Greening Milwaukee-area Schools
Reflo runs a robust Green & Healthy Schools Program. In 2023 alone, we helped shepherd construction of green infrastructure projects at five Milwaukee Public Schools, supported coalition efforts to raise $7.1 million for greening schoolyards, developed five conceptual plans for green schoolyard redevelopment, and conducted the seventh annual Green and Healthy Schools Conference featuring over 575 participants and 80 exhibitors.
GREEN SCHOOLS CONSORTIUM (GSCM)
Reflo administers the Green Schools Consortium of Milwaukee (GSCM), a network of K-12 educators, nonprofit and for-profit environmental professionals, and institutional and philanthropic entities with interests in triple-bottom-line green infrastructure projects supporting schools. The GSCM list reaches over one thousand members, there are bimonthly meetings, and an annual Green & Healthy Schools conference.
SCHOOLYARD REDEVELOPMENT
Reflo works with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and five Milwaukee-area schools per year in an intensive, collaborative process to design greener, healthier schoolyards. Each project is tailored to the specific needs and enthusiasm of the school’s community but often involves replacing seas of asphalt with green spaces including bioswales, cisterns, and trees. The placemaking designs go beyond simply removing pavement, however, to maximize triple-bottom-line benefits.
ECOLITERACY CHALLENGE
Earn points for your school in the EcoLiteracy Challenge, which conveniently bundles Milwaukee-area Water and Sustainability Curricular Activities. Educators can find a variety of tools to help engage their students and foster ecoliteracy and connection to the natural world. Students and Family Members can find ways to support their school and reduce their environmental impact at home. Organizations can share the resources they have to offer.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMING
Our experienced team of environmental educators can help plan a day of field trips, educational games and in-class activities to teach your students about environmental impact, green infrastructure, native Wisconsin plants and wildlife and more. We’ve come up with a list of activities for preK students to adult community members. Not only do we have the activities, we can work alongside you to plan transportation, waivers, and other logistics to support your field experience.
OUTDOOR DISCOVERY CART
The Outdoor Discovery Cart, is a mobile cart that supports schoolyard maintenance and outdoor curricular activities. The cart is outfitted with tools and supplies useful for tending school garden beds and native planting areas with the goal of promoting environmental stewardship in students. Outdoor education supplies such as whiteboard clipboards, and science tool kits with a variety of observational tools are included to facilitate outdoor learning with dedicated supplies available to use when conducting lessons outside of the traditional classroom.
HEALTH INITIATIVE
Learn about some of the collaborative efforts between Reflo, Milwaukee Public Schools, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Bike Fed that are working together to research the impacts of green and healthy schoolyards. More information coming soon.
Water-focused Curricular Connections
“I want people to know that we shouldn’t put garbage and plastics into the water because it can make fish sick.”
“I have never been to Lake Michigan before today. I love it! I think the waves are really pretty how they roll and tumble in circles.”
“I have never been to Lake Michigan before. Today I learned how to test if water is good or not to drink. We should care about clean water to keep us safe and make sure to use clean water in the our school’s new greenhouse.”
Educational Engagement Menu
Ask us how our tools can help educate and engage your audiences. Our Educational Engagement Menu includes fee-based activities our team can support to suit the needs of your audience.
Reflo’s Lisa Neeb and Kareem Benson-White present a webinar overview of the impact of the Green & Healthy Schools program for Wisconsin Water Week, March 2021.