Find the Right School Project for You
Ready to make a difference and learn more about the environment, but not sure which Eco-club project is right for you, your class or your friends?
To determine the toolkit that’s right for you and your school, take a few minutes to answer the following questionnaire.
It’s simple and comprised of 4 questions: SPACE, FUNDS, ADMIN INVOLVEMENT, and SUBJECT. Write down your answers to each question and find the corresponding row(s) in the charts below to determine which project is right for you. Remember, each cluster of answers can yield more than one project, so keep an eye out for multiple options!
NOTE: At the end of the questionnaire, there are two different answer keys. Here’s why:
- The first answer key will lead you to directly to resources through TreePeople to get your project started; the links under the “project” row will take you to the correct forms and pages to sign up.
- The second answer key will lead you to resources written by students who have completed successful projects with TreePeople in the past! While you can do a project just as it’s listed below, we can always adjust to meet your goals and ideas. Once you’ve found a resource that has you inspired, contact us at youthleadership@treepeople.org to help you organize the project.
QUESTIONNAIRE
Question 1: How much space is available for your project?
- Little to none (under 3 square feet)
- A small amount (3-10 square feet)
- Plenty (more than 10 square feet)
Question 2: How much funding is available for your project?
- $0 - $100
- $100 - $500
- $500 or more
Question 3. How enthusiastic and helpful is your school’s administration with environmental projects at school?
- No idea!
- They’re unenthusiastic and unhelpful
- They’re neutral and somewhat helpful
- They’re enthusiastic and helpful
Question 4. Which subject would you like to focus on?
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Donation (fundraising to kickstart an eco organization on campus)
- Bringing environmental education to campus
- Waste reduction
- Native plants and/ or pollinator gardens
- Water conservation
- Air/ soil/ water quality
- Greenhouse gas emission and/ or energy
- Tree care, tree planting, and/or greenspace
- Ecology
ANSWER KEY 1 - TREEPEOPLE PROJECTS
| Space | Funds | Admin. Involvement | Subject | Project |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | A | A,B | C | GE Waste Education Awareness |
| A | A | A,B | A,G | Stormwater Pollution (action is trash campus clean up event) |
| A | A | A,B | A,C,D,E,F,G,H | EcoClub Guide |
| A | A | A,C | A,B | GE E-Waste **Also ask about “Strut your stuff Project” |
| A | A | A,C | C,E,F,I | Caring for Trees |
| A | A,B | A,D | E,F,I,J | Native Plant Propagation Project |
| A,B | A,B | A,C | A,B | GE Waste Reduction/ Recycling |
| A,B,C | A,B,C | A,B,C,D | C,E,I | S.T.E.A.M. Tree Canopy *Full Disclosure Math involved. |
| B | B | A,C | C,F | Rain Barrel **Also ask about "Rain Tank Project" |
| B | B,C | A,D | C,E,F,I | Planting Trees |
| C (only temporarily for event) | A | A,C | A | GE Swap **Also ask about “Hats off to you” |
| C (only temporarily for event) | A | A,C | A,B | GE Textile Event |
| C | A,B,C | A,D | C,E,F,I | Native Plant Garden |
| C | B,C | A,B,C | C,E,F,G,I | Rain Garden |
ANSWER KEY 2 - IDEAS AND INSPIRATION FROM PAST STUDENT PROJECTS
| Space | Funds | Admin. Involvement | Subject | Project |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | A | A,B | A | Paper to flower pots: make flower pots from recycled paper, donate to elderly |
| A | A | A,B | A | Canvas Bag Heroes: reduce plastic waste |
| A | A | A,B | C | Biodegradable timeline: shows time for biodegradation household items |
| A | A | A,B | G | A test you want to take: Water/soil/air quality testing |
| A | A | A,B | A,B,C | Magazine Mayhem: Bracelets out of recycled magazines fundraising for endangered lemurs |
| A | A | A,B | A,D | Coffee 2 Compost: save coffee from the landfill around town, sell compost to raise money |
| A | A | A,B-C | A | GOOS paper: Collecting paper that has only been used on one side add a box to reduce paper waste |
| A | A | A,C | A,B | Recyclemania: recycling competition |
| A | CD | A,C | A | Hand Dryer Doozy: install hand dryers to reduce paper waste |
| A | C (this project saves money over time!)? (eventually saves money) | A,B, C, D C-D | H | Lighter on your conscience: LEDs in schools |
| A | CD | A,D | C,D | “Strut” your stuff: Computer refurbishing class |
| A,B | A | A,C | C,J | Owl Boxes... what a hoot: birdhouses to promote biodiversity |
| B | A | A,C | A | Hats off to you: Clothing Donation (not limited to hats) |
| B | A | A,C | A,D | Don’t worm out of this: Composting projects, sell compost to raise money |
| B | A | A,C | F,G | Surfrider Project: help the Surfrider Foundation protect our coasts, join the Blue Water Task Force to test ocean water samples for bacteria |
| B,C | A,B | A,D | A,C,J | The Green Day project Bringing awareness to on-campus green space |
| C | A-B | A,D | C | Earth Day Fair: celebrate with educational projects |
| C | B | A,D | C,E,F | Native Plant Garden |
| C | B,C,D | A,D | F | Rainwater harvesting system |
| C | B,C,D | A,D | F | Rain Tank Project: Rainwater harvesting system, organic community garden, produce to homeless |
Didn’t see a project that interests you here? No worries. Do you have an idea for a new project altogether? That’s fantastic! If either of these are the case, send an email to us at youthleadership@treepeople.org to figure out just the right project for you and your school.