Institute for Sustainability, Education and Ecology  

Green Partnership Schools: (GPS)
Teach, prepare, involve, and inspire.

The best of place-based learning.


Current 4th Grade GPS Elementary Schools (8 or 10-week program):

Bethel: Fairfield, Irving, Prairie Mountain; 4J: Adams, Awbrey Park, Bertha Holt, Camas Ridge, Edison, McCornack, River Road/El Camino del Rio, Yujin Gakuen; Springfield: Centennial (5-week), Dos Rios, Guy Lee, Maple

Current 5th Grade GPS Schools:

Bethel: Irving; 4J: Camas Ridge, Family School, River Road/El Camino del Rio; Springfield: Dos Rios, Maple


Each Green Partnership School participates in the following:

  1. Sustainability Education
    • Hands-on, interactive lesson plans related to sustainability concepts.
      • Small group projects and discussion, student presentations, artwork and other meaningful hands-on activities.
    • 4th grade classrooms:
      • In depth introduction to sustainability concepts (soil, water, air and energy).
      • Opportunties for in-class energy & waste audits, as well as an action plan for potential school-wide changes.
      • Students create posters for hallways around school.
      • All lessons build a sense of place, focus on hands-on activities, involve small group/whole class discussions and align with Oregon Core Standards.
    • 5th grade classrooms:
      • Four in-class lessons on a specific habitat or local organization. The fifth lesson is in the field, allowing students to experience the place they learned about!
      • Current community partners include: BRING, WREN - West Eugene Wetlands, Friends of Trees, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Eugene Science Center, and Oregon Wild.
      • We are working to expand this program to more schools!!
  2. Whole School Involvement
    • Waste and Energy Audits.
    • Zero Waste Challenge – competing with other GPS schools.
    • Whole school assembly in the spring.
    • Scheduling, planning and preparation of these activities will be organized by PSS staff and interns in collaboration with teachers, students, school staff and volunteers.



 PSS believes that all schools have the opportunity to provide:

 A place in our community where youth can explore what their world has in store for them.

 Stepping stones that lead each student towards independent success, paired with the ability to contribute or "give back."

 Places where knowledge is passed from teacher to student in hopes that each student will carry on to make the best life for themselves and others.

What do you think about making our local schools even more aligned with the goals outlined above? PSS's new program, Green Partnership Schools, is designed to achieve these goals through environmental education, place-based and project-based learning.