More than 35 public and private schools in Dearborn, including the City’s three public high schools, earned a green status from Michigan Green Schools (MGS) in a ceremony on May 1.

Michigan Green Schools is a non-profit organization that helps schools in Michigan achieve environmental goals, such as recycling, saving energy and protecting the State’s air and ecological system.

Kristine Moffett, president of Michigan Green Schools, says that besides practically helping the State and the world’s environment, the foundation’s other equally important goal is “educating and encouraging students to be environmental stewards to ensure a good future.”

The agency began as an idea by students and teachers in the Hartland Consolidated School District. It is now a state government-recognized program that assists more than 500 schools all over Michigan in many environmental activities.

A school could achieve official Michigan Green School status by earning 10 out of 20 educational environmental points.  Points are received through the participation of green activities, which include planting trees around the school, installing energy-saving light bulbs and raising awareness about endangered species.

Schools apply to the program yearly, by sending in applications, which feature the environmental tasks that they have been engaged in for the year, to their Michigan Green Schools’ county coordinator. Students and teachers work on the application, which must be approved by each school’s principle.

Green Schools receive a certificate, signed by the governor. Schools that receive 15 points are given an “Emerald” status, while schools that get a perfect 20 are declared “Evergreen.”

This year, Dearborn had the greatest number of Green Schools in Wayne County, and Fordson maintained its Evergreen status for the third year in the row.

Fordson assistant principle Chadi Farhat said the achievement is the result of the cooperation of the students, teachers and community.

“The Evergreen status has a positive impact on Fordson,” he added. “We are recycling and saving energy, and the students are building an outside court yard, where there will be outdoor classes to spread awareness about the environment.”

Moffett said Michigan Green Schools has made an environmental difference in the way Michigan schools conduct their business.

“We have had the law that we wrote for six years now, with hundreds of Michigan schools cutting energy use, growing native gardens to support wildlife, recycling a myriad of items and so many other things,” she said. “When over 500 schools direct their energies toward these goals, the results have to accumulate.”

This year, two schools in the City of Monroe received special praise from MGS for creative environmental ideas. Students at Sodt Elementary School planted a pumpkin garden, and Meadow Montessori School has a greenhouse, where students are able to grow their own lettuce and water it with rain barrels.