If you want to join this great network of YES! teams, contact us at [email protected]
2021-2022 YES! Teams
Crosslake Community School – New Team!
- Water testing
Discovery Woods Montessori
- Water testing on local lakes
- Storm-drain stenciling
- Shoreline clean-up
- Exploring Solar for Schools
Lac qui Parle Valley High School
- Learned about aquatic invasive species and water quality while canoeing the Lake Florida Sloughs
- Collected prairie seeds in Benson with US Fish and Wildlife expert to be used in other restoration projects
MACCRAY High School – New Team!
- Planning to install a rain garden in the community park by their school to prevent flooding
- Maintaining water quality and healthy shoreline habitat in a new retention pond being built at school
Mankato West High School
- Protecting water quality in the Minnesota River by developing a spill-response kit for staff to implement when hazardous materials have spilled on school property
- Organizing litter cleanup events on school property and surrounding areas, sorting the waste to reclaim recyclable materials
- Planning an Environmental Awareness Week for their school
- Investigating how to add a solar array at school
- Produced a YES! team newsletter to promote events and resources to students and Instagram followers
Minnewaska Schools
- Trash-to-Art
- Interested in doing a water quality or climate change related project
New London-Spicer Middle School
- Storm-drain stenciling
- YES! Week at school with education and recycling events (items being recycled include tennis shoes, clothing, and highlighters)
New London-Spicer High School
- Bike “fix it” station at a popular trailhead
- Improving “nature areas” at elementary and high school
- Exploring adding more native prairie plants or low-maintenance grass to school grounds
- Installing low-flow fixtures and aerators on school water faucets
Northern Lights Community School
- Planning to teach elementary students about environmental topics through hands-on activities
- Selecting and planting native trees in woods on school property for Arbor Day
- Organizing Spring Cleanup Day for schoolyard and surrounding area
- Collecting litter along the Ice Lake shoreline
- Participating in Trout in the Classroom
Parkers Prairie High School
- Water quality testing on Lake Miltona and other local lakes
- Lakeshore cleanup
- School lunch composting
Royalton High School
Sleepy Eye (Public and St. Mary’s) High Schools
- Planted prairie seeds to expand pollinator gardens at community golf course
- Handed out educational flyers about energy at community’s Holiday Lights in Motion event
- Facilitated the separation of organic waste in their cafeteria line so it can be picked up by a farmer who feeds it to his pigs
- Planning a winter event, Energy Awareness Week
- Planning a summer event to provide environmental education in their community
- Collecting used markers/pens/mechanical pencils/etc. for the BIC/Terra Cycle program
- Participating in River Watch and Adopt a Storm Drain programs
Springfield High School
- Collected used holiday lights for recycling
- Growing vegetables in school greenhouse for cafeteria salad bar
- Installing pet-waste cleanup stations in two parks in spring 2022
Westbrook-Walnut Grove High School
- Collected roadside trash and created a “Ditch of Shame” educational display
- Making jar lights for lawns by reusing old jars from peanut butter, mayonnaise, pickles, etc. They are being sold for $5 a jar.
- Hosting a used shoe drive
Yellow Medicine East High School
- Presented to the local Lion’s Club to seek project support
- Distributed bins to elementary classrooms and art rooms for marker recycling project
- Planning a shoreline cleanup along the Minnesota River
- Getting signs for the recycling bins they bought for sporting events
- Working to get garbage bins in the parking lot to prevent littering
“It feels good to make a difference in the environment and bringing positive changes to our school.” –YES! Student
