California poppies and lupines in spring, Sunol
    Partner With Us · Educators

    Raise a generation of recycling ambassadors.

    We bring green education to your students, help their families recycle, and send money and new backpacks back to your school.12

    Bring GEF to my schoolSee the curriculum

    Photo: profernity, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped

    For teachers, principals & PTAs

    Green education, without the budget fight.

    You know your students care about the planet. You also know how hard it is to add anything to the curriculum when budgets are tight.3

    GEF and our partner CHEER bring the lesson to you, then turn it into action at home. The goal: students who leave with the awareness to become “recycling ambassadors” and share what they've learned with their families and communities.1

    • Hands-on learning: the Coastal Watershed Garbage Museum and GEF's Upcycling Exhibit.1
    • Money for your school: $2 for every bag of items your families recycle.1
    • Free backpacks: new backpacks and school supplies through the Backpack Exchange.2
    • Priority: schools that host a Backpack Exchange or a station are prioritized.4

    Students at a GEF community event
    How it works

    Five steps to a greener school year.

    1. Reach out

      A principal, teacher or PTA member fills out our school form.4

    2. Showcase day

      GEF and CHEER visit with the Garbage Museum and the upcycling booth.1

    3. Green assignment

      Students take home a flyer with what to recycle and where to drop it off.1

    4. Your school earns

      For each bag families recycle, your school receives $2.1

    5. Backpack Exchange

      At year's end, students trade recycled items for free backpacks and supplies.1

    Proof points

    It works, and it's working.

    Thousands

    of free backpacks with school supplies given to underprivileged communities.5

    $2

    per bag of recycled items returned to participating schools.1

    7–16

    the ages we focus on, when worldviews take root.6

    $0

    cost to the City of Marina, whose program funds youth programs and backpacks.7

    The program has been in place almost 4 years and it costs the city nothing but provides monthly funding for Marina's youth programs as well as offering our students new backpacks during their backpack exchange programs.
    Mayor Bruce DelgadoCity of Marina, California7
    Go further

    Put a station on campus.

    Schools can host a Neighborhood Donation Recycling Station, giving families a 24/7 drop-off point and the school an ongoing source of income.8 Stations are solar powered, need no utility hookups and are serviced daily.79

    Learn about hosting
    Solar-powered GEF station
    Questions

    Educator FAQ

    Who can sign up a school?

    Principals, teachers and PTA members can all start the process through our Backpack Exchange school form.4

    What ages is the program for?

    We focus on students ages 7 to 16.6

    Does it cost the school anything?

    How is the $2 per bag counted?

    Is the curriculum aligned to standards?

    Can students get a backpack without a school program?

    Yes. Families can register for a free backpack on our Backpack Exchange page.4

    Teachers · Principals · PTAs

    Let's plant the seed at your school.

    Tell us your school, your role and the best way to reach you.

    School sign-up formAsk a question

    Questions? 1 (860) 891-9043 · outreach@recyclingedu.com

    Keep exploring
    Our StoryCurriculumGreen education for ages 7–16.Our StoryProgramsStations, closed-loop recycling, schools.Our StoryMissionSeed minds. Save the future.SupportDonateOne-time or monthly gifts fund green education.