Repairing the environment from pollution is a pressing issue, but focusing on solutions and positive change can be a more effective way to inspire action. Green Actioneers is a fantastic program that empowers families to work together and build a clean and green future for our kids.
Family Fun with a Green Mission
Green Actioneers is all about making environmental action fun and engaging for families. Their core resource is a bilingual (English/Spanish) 264-page activity book, available for free online or for purchase in print. Packed with over 100 “Green Actions,” the activity book provides a roadmap for families to reduce their environmental impact in areas like energy use, water consumption, and waste reduction. Think of it as a family adventure guide for a greener future!
Spreading the Green Message in Schools
Green Actioneers offers a unique school program led by “Ambassadors of the Green Actioners program.” These passionate individuals connect with local schools to organize Family Nights. Imagine a night filled with fun activities, informative resources, and a chance for families to connect and get excited about taking action together.
Building a Greener Future, One Family at a Time
Family Nights typically involve a brief introduction to the Green Actioneers program, followed by a spread of engaging materials for all ages. Think coloring pages for the little ones, puzzles for teens, and family-oriented guides to inspire everyone. Families can even purchase a workbook to continue their green journey at home.
Schools are encouraged to participate by setting up sticker boards where classes compete for prizes by showcasing their students’ green projects. This friendly competition fosters environmental awareness and a sense of community.
Creating a Welcoming Space
While Green Actioneers avoids serving food at Family Nights to keep the focus on the program content, creating a welcoming space is key. Think comfortable seating arrangements that encourage families to sit together and engage with the activities.
Join the Green Actioneers Movement!
Green Actioneers is a powerful program that empowers families to make a difference. By participating in Family Nights, supporting Ambassadors of the Green Actioneers program, or simply implementing the Green Actioneers activity book in your own home, you can be part of the solution.
Question for our readers: What are some ways to create a welcoming and engaging environment for families at Green Actioneers Family Nights? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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1 comment
Dave Finnigan
April – please see my comments in the document from the march. I’ll add them here too.
April – Thanks for the work on this. I truly appreciate your desire to help. It will be difficult for those of us who have grown up understanding and accepting the specter of climate catastrophe to entirely discard that idea, and change our language, but for this program we must completely revise our approach.
With regard to the document, nowhere in the Green Actioneers Family Action Guide do we mention “climate change,” “global warming,” or “sea-level rise,” because in 28 (red) states that is a stopper. We must be totally inclusive of every family in the school. So the title of the piece might work for a program in a “blue” state, but if I want to start a program in Florida I need to stay away from those terms absolutely. Over half of voters in red states do not believe that the climate is changing, or that people are responsible, and all it takes is one dad marching into the principal’s office to stop the program altogether, not just for one school, but for an entire district or a state. I would instead say “Green Actioneers: Empowering Families to Save Energy, Water and Money,” or “Green Actioneers: How We Win a Clean and Green Future for Our Kids.” I would also never call anyone “Climate Ambassadors.” They are “Ambassadors of the Green Actioneers program.” We are not in a “fight against climate change.” We might be on a “mission to create a clean and green future.”
It’s a “264 page bilingual (English/Spanish) activity book.” It’s not a workbook. “Workbook” is a chore. “Activity book” is fun. The bilingual feature is important because the book is intended for the whole family. Since 32% of Hispanic adults in the US do not speak English we really need to stress the bilingual nature of the program. This is particularly true of families in the border states which are almost all also red.
We have extensive experience on the idea of serving food with evening programs. It is an absolute and instant program stopper. We never allow it. Here is why. The families show up for the food, not the content of the program. Once they ate they left and got on with the evening, they are not there for you and your program. Believe me, this is experience talking. In our program we want them sitting on the floor in the cafeteria with the tables stowed away somewhere. That is so they can sit as families. If a person shows up who needs a chair, we’ll get them one. Once there are tables it will be “grownups at tables, kids on the floor.” Especially if there are tables for eating. Then after the meal they won’t move to the floor.
Also we do not combine with any other activity, like STEM night, or we get lost in the shuffle. The reason they come to school needs to be for the Green Actioneers program, period. Otherwise we become the tail of the dog. We would rather have 40 eager families who are excited about our program than 80 families who want a free meal or 120 families who came for the Scholastic Book Fair and see our book as just one among many.
The steps to take to successfully present a program are on pages xii and xiii of the book. Please look through them. Sorry to be so harsh but put yourself in the mind-space of a science denier. The reason a program like this has not yet been created is because there are so many of the deniers that any attempt to create something like this from a position of “preaching” to the “ignorante” would have been quashed. Instead we meet them where they are. If Dad is a fisherman, he’ll be able to eat his catch, if a hunter there will be more game to shoot, if a farmer, there will be clean and healthy soil and if he is a laborer and works outside under the sun there will be more shade.