Glenwood Junior High is one of 70 elementary, middle, and high schools across the United States to earn recognition through the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus K-12 program. The program honors schools that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to nature-based education.

The Arbor Day Foundation is the largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to tree planting. Its Tree Campus K-12 program, launched last year, encourages educators to create meaningful opportunities for students to interact with trees.

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“Spending time in nature sparks children’s imaginations, improves their mental and physical health, and shapes them into lifelong environmental stewards,” said Dan Lambe,chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We are thrilled to see schools like Boardman Glenwood Junior High lead the way in this important work.

To earn the distinction, Glenwood Junior High met four goals:

• Maintain a Tree Campus team that is dedicated to achieving recognition
• Create an education plan that connects students to trees and their global benefits
• Offer a hands-on experience that engages students in trees and the community
• Hold an Arbor Day observance to celebrate trees within the school or the community

“Field studies of all kinds help our students understand the importance of nature, and how everything works together in our environment,” said 8th grade science teacher Laura Frost.

“By increasing education and awareness about trees in our local community, we can learn about our current struggles with invasive species, the role trees play in the ecosystem, and how trees help combat climate change. We are so excited to be recognized for our hands-on effort!”

The recognized schools span 31 states. In the first year of the program, more than 15,000 students participated in an Arbor Day celebration, and nearly 30,000 trees were planted.

PICTURED: Glenwood Junior High Wins Grand Prize FOR Recycled Garden: Glenwood Junior High has won a $15,000 grand prize in the Terracycle 2022 Brita & Meijer Recycled Garden Contest this summer. “The tables and benches have absolutely improved our outdoor classroom in the courtyard. They are the perfect touch! We have also used some gift cards to create a rain garden for our new outdoor classroom.

This space is brand new and has been a goal of ours for the last several years since the pandemic hit. The materials have helped us turn it into something we never could have imagined,” said Glenwood science teacher Scott Lenhart, pictured here during renovations at the site this summer. The recycled garden includes garden beds, picnic tables, benches and more.

This article is being republished with permission of the Boardman News.