÊthe Student Creative Recycle Art Program (S.C.R.A.P.) Gallery.

Integrating Art & The Environment
The Student Creative Recycle Art Program (S.C.R.A.P. Gallery) takes a unique approach to help solve environmental problems by teaching children to be creative in their personal recycling habits while taking care of the planet. The S.C.R.A.P. Gallery works with youth from all over Southern California to promote conservation and reuse by teaching them to creatively practice the Four R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Responsibility.

The S.C.R.A.P. Gallery emphasizes that through creative reuse and recycling, students can have a profound and positive effect on the environment. By integrating art and the environment, students of all ages can share these real life experiences with their friends and families and make a difference in their local and global communities.

Helene Moore is a teacher at Joaquin Miller Elementary in Oakland Unified School District, and a winner of the 2019 CRRA Teacher Mini-Grant Award. Helene also facilitates my Joaquin Miller Elementary's Ocean Guardian grants.

Reducing Waste through the CRRA Mini-Grant
Our school has a very dedicated student Green Team and Food Share program. In addition, we try to introduce a new strategy for campus waste reduction every year. For example, we have had 3 hydration stations installed and have given out and/or sold reusable water bottles in order to eliminate single-use plastic bottles. This year's goal is to encourage families to include reusables in lunch boxes as well as during classroom parties.

We have put together reusable party kits for each of our classrooms in order to eliminate using paper and plastic for our school. In addition we are asking parents to donate cloth napkins that also can be reused. Fifth grade students are creating a video and writing a letter to parents explaining our school's latest attempt to eliminate waste with re-usable party kits.

The CRRA mini-grant covered the cost of plastic bins for storing the plates, cups and utensils that will be taken home to be washed after each use. Helene will discuss the outcome of the reusable party kits during the 2019-20 school year.