Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Green Team Awards for Environmental Leadership in PK-12 Schools

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) today acknowledged students from 475 classrooms across the state who participated in the Green Team program, making the 2024-2025 school year the highest registration in the program history.

MassDEP recognized 94 Green Teams across Massachusetts with Green Team Awards for outstanding environmental stewardship and educational activities. The Green Team is a statewide program sponsored by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and MassDEP to empower students and teachers to help the environment by acting in their communities.

"Congratulations to all of the participating Green Team teachers and students for their accomplishments," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "Their initiative and leadership provides an excellent example of how we can raise environmental awareness and promote waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting in our schools, homes, and communities."

"I applaud the thousands of Massachusetts educators and students who successfully completed the Green Team program this school year," said Education Secretary Patrick A. Tutwiler. "This initiative not only finds innovative and engaging ways to teach students about conservation, clean energy and recycling, but also encourages them to get out in their communities and make a real difference for the environment."

For more than 20 years, the Green Team program has been open to Massachusetts students of all ages who share in the goals of reducing pollution and protecting the environment with a focus on recycling, composting, and sustainability.

"The Green Team program provides fun, easy, and practical activities that students can engage in to conserve water and energy, reduce waste, and preserve natural resources," said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. "These participating schools and teachers are important partners in our efforts to limit our dependence on landfills and incinerators, increase energy efficiency, and reduce emissions across our state."

These environmentally focused activities vary from expanding school recycling programs to promoting water conservation. The program incorporates classroom disciplines from the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as reading, writing, art, and other non-classroom, interrelated projects. A full list of activities can be found on the Green Team website.

Participating teams were entered in a drawing for prizes, and 94 Green Teams received prizes for their efforts. Eight schools won grand prizes, and 24 schools were recognized for going “above and beyond” with their efforts to promote sustainability and responsible leadership in their communities in particular areas of focus. All 32 winners will receive a gift card that can be used for a party to celebrate their hard work and dedication, or for materials or equipment that support their Green Team efforts.

Additionally, each participating student in 62 Green Team classes will receive a “Bee the Change” pollinator seed packet for their impressive work this school year.

The eight grand prize winners are:

• Boston, MA - John D. Philbrick Elementary School: 
  The John D. Philbrick Elementary School Green Team, led by Ramona Brown, upgraded their recycling program with new collection bins for classrooms, offices, hallways, and cafeterias. Students labeled the bins for each classroom and reduced contamination by posting signs depicting which materials could be placed in the bins. The Green Team collaborated with custodial staff to collect the materials and visited each classroom to offer presentations and teach peers about effective recycling practices at school and home.
• Harvard, MA - The Bromfield School: 
  The Bromfield Green Team, led by Joshua Clarke, met weekly to improve recycling and food waste diversion on campus. The Team created their own educational video about waste streams to share with the school community and increase participation in environmental efforts. Their multi-grade activities also focused on invasive species replacement education and idling reduction near schools. Additionally, the Team collaborates with their local government concerning bylaws for preserving large trees and reducing air pollution.
• Hingham, MA - William L. Foster Elementary School: 
  Foster Elementary Green Team, led by Christin Eigenmann, focused on three major initiatives this year. They educated peers and reduced food waste by collecting unpeeled, uneaten apples and oranges from lunch trays that would have otherwise been placed in the trash. The apples and oranges were then made into smoothies and dried fruit that the students enjoyed while learning that “food is not trash.” The Team also collected and reused plastic containers that were previously sent to the trash to create decorative planters that held microgreens grown this spring. Christin Eigenmann emphasized small changes her students could make to know they are "not powerless in the face of climate change.
• Mashpee, MA - Mashpee Middle-High School: 
  The Mashpee Middle-High School Environmental Club, led by Shona Vitelli, supported the implementation of reusable trays for all lunch blocks. The Club also monitored sorting stations to increase organics diversion to 14 gallons of food waste per day. By implementing a sorting station and replacing Styrofoam trays with reusable trays, Mashpee Middle-High School realized a 70 percent reduction in trash sent to the dumpsters each day.
• Northampton, MA - HEC Academy, Collaborative for Educational Services: 
  The HEC Academy Green Team, led by Amy Stamm, maintained their previous environmental efforts while accelerating new initiatives this school year. The Team was hands-on in the community, maintaining the multi-city bike path, supporting food donation programs, and volunteering at multiple reuse organizations throughout the Pioneer Valley. The Green Team worked with a regional rabbit rescue to distribute nutrient-rich droppings to local farms for fertilizer. Stamm's Team developed a powerful sense of community, empowerment, and peer-mentorship among the students.
• Norwood, MA - Norwood High School: 
  The Norwood High School Environmental Youth Coalition, led by Allison Leichtman, attended the Youth Environmental Leadership Conference and shared what they learned with their school community. The group also organized a field trip to a carbon neutral house and increased composting efforts across the district. Students learned about the significant impact of small changes and discovered future careers focused on the environment and sustainability.
• Peabody, MA - Captain Samuel Brown Elementary School: 
  The Environmental Eagle fifth grade Green Team, led by Diane Bugler, is dedicated to student-led initiatives. In September, the Team decided school-wide recycling would be the environmental project they would tackle this school year. They monitored what was being placed in recycling bins, wrote skits, and created games to help classes learn how to reduce contamination and maximize waste stream diversion. As recycling improved, the Environmental Eagles awarded each classroom with certificates of recognition for their efforts. The group also planned a project to increase storm drain awareness and hosted a school-wide cleanup initiative this spring.
• Wayland, MA - Wayland High School: 
  The Wayland High School Green Team, led by Sara Snow, ran their third annual Slow Fashion Show this school year. This event highlights the value of thrifting and repurposing, and informs the community about the environmental impacts of fast fashion. The Team also implemented a school-wide composting program for all food and paper plates that is monitored daily to reduce contamination, maximize diversion, and help educate peers about the impact of effective composting programs.

The following Green Teams are recognized for going "above and beyond" their particular focus area:

The other impressive 62 Green Team classes for the 2024-2025 school year received a "Bee the Change" pollinator seed packet for each participating student. These 62 prize winners are:

Leaders who are interested in learning more about the Green Team program and registering their schools for the coming 2025-2026 school year are encouraged to visit the Green Team website.

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