Eco-Schools: Celebrating School Sustainability

Written by in Education and Activism, Family Fun

At the four Greenpoint Eco-Schools, sustainability is a team effort. Behind every significant environmental award, notable student achievement, or successful stewardship project are teams of dedicated individuals, family members, community partners, and teachers who know that environmental education plays a crucial role in our children’s future and the future of our planet. We want to introduce you to some of these dynamic leaders at the schools and celebrate all they do to build a healthy, sustainable future for our community.

Meet Dana Raciunas, P.S. 110’s Assistant Principal. Thanks to dedicated leaders like Ms. Raciunas, environmental education and action are priorities for children in Greenpoint. With the mission Growing Hearts and Minds, P.S. 110 has fostered a culture of collaboration that encourages staff, students, and families to support each other and grow together by asking questions, exploring their neighborhood, and proposing solutions that will improve the quality of life at school and in the community.

It’s clear that Ms. Raciunas cares deeply about nature, her community, and empowering the next generation of conservationists.  Among many other impressive accomplishments at P.S. 110, Ms. Raciunas established the school’s first Green Team as the Sustainability Coordinator; attended the Shelburne Farms Education for Sustainability Institute; received the 2018 Leadership in Sustainability Award from the DOE Office of Sustainability; and aunched sustainability-themed enrichment classes that offer P.S. 110 students the opportunity to understand and think critically about topics relevant to their lives. She loves trees, is a member of Greening Greenpoint’s Steering Committee, and most importantly, models the values and behaviors that help children understand they have the ability to make a difference.

Get to know more about Ms. Raciunas by reading about her sustainability journey below.

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What has inspired you to engage in environmental education and action? Why is it important to you?

Simply stated, I love the outdoors and love spending time in nature. Every year I seem to have more and more love for nature.  I walk by trees and notice their beauty.  I love sitting in my backyard under the shade of trees and listening to birds or the wind moving through leaves (I feel so lucky to have a backyard and my own small slice of nature in the city).  Since I was young, spending time outdoors has always been an important part of my life: as a child, I explored parks or spent weeks backpacking or camping as a Girl Scout. Family vacations always take us to a beautiful place to camp or new woods to explore…it’s something I’ve always done and an inherent part of who I am.

What sustainability milestones are you most proud of achieving at PS 110? 

I’m so proud we’ve been able to change the focus of our Enrichment Classes to sustainability themes.  Enrichment classes offer teachers and students an opportunity to explore specialized topics not included in the general curriculum. Because our school is committed to practicing and educating about sustainability—we want teachers and students to know that sustainability is more than just recycling—students can develop a deeper understanding about and think critically about environmental issues during these classes and learn how to be responsible stewards of our shared planet.

During the Capturing Greenpoint in Art or Photography class, students found inspiration in the neighborhood and created art about Greenpoint; during a Sit Spot Class, students spent time sitting quietly in nature and observing the sounds and sights all around us. Other classes have studied trees in the city, feral cats, and music activism–where classes study songs or anthems that inspire social change. Students are even spending time outside of class writing and performing their own songs with environmental messages. Click here to hear one of their songs.

My measure of success is when I hear students talk about enrichment classes or engage in environmental behaviors at school. Their enthusiasm or conversations are the best indicator that these classes are making a difference.

Why is it important to teach children about sustainability and environmental responsibility?

We have to prepare the next generation to care about the environment; people have made big mistakes in the past and everyone needs to do a better job in the present.  On a grander scale, it’s about love. We have to teach children to love and care about the world—to fall in love with nature– you’re not going to take care of something you don’t love.  We want children to understand the interconnectedness of all things and that small things can lead to change, that’s what sustainability means to me, and I hope we can facilitate this in children’s learning at PS 110.

What is your favorite place in Greenpoint to bring students to learn about the environment or inspire a love of nature?  

McGolrick Park is so beautiful and we’re lucky to be right next to it at PS 110.  There are so many opportunities to bring students there—to learn, to sit quietly under a tree, to observe plants, to notice birds or insects—it’s a wonderful spot for children of all ages.

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