The 2017-2018 Trash Free Lunch Challenge officially kicked off at our 7th annual Training Day event. Grades of Green Team representatives from the 23 Los Angeles schools competing in this year’s Challenge visited the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County to explore best practices in helping their school to decrease lunchtime waste. The Sanitation Districts gave attendees a tour of the closed down Puente Hills Landfill and Materials Recovery Facility to give the students, teachers, parents, custodial staff, and administrators alike a better understanding of how waste is managed, and the importance of reducing waste.

Along with the tour, school representatives came away from training day with a Trash Free Lunch Challenge Handbook, the inside scoop about best practices for the Challenge, and big prize bag of goodies from our partners including products from Algalita, Dabbawalla Bags, Funkins, Dopper, Green Toys, Go Green Lunchbox, Legends Socks, To Go Ware, Klean Kanteen, Planet Wise and U Konserve.

Interested in seeing Training Day in action? Click here to check out the photos!

Thank you to our incredible partners who help us bring the Trash Free Lunch Challenge to life. A special shout out to the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, Northrop Grumman, City of Santa Monica,  County of Los Angeles 3rd district, County of Los Angeles 4th district, Kings Care Foundation, Carton Council, and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation for making the Trash Free Lunch Challenge possible!

Interested in getting the inside scoop on some of the best practices discussed at Training Day? One of the crucial components of the Trash Free Lunch Challenge is setting up a solid Grades of Green Team. Join us for a free, interactive webinar on October 12th, 2017 to learn best practices! For more information about the Getting Started Webinar, click here.

Grades of Green is thrilled to be partnering with 22 Los Angeles elementary, middle and K-8 schools in our 7th annual Trash Free Lunch Challenge. Each year, schools compete to see who can be the best at inspiring and empowering students to care for the environment by reducing their lunchtime waste. Stemming from Grades of Green’s Trash Free Lunches Activity, the Challenge encourages students to reduce, reuse and recycle to create a healthier environment. On average, participating schools reduce their trash by 72%, and winning schools reduce by over 90%. Grades of Green is able to support 25 schools in this year’s Challenge, meaning we have just 3 spots left!

Interested in getting your school involved in the Trash Free Lunch Challenge? Email us today if you’d like to learn more and to save your spot at info@gradesofgreen.org.

The 2017-2018 school year is underway, and the Grades of Green staff is thrilled to be visiting our awesome schools again! Many schools who have competed in Grades of Green’s Los Angeles based Trash Free Lunch Challenge have invited us to help them kick off the new school year on a “green” foot through an assembly. During our waste reduction assembly, we explain the importance of caring for the earth, and how students can make a difference by reducing, reusing, and recycling. Students learn how packing trash free, composting, and recycling leads to a healthier planet, and how easy it is to make these little changes a daily habit.

Interested in getting your school involved in the Trash Free Lunch Challenge? There are still a few spots left! Email us today if you are interested in learning more at info@gradesofgreen.org.

Grades of Green celebrated Earth Day by attending the 25th annual Earth Day Celebration at Polliwog Park in Manhattan Beach! The event featured booths with aquarium touch tanks, soy candles, and just about everything in between. Thanks to volunteers from the Manhattan-Hermosa Chapter of the National Charity League and Youth Corps Eco-Leadership students Rylee G., Noah S. Carter C., Elise Y., Nadia W., Johanna J., guests at the Grades of Green booth had the chance to either spin the Grades of Green Jeopardy Wheel and learn fun facts about the environment or take a pledge to help the environment.

Youth Corps Eco-Leadership students were even invited to give presentations on the Eco-Education stage! Johanna J. spoke about her research on vegan diets and how they impact the environment, Emily H. spoke about the Green King and Queen competition she set up at her school, Nathalie A. spoke about her earth hour event, Nadia W. spoke about her lesson on ocean pollution, and Elise Y. spoke about her work on installing a native garden on campus. To top it all off, Grades of Green Youth Corps Eco-Leadership students Allie K., Elise Y., and Maxine F. even received Environmental Hero awards from V.O.I.C.E.! Interested in becoming an eco-leader? Click here to learn more about Grades of Green’s Youth Corps Eco-Leadership program. Interested in keeping the spirit of Earth Day going all year long? Click here to register and unlock Grades of Green’s 40+ Activities to see ways you can make your school community more green!

Volunteers are an integral part of Grades of Green. One volunteer group in particular, the Manhattan-Hermosa Chapter of the National Charity League (NCL), has supported Grades of Green in carrying out its mission for years by assisting with outreach events, annual fundraisers, and so much more. On Thursday, Grades of Green had the pleasure of giving a little bit back to the amazing organization by giving a presentation on how NCL members can be more green at home. From recycling resources in Manhattan Beach to tips on how to save water and energy, Grades of Green covered a plethora of steps that will help the organization improve all areas of the environment! Youth Corps Eco-Leadership students Elise and Emily, who are also members of NCL, spoke about their Grades of Green Activities. Their work on creating drought tolerant gardens and hosting recycling competitions truly inspired the group to care for the environment. Interested in becoming a Grades of Green Youth Corps Eco-Leadership student like Emily and Elise? Click to learn more about the program. Want to implement these activities and more at your school? Click here to register and unlock our 40+ Grades of Green Activities!