Data-Driven Sustainability: Tracking Tools for K-12 Success

Jennifer Hammonds | January 4, 2024

Photo Credit: Center for Green Schools

Join the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) March 5-7, 2024, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for this year’s Green Schools Conference (GSC). We are proud to be one of over a dozen promotional partners supporting this annual event. This space is designed for educators, school and district leaders, and all those involved in the green schools’ movement to collaborate and learn during three days of programming. Daily sessions for 2024 will focus on critical issues at the intersection of education and sustainability through five education tracks: sustainability planning, student climate action, health and wellness, school as a teaching tool, and green infrastructure.

The National Wildlife Federation’s K-12 education team is excited to take part in the 2024 conference, where, in collaboration with Fairfax County Public Schools, we will participate in a panel discussion and speed networking session, Data-Driven Sustainability: Tracking Tools for K-12 Success. The discussion will center around how schools leverage tracking tools to enhance their sustainability work, including the new EcoSchools U.S. Certification Application (ECA); then, we will be available to guide you through real-world scenarios, answer questions, and provide perspectives on implementation. The session is scheduled for Day 2 of the conference on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.

The new ECA supports the robust collection of essential metrics that are important in today’s world of data-driven action. Schools can use this data to:

measure and monitor school sustainability work;
benchmark for progress; and
build community support.

Current metrics within the ECA show nine impact metrics, including energy and water conservation, square feet of habitat created, hours of outdoor learning, and the number of youth engaged in solutions for the planet.