A globe attached to a homemade car toy sitting on a table with plants

Boston Public Schools Celebrates Earth Day and Efforts to Build a More Sustainable School District

As we celebrate Earth Day, Boston Public Schools acknowledges the critical role that the district plays in combating the climate crisis, which we know disproportionately impacts underserved communities.

Boston Public Schools Celebrates Earth Day and Efforts to Build a More Sustainable School District

As we celebrate Earth Day, Boston Public Schools (BPS) acknowledges the critical role that the district plays in combating the climate crisis, which we know disproportionately impacts underserved communities. BPS has been working for years to ensure our sustainability efforts help us reduce this impact on the students and families we serve.

Most recently, BPS received the 2024 Best of Green Schools Awards - District Award and 2023 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School District Sustainability Award. However, the work is not done.

“We know that we must support our students and help them become the climate action leaders that our communities need,” said Superintendent Mary Skipper. “I am committed to ensuring that our district is a model for how we teach our students about the importance of sustainability and climate. Our operational decisions and investments make Boston a national leader in many areas including facilities management, transportation, food and nutrition services, and teaching and learning.”

District Investments in Air and Water Quality

The district’s work includes the installation of 4,400 Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Sensors, which allows Facilities Management to monitor air quality and temperature inside and outside school buildings and share results on a public dashboard. The BPS IAQ Management Plan is being used as a model by other K-12 districts across the U.S., and our adopted standards are influencing state and federal policy and funding for IAQ in K-12 schools.

The district has also invested in the installation of filtered bottle refill stations in schools across the city to improve access to safe drinking water and move schools from single use water bottles. To date, nearly 750 filtered bottle refill stations have been installed in 84 schools through the BPS Drinking Water Access Initiative saving the district $485,000 annually in bottled water costs. The district is working to expand access, with more schools expected to have water stations installed in the coming years.

District Food Waste Collection Programs

Last school year, BPS Food and Nutrition Services partnered with the Facilities Department to expand the BPS Food Waste Collection Program and diverted approximately 250,000 pounds of food waste from landfills. This school year, the program will expand to include 10 additional school kitchens, bringing the total to 32 participating schools.

“BPS sustainability and climate action are rooted in our commitment to health and safety, equity, and community collaboration. Our work in academics and operations prioritizes a commitment to creating healthier, greener environments,” said BPS Assistant Director of Planning, Engineering, Sustainability, & Environment Katherine Walsh. “Our work also reflects the student voice - students rightfully demand investments in environmental education, green jobs, and sustainable environments, and are leading climate justice efforts.”

Outdoor Teaching and Learning

Our schoolyards are just as important as our indoor environments. BPS continues to invest in outdoor teaching and learning. Facilities Management partners with the Science, Technology, and Engineering Department to provide a Teaching and Learning Outdoors Champions Program for BPS teachers, with about 40 teachers enrolled, receiving support through Professional Development, materials budgets, and stipends. Many of the champions are also supported by our BPS garden partners.

Since the 2022-2023 school year, Facilities Management has invested $840,000 to install school garden programs at 60 schools. Over the three year period, these schools have received more than $2.6 million in raised bed garden programming and services from the garden partners, accounting for 180 teaching and learning hours weekly. Facilities Management also supports 38 outdoor classrooms and five school hydroponics programs.

“Sustainability and climate are intentionally integrated throughout our core science curriculum, helping all students connect their learning to the world around them,” said BPS K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering Program Director Nicole Guttenberg, PhD. “Our vision is to inspire students to understand, care about, and take action on the ways our lives and choices shape the climate and our shared future.”

School Climate and Sustainability Curriculums

Our sustainability and climate work is also taking shape at the school level, with schools like Boston Green Academy empowering students to be a key part of the transition to a greener, more just world by embedding sustainability into many aspects of the school experience, from the classroom curriculum, as well as beyond the school campus into the community. BGA aspires to make their sustainability and climate curriculum a whole school endeavor, not just something that students learn about in science or math classrooms. A winner of the 2019 U.S Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Award, BGA continued to be a model green school in Boston and beyond.

"We know our students can be the next generation of green leaders, whether solving local issues or contributing to national solutions," said Boston Green Academy Head of School Matt Holzer. “The climate crisis impacts everyone, especially in urban areas like Boston, and we want our kids to have the skills and knowledge to make a difference.”

Additionally, BGA works to build key student skills through their Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program, which is the district’s only Environmental Science and Technology CTE program. The BGA CTE program annually sees about 25% of Grades 9-12 students participate in the program, which allows students to partner with industry leaders for internships and explore the career possibilities in this growing and important field. Upon completion of the BGA CTE program, students will also receive valuable industry-wide certifications that can open doors to employment and strengthen college applications.

"I never really cared about sustainability, even after all the sustainability this school has tried to push on me, one of my classes about Engineering and Green Physics kind of made me open up my eyes,” said Jaden Dominique, a Boston Green Academy Grade 12 Student. “When we were learning about the Upcycling project and although I didn't do well on it, it still showed me what's happening in the real world, and now, even though I'm hesitant, I'm even doing a sustainability internship that I never thought I would do."

< Back to the Newsroom

Home

hero-banner

Great Starts: Your BPS Journey Begins Here!

Boston Public Schools is excited to introduce Great Starts, a new and simplified platform designed to make pre-registration easier and more accessible for families.

Key Dates
Learn More

Key Dates

Learn More

BPS Stories

BPS Staff members are dedicated to providing every student a high-quality, equitable educational experience. Watch staff members explain why they do so, in their own words, in the videos below.

Mariana Tobón

Jermaine Tulloch

Sugeily Santos

Upcoming Events

DISTRICT

DISTRICT

May 1Thursday

OAG Task Force Meeting (in-person)

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, 2300 Washington St, Roxbury, MA 02119, USA

May14Wednesday

Boston School Committee Meeting

6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

May26Monday

Memorial Day

all day

May28Wednesday

Boston School Committee Retreat

6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Jun 5Thursday

OAG Task Force Meeting (in-person)

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, 2300 Washington St, Roxbury, MA 02119, USA

Jun 6Friday

Last Day for Seniors

all day

Jun11Wednesday

Boston School Committee Meeting(Hybrid)

6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Jun19Thursday

Juneteenth

all day

Jun20Friday

Early Release for Students

all day

Jun23Monday

Last Day of School*

all day

Jul 9Wednesday

Boston School Committee Meeting(Virtual)

5:30 PM - 10:30 PM

Sep10Wednesday

Boston School Committee Meeting(Hybrid)

6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Oct 8Wednesday

Boston School Committee Meeting(Hybrid)

6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Oct29Wednesday

Boston School Committee Meeting(Hybrid)

6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Nov 5Wednesday

Boston School Committee Retreat

6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Nov19Wednesday

Boston School Committee Meeting(Hybrid)

6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Dec 3Wednesday

Boston School Committee Meeting(Hybrid)

6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Dec17Wednesday

Boston School Committee Meeting(Hybrid)

6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Who We Are

Discover our story! Explore the heart of BPS through videos, photos, and stories that showcase our schools, students, and staff and how we aim to inspire excellence, uplift diversity, and prepare every student for a bright future.

Boston School Committee Votes to Approve Three-Year Collective Bargaining Agreement with Boston Teachers Union

Mayor Wu Announces Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah as Boston's Next Poet Laureate

Red Sox and JetBlue Distribute Over 40,000 Baseball Hats to Boston Public Schools Students and Staff

BPS at a Glance

Boston Public Schools is the birthplace of public education in the United States, deeply committed to transforming the lives of all children through exemplary teaching in welcoming schools that embrace and uplift diversity. Through collaboration and partnership, we aim to support each student in developing the knowledge, skills, and character to excel in college, career, and life.

119

Schools

48,593

Students

11,720

Employees

10

Languages Spoken

750

Buses

50,000

Meals Served Daily

20

Hub Schools

$1.5 Billion

Budget

Home

Mayor Wu Announces BPS Librarian Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah as Boston's Next Poet Laureate

Red Sox and JetBlue Distribute Over 40,000 Baseball Hats to Boston Public Schools Students and Staff

BPS Health and Wellness YAB Member Hosts Read-Aloud Event

2025-2026 School Year Calendar Now Available

119

48,593

11,720

10

750

50,000

20

$1.5 Billion