SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability:
When the environmental, economic and social needs of a society are met in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
Go Green Forsyth
Go Green Forsyth is Forsyth's "Green Team" for sustainability. At Forsyth, we strive to be responsible stewards of the environment; sustainability is an important part of our culture.
During the 2022/23 school year, Go Green Forsyth will focus on energy-related initiatives and continue the process of working toward Sapling-level recognition from Missouri Green Schools (see below).
Missouri Green Schools
In 2022, Forsyth was one of six Missouri schools to achieve Seedling-level recognition from Missouri Green Schools, a joint program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)-Missouri Gateway Chapter and the Missouri Environmental Education Association.
Forsyth received Sprout-level recognition in 2021 for goal setting, benchmarking, and tracking improvement toward the further advancement of green and healthy practices. The Seedling level additionally requires a sustainability-related achievement in at least one educational program. Read More
History of Annual Initiatives
- 2009/10: Healthy Food & Paper Conservation
- 2010/11: Paper Conservation & Recycling
- 2011/12: Recycling & Energy Efficiency
- 2012/13: Recycling & Solar Energy
- 2013/14: Solar Energy (Green Schools Quest, 1st Place Winner)
- 2014/15: Recycling (Green Schools Quest)
- 2015/16: Soil & Gardening (Green Schools Quest, Honorable Mention)
- 2016/17: Water Conservation & Education (Green Schools Quest, 2nd Place Winner)
- 2017/18: Waste Reduction & Compost Production (Green Schools Quest, 2nd Place Tie)
- 2018/19: Air Quality & Wind Energy (Green Schools Quest, 1st Place Winner)
- 2019/20: Plastics Reduction & Recycling (Green Tree Plastics-ABC Promise Partnership Program)
- 2020/21: Trees Study & Carbon Capture (Green Schools Quest)
- 2021/22: Waste Reduction & Recycling (Trex® Plastic Film Recycling Challenge)
Trex® Plastic Film Recycling Challenge
In 2021/22, Go Green Forsyth partnered with Student Council to lead the Forsyth community in an elementary school plastic film recycling challenge sponsored by Trex®. We exceeded our goal of 500 pounds with a grand total of 626 pounds!
Forsyth Arbor Walk
In 2020/21, the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter reimagined the Green School Quest as monthly sustainability challenges for participating schools throughout Missouri and Southern Illinois.
The Class of 2021 chose to focus on trees and their many benefits: carbon capture, habitat, food source, cooling effect, stress reduction, erosion prevention, water filtration, and art inspiration (to name a few!). First, the students learned about tree classification at Pershing Park in the Parkview Neighborhood in University City. Then, they compared these trees to those on the Forsyth School campus, aided by a student-created species treemap from 2013.
Inspired by the Arbor Walk at Washington University in St. Louis, Grade 6 created a Forsyth Arbor Walk and website for the entire Forsyth community to access, learn from, and enjoy. The students chose 17 trees on campus with “stories to tell” and developed a QR code for each species linked back to the site. Explore the Arbor Walk
A Bench for Caps (ABC)
In 2019/20, Forsyth participated in the Green Tree Plastics-ABC Promise Partnership Program. With the help of the entire Forsyth community, the Class of 2020 collected a total of more than 800 pounds of plastic caps and lids to be recycled and exchanged for three benches and one toddler table for installation on campus.
