Get2Green in Instructional Services

About Us

The Instructional Services Department (ISD) leads the development of innovative curriculum and instructional programs for FCPS. Get2Green staff in ISD works in the Office of PreK-12 Curriculum and Instruction to integrate environmental education into existing FCPS curriculum. Get2Green also supports other programs in FCPS to integrate meaningful learning opportunities into their programs to help students develop ethical and global citizen skills. Get2Green works to ensure that teachers can provide opportunities for students to engage in environmental education and stewardship activities in a way that connects to what is already happening in the classroom.

Get2Green’s formal partnership with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) connects classes and green teams to NWF’s Eco-Schools USA program. Eco-Schools USA provides a framework for student-driven action teams or classes to identify and address environmental issues at their schools. These teams select Eco-Schools environmental pathways to audit and act on, develop a culture of environmental stewardship at their schools, and earn national recognition for their schools.

Get2Green staff in ISD and Facilities and Transportation Services collaborate to support this website, provide incentive programs for schools to engage students in stewardship activities, and foster a culture of environmental stewardship among students, staff, and the community.

Portrait of a Graduate

In support of the FCPS Strategic Plan, Get2Green provides resources and opportunities for students to continuously progress in their development of Portrait of a Graduate attributes (Communicator, Collaborator, Ethical and Global Citizen, Critical and Creative Thinker, and Goal-Directed and Resilient Individual). One of the skills of an Ethical and Global Citizen is to promote environmental stewardship. Engaging students in stewardship activities helps them grow into environmental stewards while developing skills in all of the Portrait of a Graduate attributes.

Through Get2Green’s collaboration with the Global Classroom Project, Project-Based Learning, Instructional Practices, Service Learning, and STEAM teams, as well as content area specialists, students and teachers have opportunities to pursue learning through a lens of environmental stewardship in a meaningful, learner-centered environment.

Professional Development

Get2Green supports teachers by hosting and sharing professional development opportunities related to Eco-Schools USA, watershed education, resource stewardship, edible gardening, wildlife habitats, and more. Professional development opportunities are offered through the FCPS Academy and through Get2Green partnerships with experts and local organizations including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, Fairfax Food Council, Fairfax County Park Authority, Earth Sangha, and more. Professional development opportunities are advertised in the Get2Green newsletter and on social media. FCPS employees can search for “Get2Green” on MyPDE to find current offerings.

Get2Green Website Resources

Get2Green Instructional Services staff works closely with Facilities staff to develop and share resources through the Get2Green website. The energy and recycling dashboards are valuable resources that provide electric, natural gas, water, greenhouse gas, recycling, and trash data for each school. Teachers and students are encouraged to use the data in the classroom or with their green team to identify opportunities for student-led improvement and action to optimize resource stewardship at their school.

Explore the website to find additional resources to engage students and discover ideas to make your school a greener place to learn.