The Show-Me Green Schools suite of programs provides structure, resources and recognition to support every Missouri PreK-12 school in becoming a green school – no matter their starting place.

Missouri Green Schools
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Missouri Green Schools

Statewide recognition fostering a systems-based approach towards holistic, school-wide, and long-term sustainability.

 

Missouri Green Schools (MGS) is an ongoing program for PreK-12th grade schools in Missouri that supports growth through a continuous loop of tracking and advancing sustainability practices, ultimately cultivating a culture of sustainability at the school. Schools may enroll at any time and recognition is offered annually across five levels.

Schools with 60% or more of their students qualifying for free or reduced-priced lunch are eligible for additional support including access to one-on-one assistance in navigating the program, setting goals, tracking progress and accessing resources.

Participate

Schools can enroll at any time to begin their self-guided journey using MGS tools. To begin, a school representative simply fills out the Enrollment Form. MGS staff will then reach out to share next steps. View the Levels of Achievement and Navigating the Program sections below for additional info on what to expect as you progress through the program.
Enroll Now
View List of Current Enrollees

Levels of Achievement

Participating schools are honored annually at emerging, progressing and advanced levels for their achievements across five levels of recognition. Criteria are rooted in best practices and scaffolded to support growth towards long-term, whole-school sustainability.

 

View Level Criteria and Benefits
View Comparison of Levels' Criteria and Benefits

Navigating the Program

Getting Started: Four Simple Steps to Seed Recognition
After enrolling, complete these four items to achieve Level 1: Seed recognition! This level honors commitment to taking the initial steps towards advancing green and healthy practices.

 

  • Submit a Letter of Commitment – A sample letter / template is viewable here (PDF). Click here to ‘Make a Copy’ of this letter which you can edit.
  • Do a Quick Assessment of your School’s Green Efforts – Use this baseline self-assessment to discuss your school’s present circumstances (click here to create an editable copy). A list of yes or no questions, this baseline document is a nice guide for beginning to note what your school has accomplished and to identify additional actions you’d like to take. It takes about 30 minutes to complete and can be completed individually or as a team if you already have allies identified.
  • Identify at Least 1 Goal Aligned with a START Topic – Perhaps you already have a goal in mind. If not, consider looking at the actions outlined in the next section – such as setting up a Green Team or beginning to benchmark energy usage – or consider items outlined in the baseline self-assessment. View an outline of START Topics (START stands for the Sustainability Tracking, Analytics, & Roadmap Tool.)
  • Set Up Your School’s START Profile – The primary tool that is used to navigate the MGS program is called the Sustainability Tracking and Roadmap Tool (START). START, which includes 53 Topics – each with 3 tiers of varying difficulty, has been developed by the Green Schools Alliance. Follow the instructions under ‘Set Up Your Account’ here.
Gaining Momentum: Steps for Achieving Sprout and Beyond
Congratulations! You have taken the first steps towards greening your school. Now it’s time to build your team and grow your practices. Levels 2 – 5 recognize schools that have established a Green Team and achieved varying degrees of START Topics and natural resource use benchmarking or reduction. See the MGS Recognition Levels table for more details.

 

  • Establish a Green Team – The next step is to assemble a Green Team. An ideal team includes representation from a variety of roles and perspectives, such as teachers, facilities staff, administration, health and nutrition. It’s great to consider student, parent, and community representation as well. Having representation from a diverse group of stakeholders increases the possibilities for implementing sustainable, whole-school changes. If you do not yet have a team, or if you have a team but find that it would be valuable to expand your team further, this resource is one we’ve developed to help with green team recruitment. Once your team is established, we encourage you to revisit or retake the baseline self-assessment together. Doing so can generate lots of discussion and excitement!
  • Explore START and Begin Tracking Your Accomplishments – The Sustainability Tracking and Roadmap Tool (START) will be used to benchmark your progress and track your accomplishments throughout your green school journey. Schools will be eligible to enroll in START once they have completed all Seed level requirements and begin working on Sprout level requirements. Begin by getting acquainted with START Topics (53 Topics are covered and divided into three categories: Educational Programs, Organizational Culture, and Physical Place.) Then, enter your school’s data and track your progress. 
  • Begin to Measure and Reduce Your Natural Resource Use – Using Energy Star Portfolio Manager to track energy, water and waste is a best practice that is built into the recognition levels of Missouri Green Schools and will also help to answer some of the questions in START – so this will be a great place to direct efforts. This Energy Star Benchmarking How-To Guide can help you to get started. (Note that it is possible that your school already uses Energy Star Portfolio Manager. As outlined in the how-to guide, contacting your school/district’s Facilities and/or Finance Department is a great way to find out.) While Energy Star Portfolio Manager is a free tool that is recommended, schools may use alternate tools to measure their natural resource use.

Getting Recognized

Honorees are announced annually in October.  If a school would like to be reviewed for recognition they must fill out the Review Request Form by June 30. School materials will be reviewed over the summer in preparation for the annual MGS Honoree announcement in the fall.
Complete the Review Request Form

Honorees

Congratulations to the 2025 Missouri Green Schools honorees!

Seed

  • Ladue Horton Watkin Highs School (Ladue)
  • Parkway North High School (Parkway)
  • Pembroke Hill School (Independent, Kansas City)
  • Ritenour Middle School (Ritenour)
  • Robinson Elementary (Kirkwood)
  • Ryogoku Soccer Academy (Independent, Kansas City)
  • The Summit Preparatory School (Independent, Springfield)

Sprout

  • Brentwood Middle School (Brentwood)
  • Central High School (Springfield Public Schools)
  • City Garden Montessori (Charter, St. Louis)
  • Dressel Elementary (Lindbergh)
  • Holland Elementary (Springfield Public Schools)
  • Iveland Elementary (Ritenour)
  • Marvin Elementary (Ritenour)
  • Normandy Early Childhood Center (Normandy Schools Collaborative)
  • Northeast Middle School (Kansas City Public Schools)
  • Oakville Elementary (Oakville)

Seedling

  • Bridgeway Elementary School (Pattonville) 
  • Brittany Woods Middle School (University City)
  • Central Primary School (Ferguson-Florissant)
  • Chaminade College Preparatory School (Independent, St. Louis)
  • Crestwood Elementary School (Lindbergh)
  • Herculaneum High School (Herculaneum)
  • Patrick Henry Downtown Academy (St. Louis Public Schools)
  • Principia School (Independent, St. Louis)
  • St. Francis of Assisi School (Independent, St. Louis)
  • Saint Teresa’s Academy (Independent, Kansas City)
  • Villa di Maria Montessori (Independent, St. Louis)

Sapling

  • Flance Early Learning Center (Independent, St. Louis)
  • Hixson Middle School (Webster Groves)
  • Nerinx Hall High School (Independent, St. Louis)
  • Shirlee Green Preschool (Independent, St. Louis)

Flowering Dogwood

  • Forsyth School (Independent, St. Louis)

View the list of 2025 MGS Honorees

View the list of 2024 MGS Honorees

View the list of 2023 MGS Honorees

View the list of 2022 MGS Honorees

View the list of 2021 MGS Honorees

Central High School

“At Central High School, sustainability initiatives have the potential to positively transform school communities by fostering environmental awareness, reducing costs, providing educational opportunities, and promoting a sense of community and responsibility. These changes contribute to a more vibrant and forward-thinking school environment.”

–Paul Epps, Teacher, Central High School, Springfield Public School District, Springfield, MO

Bridgeway Elementary

“As we continue to teach about sustainability, it’s exciting to see students gain a deeper understanding of how we are all connected – not just to each other, but to ALL living things above the ground and below it too!”

Jeanne Fernandez, Bridgeway Elementary

Chaminade College Preparatory School

“We are finally starting to notice the impact that we are having on our student body.   Sustainability thinking is starting to work its way into the mindset of our administration, faculty and student body.  Honest conversations around sustainability are becoming more common and less threatening as more of us begin to understand the complexity and interwovenness around these issues.”

Mark Laury, Chaminade College Preparatory School

Crestwood Elementary

“At Crestwood, we are building sustainability knowledge through education and hands-on activities. Our Environmental Club and Garden Leaders have been the backbone of bringing students, families, and the community together for substantial environmental impact. We hope students take these experiences and knowledge with them, to continue to be positive changemakers in the world around them.”

Jaclyn Jezik, Crestwood Elementary School

Flance ELC

“Sustainability and nature connection have been part of Forsyth School’s culture for many years, and it is rewarding to see how the concept of reciprocity has grown over time. Faculty and staff recently engaged in a yearlong professional development program that led to the creation of our own definition and principles of sustainability. Students continue to lead service-oriented projects that help make the world a better place. Forsyth’s family organization has established a sustainability committee to help reduce waste during school events. While Forsyth continues to empower children to be global citizens, we take pride in our local, everyday actions to live more lightly on planet Earth.”

Susan Zareh, Forsyth School

Forsyth School

“Members of the Forsyth School community strive to be better caretakers of the Earth with the help of the Missouri Green School’s sustainability suggestions. Last year, students led these efforts with their enthusiasm and developing knowledge through the Waste Ambassador group as well as through a “turn the lights off campaign.”

–Susan Zareh, Grade 6 Math Teacher and Sustainability Specialist, and Christine Torlina, Early Childhood Science Specialist, Forsyth School, Independent. St. Louis, MO

Hixson Middle

“The students at Hixson Middle School continue to work diligently to make positive changes to our building and community. They are always on the lookout for ways to make a positive contribution. One example of this includes how the students have continued with our classroom recycling initiative and are working to develop a plan to add in steps to reduce cafeteria food waste to make an even larger impact for our building.” Eric Hayes, Hixson Middle School

– Eric Hayes, Hixson Middle School

Nerinx Hall High School

“Nerinx Hall is incredibly proud to have achieved Level 4 (Sapling) status with Missouri Green Schools. This accomplishment reflects years of dedication from the entire Nerinx community and exemplifies our Loretto value of caring for the earth. By reducing energy use, water consumption and waste, and by fostering a culture of sustainability, we continue to honor our mission of environmental stewardship. Reaching this milestone has truly been a community effort, and we are excited to keep growing.”

Dr. Molly Grumich, Principal, Nerinx Hall High School

Normandy ECC

“At Normandy Early Learning Center, our mission is to provide an environment filled with exploration, excitement, and engaging, hands-on learning with real world connections for our students. Missouri Green Schools provides support that directly ties in with our mission, so we are of course excited and proud to be part of the green schools community!”

Sandra Davie, Normandy Early Childhood Center

Northeast Middle School

“Taking ownership in the care of our school environment means that we learn and teach values and skills to take home and into the community to help us obtain a world of security and tranquility, enabling us to BE the best version of ourselves in the best version of our world.”

Melanie Gomez, Northeast Middle School

Parkway North High School

“Parkway North is excited to develop a team that can lead our sustainability initiatives for years to come! Right now we are talking to interested staff members and reaching out to personnel at the district level to help us pursue our goals of sustainability going forward.”

Erin Derenbecher, Parkway North High School

Patrick Henry Downtown Academy

“At Patrick Henry Downtown Academy, we are committed to the holistic well-being of our scholars. Our scholars strive every day to care for their social-emotional needs, school environment, and the world around us. We incorporate daily movement into our routines, tend to our school garden and manage waste responsibly. Our staff and scholars are proud and continue to be excited to be a part of Missouri Green Schools. We will continue to strive toward excellence and to be change agents in making the world a healthier, greener place.” Dr. Chavon Curry, Principal, Patrick Henry Downtown Academy

– Dr. Chavon Curry, Principal, Patrick Henry Downtown Academy

Principia School

“Education for sustainability is broad and diverse in what it can look like; it’s heartening to see the many ways students are engaging with the ideas and how the faculty are leaning in. While there is always room to grow, it’s been a joy to see how Principia’s culture of continuous improvement transfers to the integration of sustainability throughout our curriculum.”

Lynne Scott, Principia School

St. Francis of Assisi School

“The Missouri Green Schools program has been a great way for the 4th and 5th grades at St. Francis of Assisi School to conduct investigations about energy at our school. We have discussed where energy comes from, how it gets to the school, and what we do with it. They have been able to do some investigation work on how much energy is used by different equipment at the school from a Raspberry Pi microcomputer to a Chromebook to a desktop PC. This work has led to conversations about sustainability and conservation with our students. We are working to expand to campus-wide energy use this year.”

Mike Herries, St. Francis of Assisi School

St. Teresa's Academy

“Empowering, educating, and elevating young women’s voices to shape a sustainable future is woven into the fabric of our community. We believe that the female perspective is to be valued and that the female voice is the catalyst necessary to enact change in our world. Missouri Green Schools provides Saint Teresa’s Academy with the resources and structure we need to keep working toward increased sustainability.”

–Sarah Holmes, St. Teresa’s Academy

The Summit Preparatory School

“At The Summit Preparatory School, the launch of our outdoor education initiative and pursuit of MGS recognition underscores the importance of green schools in fostering a sustainable future. By integrating nature into learning, we cultivate environmental stewardship and awareness, inspire curiosity, and promote well-being, empowering students to become thoughtful, eco-conscious leaders. As an organization, we are excited to pursue this opportunity and partner with MGS in this important work.”

Katie Heet, Head of School, The Summit Preparatory School

Villa di Maria Montessori School

“Inherent in Montessori is the deep consideration of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all living organisms. The scientifically developed, hands-on curriculum encourages children to explore interdisciplinary concepts related to the environment and analyze including human impact and responsibility. Since the founding of our school in 1967, Villa di Maria has proudly carried forward Dr. Maria Montessori’s original mission of cultivating a sense of stewardship for the natural world and to promote justice and peace.”

Martha Erickson, Villa di Maria Montessori School

MGS Tools & Resources

A handful of key resources for Missouri Green Schools are highlighted here. Visit our Resources page to access the full library of resources that support the entire suite of Show-Me Green Schools programs.

Show-Me Green Schools Partner Network

The Partner Network consists of nonprofit and for-profit organizations and programs that can help a school advance in one or more of the green schools pillars. Learn more about the Partner Network here!  Access a searchable directory of partners and their services here. If you have resources to share, take our partner survey and become part of the Network.

Green Team Recruitment

An ideal team includes representation from a variety of roles and perspectives, such as teachers, facilities, administration, and health. Having representation from a diverse group of stakeholders increases the possibilities for implementing sustainable, whole-school changes. If you do not yet have a team, or if you have a team but find that it would be valuable to expand your team further, this resource is one we’ve developed to help with green team recruitment.​

START: Sustainability Tracking, Analytics, & Roadmap Tool

START is the primary tool that MGS enrollees use to track and document their achievements. The tool, which has been developed by the Green Schools Alliance, includes 53 Topics, each with 3 tiers of varying difficulty. Click here to learn more about START. View a list of START Topics here. Access the START Tracking Tool Step-by-Step Guide here. Contact MGS staff with questions about accessing your START account.

Baseline Self-Assessment

 Use this baseline self-assessment to discuss your school’s present circumstances (click here to create an editable copy). A list of yes or no questions, this document is a nice guide for beginning to note what your school has accomplished and identify additional actions you’d like to take. It takes about 30 minutes to complete and can be completed individually or as a team if you already have allies identified.

Letter of Commitment

A Letter of Commitment signed by school administration is required in order to recieve recognition. A sample letter is viewable here (PDF). Click here to ‘Make a Copy’ of this letter which you may edit.

Energy Star Portfolio Manager

​Using Energy Star Portfolio Manager to track energy, water and waste is a best practice that is built into the recognition levels of MGS and will also help to answer some of the questions in START – so this will be a great place to direct efforts. This Energy Star Benchmarking How-To Guide can help you to get started.

Case Studies

Nurturing the Young as a Catalyst for Healthy Communities – Flance ELC

Creative Collaboration – Sunrise School

Bench Marking and Goal Setting – Parkway School District

Student Leadership in Sustainability Education – Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School

Questions?

Check out our FAQs below. For additional questions, contact us.

Why participate in Missouri Green Schools?
Missouri Green Schools is a free program aimed at meeting schools where they are and helping them reach their sustainability goals with a systems-based approach. MGS provides a framework for schools to ensure they are simultaneously addressing curriculum & programming, buildings & grounds, and organizational culture. Additionally, the recognition framework requires schools to take actions like creating a “green team” to ensure longevity of their green and healthy changes. 
What is the annual timeline of Missouri Green Schools?
Schools can enroll in Missouri Green Schools at any time during the year and must submit their Request for Review by the June 30 deadline, if they are planning on moving on to the next level. After MGS admin has reviewed every request, schools will be honored in October. 

Missouri Green Schools Learning Series is a free professional development series that is offered once in the Spring and once in the Fall. All meetings are virtual and include experts from technical backgrounds to help schools learn how to take on sustainability initiatives. Check back frequently for updated dates.

What recognition levels are presented, and how are they determined?
Our recognition levels are Seed, Sprout, Seedling, Sapling, and Flowering Dogwood. For more information on the criteria and benefits, please follow this link.

What schools participate in Missouri Green Schools?
This map showcases participation across all three of the programs under the Show-Me Green Schools umbrella. To view only Missouri Green Schools participation, deselect the checkboxes for the other two programs. For a full list of program participants, please visit showmegreenschools.org.
What does it mean to be a mentor to other schools (listed as criteria in Flowering Dogwood)?
Once a school reaches the Flowering Dogwood level, we ask that they begin mentoring newly enrolled schools, or schools at lower levels of achievement in the Missouri Green Schools program. Mentors are paired with a school based on location, available time, and content of sustainability initiatives to ensure the mentee school feels supported and the mentor school has something to offer.
What resources are available for schools participating in Missouri Green Schools?
Missouri Green Schools provides a variety of case studies and how-to guides, as well as green team resources and access to our partner network on this webpage. The Green Schools Alliance offers the START tool for schools Sprout level and above and various how-to guides for schools on any level, as well as any individual willing to access them. Registration as a member of the Green Schools Alliance is required to access these how-to guides, but it is free and fairly easy to do so.
How does Missouri Green Schools connect with the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools program?
Missouri Green Schools recommends schools to the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools program for national recognition.
Can I participate in more than one program in the Show-Me Green Schools suite simultaneously?
Schools can choose to participate in one program within the umbrella, or leverage participation in all three.
What is the Request for Review?

The Request for Review is the form schools submit to Missouri Green Schools that alerts our admin to evaluate a school’s readiness to move on to the next level. Since Missouri Green Schools is intended to be self-guided, admin does not evaluate schools throughout the year, unless prompted by the Request for Review form. Schools must submit their Request for Review by June 30 for consideration so MGS admin can begin review in July.

What programs are offered in the Show-Me Green Schools suite?
Show-Me Green Schools is a suite of three programs including the Green Schools Quest (GSQ), Missouri Green Schools (MGS), and the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS).
What impact is Missouri Green Schools having?
Missouri Green Schools encourages students and teachers to solve classroom problems through an environmental education lens. With an environmental education background, teachers tend to further connect with their students and engage them in topics of sustainability and wellness.
Does enrollment in Missouri Green Schools last indefinitely or expire?
Enrollment in Missouri Green Schools does last indefinitely, but a school’s status may change from “active” to “inactive” after a period of two years with no communication to MGS staff.
Are any trainings provided?
MGS participants receive free training throughout the school year, including the MGS Kick-Off in January, the MGS Learning Series offered in the Fall and Spring semesters, and START training to begin tracking their sustainability initiatives. Schools are also able to set up 1:1 coaching sessions with the Green Schools Coordinator, request mentorship from a technical expert in the field, or request whole-school professional development sessions catered to their school’s staff needs.
What is START?
START is an acronym for Sustainability Tracking, Analytics, and Roadmapping Tool. This tool tracks your starting point and progress across 53 sustainability-related metrics split into three categories (Organizational Culture, Physical Place, and Educational Program).
What Metrics or Topics are included in START?
There are 53 sustainability-related metrics divided into three categories: Organizational Culture, Physical Place, and Educational Programming. For a full list of those metrics, please visit this webpage.
What is the START Survey?
The START “Survey” is a process that takes schools through all 53 metrics and ensures that they are aware of any updates.
What does MGS+ mean?
Schools with 60% or more students receiving free and reduced-price lunch are automatically enrolled in MGS+, where they are eligible for extra support, monthly 1-on-1 meetings with MGS staff, and extra funding as available.
Can I enroll in MGS+ if my school's free and reduced price lunch percentage is below 60%?
Schools without 60% or more students receiving free and reduced-price lunch will not be eligible to enroll in MGS+.
I can't log into my START account. Who do I contact?
If you are having issues with logging in, please email info@showmegreenschools.org to regain access.
I see we’re supposed to identify 1 goal and the START metric it aligns with. Can we come up with any goal we want? How do we communicate this goal to MGS staff?
Schools can identify any 1 goal they wish, so long as that goal aligns with one of the START metrics. You will communicate this goal to MGS staff by emailing info@showmegreenschools.org.
Who can I reach out to for help?
Please contact info@showmegreenschools for assistance.
What is Energy STAR Portfolio Manager
Energy STAR Portfolio Manager is a benchmarking tool that shows the amount of energy, waste, and water consumption of a determined building. Follow this link for more information on signing up for and using Energy STAR. Here is a list of Energy STAR resources specifically for K-12 schools.
What are the benefits of measuring natural resources use, and using Energy STAR Portfolio Manager to do so?
When measuring natural resource use, schools have the opportunity to track their regular rates of resource usage, revisit abnormalities in that usage (i.e. a spike in water usage that indicates a leak), and lower their overall usage, sometimes resulting in financial benefit from lowered use of natural resources.
What is an Energy STAR score? Where does 75 fall within the range of possible scores?
An Energy STAR score takes into account the physical attributes, purpose, and amount of traffic in your building, so it is tailored to each school. A score of 75 means that your building is a top energy performer and may qualify for Energy STAR certification.
How do I measure a portion vs. the entire school when measuring energy, water and waste?
Energy and Water: There aren’t many ways to gather only a portion of a school’s energy usage since the systems are connected throughout the building. Most school buildings have one main electricity, natural gas meter, and water meter and that usage information is available on utility bills. Classes can conduct energy audits as a learning exercise by having students collect information on the lights, electronic devices, and appliances they have in their spaces to find ways to save energy, but these audits won’t include the largest use of energy in a school, heating and cooling systems.

Waste:

  • Whole school:
    • Some waste haulers can provide volume estimate reports monthly
    • Find out your dumpster size from the waste hauler and have students record how full each dumpster is before pick up days. They can calculate monthly waste volume based on dumpster size, % each dumpster is full, and number of pick ups per month. Have students look for trends in which months have the most waste and try to figure out why.
  • Portion of school:
    • The con to using a representative sample method is that the estimates could be very misleading based on when the measurements are conducted. If only auditing waste a few times per year, try to pick days that are most representative of a “normal” school day to get the most accurate measurements. For example, it would inflate your waste estimates to do the audit on locker clean out or holiday party days and under-represent waste if measured on field trip days. 
    • Weigh the different waste streams from a representative sample of classrooms (at least 20-30% of total classrooms and from different grades) to get an average classroom waste volume and multiply by the total number of classrooms.
    • Conduct a cafeteria waste audit a few times throughout the school year or monthly to weigh each of the different waste streams and calculate an annual average.
    • Combine the classroom waste and cafeteria waste estimates for an annual building level estimate.
Do you have any tips or guidance on waste measurement?
Please visit this webpage for more tips on measuring waste.
Do you have any tips or guidance on water measurement?
For tips on measuring water usage, please visit this webpage and listen to this recording on water-saving topics.
Do you have any tips or guidance on energy measurement?
Please visit this webpage for more tips on using clean energy, this webpage to learn more about the EPA’s Green Power Partnership, and this webpage for more information on clean energy financing programs.
Will my school’s higher energy usage during a construction project count against our efforts to lower overall school energy usage?
Missouri Green Schools understands that schools go through large-scale changes beyond the scope of sustainability, and will take into account any abnormal usage due to those changes. Please note these changes in your Request for Review.
Do I have to fulfill the criteria of the prior level before I attempt to fulfill the criteria of another?
Missouri Green Schools levels build upon one another, so you must fulfill criteria of the previous level before moving on to the next level.
How do I update primary or secondary contact information?
When you have identified new primary and/or secondary contacts, please place that information in your school’s annual Request for Review so that MGS staff can update the database.
Where can I find the Snapshot Forms?
Snapshot Forms can be found on the START website. Click on a metric you have completed, and click on the blue button that reads ‘Add Attachments’.
What are Snapshot Forms?
Snapshot Forms are brief questionnaires which gather details on the actions you are taking. Schools typically accompany these questionnaires with photos.