Reuse, reduce and recycling are some of the ways that Fenton High School’s (FHS) ECO Club promotes green efforts for Mother Nature.
The environmental club is made up of all grade level students who help out with environmental efforts to give back to the community, school and the Earth. Nicholas Jeffrey, FHS physical science teacher and club leader, said that their projects throughout the year get the students active to make the school be the best it can be.
“Some things we are proud of are the recycling program that saves over 500 cans and bottles every week to be recycled rather than thrown away,” Jeffrey said. “And the work we have started with the Fenton Community Garden, where the kids have helped set up a fence for the community plot and weed the flower beds.”
Jeffrey said that the status “essentially lets people know that Fenton High School has put forth green efforts that actively have a positive impact on the Earth.”
Fenton High School has held Michigan Green School status for two years since 2023. The school is also working on having the other schools in the district work toward the same status.
“Fenton High School achieved this status by the ECO Club working on projects that go towards the green school status,” Jeffrey said. “Projects like recycling, pond day, and caring for our pond check off the 10 required activities to achieve the Green School Status.”
In the upcoming school year, Jeffrey said that the club is aiming to have freshman biology classes this year grow crops for the Fenton Community Garden.
“This will allow the Fenton Community Garden to donate more produce to our community by starting with more crops and larger crops,” Jeffrey said.
Samantha Lichtenwald, Michigan Green Schools coordinator, said that FHS has earned Green School Status in 2023-2024 school year and Emerald School Status in 2024-2025 school year. Green School status is established after 10-14 activities and the Michigan Emerald School status is earned after 15-19 activities.
Michigan Green School activities consist of four categories: reduce/reuse/recycle, energy, environmental protection and miscellaneous. Examples from the club include creating a community garden and recycling program for the school.
The Michigan Green Schools program is statewide and was established by Michigan’s Public Act 146 of 2006. It first operated independently for 15 years and is currently within the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Environmental Education Program.