EcoRise

There used to be a native plant garden at Caleb Greenwood An IB World School that no longer exists today. Erin Marmion's 3rd Grade Class got curious about how they could harness the space for public good. They surveyed the whole school about what would help them feel happier in that space. Most students said they wanted a calm place to relax. So the class designed a peace path with a native tree, creating a healing outdoor space for everyone to use.

But they didn't stop at designing. They created campaign posters to help the whole school understand why public spaces matter. They presented their complete plan to Principal Trent and got approval. Now, with their $1,200 Student Innovation Grant, they will bring the peace path to life!

Congratulations to Erin and her 3rd graders for for turning observation into action in Sacramento City Unified School District. Together, . 🌱

“They’re treating us like adults!” One elementary student said this to his teacher, beaming, after presenting his sustainability project to a room full of real questions and genuine curiosity at the Inaugural NYC Student Innovation Showcase.

Fifteen students from across New York City brought their best on Wednesday evening. One student built a guidebook so future green teams at her school and beyond can launch their own sustainability projects. Two students shared what they learned interning with The Black Feminist Project at an urban farm. Others tackled composting, plastic bottle reduction, campus litter cleanups, and educating peers how to sort their waste. Every table had something to interact with, and every student was ready to share their work.

What made last night extra special: EcoRise has been working in New York City since 2018 and has invested nearly $59,000 in student-designed sustainability projects across the city since then. What was new was this stage, and the students stepping into the community spotlight.

We’re grateful to the partners who invested in this milestone: BNY, MetLife Foundation (whose volunteers showed up for students on the night), Office of Energy and Sustainability - NYC Public Schools, The Pinkerton Foundation, and Southwest Airlines. Thank you to Math for America for hosting. And to Meredith McDermott, Chief Sustainability and Decarbonization Officer for New York City Public Schools, who reminded us that interest in climate change starts in schools, and these students are already showing the path forward.

To the students and teachers who were there last night: you are the trailblazers. Together, !

Amanda Torres' students at PS 72 noticed their green spaces needed help. They observed a lack of native plants, no birds, and lots of litter. So they designed a solution. They're using a $500 Student Innovation Grant to bring native plantings and cleanup supplies to their school's green spaces. 🌱🗑🪺

By transforming 40 square feet of neglected garden space into a thriving habitat, they aim to increase native plants by 20%, reduce litter by 30%, and boost bird activity by 30% over time. These young environmentalists are building a healthier, more sustainable school.

Want to meet Amanda and her students—plus other young changemakers from across NYC? Join us at the Inaugural NYC Student Innovation Showcase from 5:30–7pm tonight at Math for America. RSVP at NYCshowcase26.eventbrite.com.

Congratulations to the PS 72 Green Team in New York City Public Schools! Together, . 🌱

Legacy was the word that kept coming up at last Thursday's 7th Annual Washington, DC Student Innovation Showcase at Duke Ellington School of the Arts. 🌱 22 student teams from across the city packed the room with projects built around a single idea: leave your school and community better than you found it. Kindergartners presented a water audit. 5th graders built composting programs their families now use at home. 8th and 12th graders designed green roofs and outdoor spaces with measurable improvements in student health and wellness. Every project carried the same ambition.

That legacy runs through educators, too. EcoRise honored Octavia Wolf, a teacher who has brought this work to four DC public schools over six years, supporting 16 student grant projects along the way and onboarding new teachers at every campus she's touched. This summer, she begins a new chapter teaching internationally, and she will be deeply missed. The students and schools she leaves behind are a testament to what one committed educator can set in motion.

Over the last 10 years, EcoRise has invested more than $80,000 in student-designed sustainability projects across DC. We're proud of that number and even prouder of what students have done with it. Thank you to DC Public Schools, One Skye Foundation, and Southwest Airlines for their partnership and support. Together, !

Nicole Burmingham's students at Deer Path Middle School conducted an energy audit through the Illinois Green Schools Project and noticed something: the school's fluorescent emergency lights were wasting energy and money. So they partnered with the school facilities team to gather real energy data and design a solution.

Operation Light Swap will retrofit nine fluorescent emergency lights with LED troffers using a $1,000 Student Innovation Grant. The strategic upgrade will use about 1/3rd the amount of energy, save the school $241 in energy costs, and reduce carbon emissions by 2 tons per year.

But here's the brilliant part: the students designed this as a "proof of concept." By upgrading nine lights now, they're creating evidence to convince administration to replace the remaining emergency lights on campus. This shows how small wins can drive systemic change.

Congratulations to the Deer Path team for their data-driven leadership! Thank you to DocuSign for supporting these young problem-solvers and to the Illinois Green Alliance for connecting EcoRise with teachers in Illinois. Together, ! 💡 Lake Forest School District 67

Something new is taking root in NYC. 🌱 On June 6, EcoRise is hosting its first-ever New York City Student Innovation Showcase, and students from New York City Public Schools have been turning hope into action. They’ve restored school greenspaces and gardens, launched composting initiatives, designed living walls, and organized litter cleanups on their own blocks. Now they’re bringing that work into the spotlight.

Join us on June 3 at 5:30pm at Math for America for an evening of celebrating and learning from young leaders from across New York City Public Schools. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP 👉 NYCshowcase26.eventbrite.com

Together, ! Office of Energy and Sustainability - NYC Public Schools.

Big things are happening on the Gen:Thrive front. 🌱✨

We've been busy and we can't wait for you to see what's new. From fresh updates to exciting new features, Gen:Thrive is evolving to better equip teachers, districts, and service providers to bring sustainability education to life in the classroom.

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At Columbia Heights Education Campus, students in Kenrry Alvarado's class are working to restore their school garden, installing new garden beds and planting native species to bring pollinators back to their neighborhood.

This project is one of many taking the spotlight at the 7th Annual Washington, DC Student Innovation Showcase on May 28 at Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Students from across DC will present the sustainability work they've spent the year designing, testing, and building. The event is free and open to the public.

RSVP to come see what DC students are growing 👉 DCshowcase26.eventbrite.com

Thank you to DC Public Schools, One Skye Foundation, and Southwest Airlines for supporting student-led sustainability in the District. Together, !

Third graders from Lalla Odom Elementary showed up to Austin City Hall last week with a question they'd spent all year turning into action: why don't more kids bike to school? Through surveys and research, they uncovered barriers around knowledge and infrastructure, and then designed a response: relocating bike racks, rewards for new riders, and a field trip to the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative to learn safe routes and build skills. 🚲 Their project is a model of student-led systems thinking, and it was one of dozens on display at the 10th Annual Central Texas Student Innovation Showcase.

Last Thursday, we learned from students who tackled issues from erosion to reducing plastic use at school. The Austin Youth Climate Council showcased its community impact projects. Council members worked alongside Environment Texas on microplastics legislation, created materials to spread awareness about Festival Beach Food Forest and The Trail Conservancy, and explored energy data collection with Pecan Street Inc. They also volunteered at The Village Place 's free store and food pantry, organized Austin's first public Climate Festival for high school students across the city, and hosted a school field trip to Urban Roots farm.

We're grateful to Austin Climate Action and Resilience, Austin ISD, Constellation, H-E-B Tournament of Champions, the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, and Southwest Airlines for supporting these young leaders and their teachers.

Together, !

Pre-K and Kindergarten students at Mark Twain Elementary School stepped outside, looked at their play yard, and did what scientists do: they observed, recorded, and asked questions. What they found was mostly dirt and little wildlife. So they designed something better and received two Student Innovation Grants to bring their ideas to life! They will transform 729 square feet of underused outdoor space into a pollinator habitat and a food garden estimated to grow 18 pounds of produce each year.

Come meet these and other young leaders at Mark Twain Elementary on Tuesday, May 19, at the Inaugural Sacramento Student Innovation Showcase! 🌱RSVP 👉SCUSDshowcase.eventbrite.com

Thank you to Sacramento City Unified School District and Southwest Airlines for supporting student-led innovation. Together, !