By james art 
CAMBRIDGE — ShoreRivers — thanks to new funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Environmental Education Grant Program — is expanding as a Certified Maryland Green Center to Dorchester County by partnering with the Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Educators ( MAEOE) and Dorchester County Public Schools (DCPS) to build the school district’s capacity to obtain the first Green School certifications.
To be certified as a Maryland Green School, schools must demonstrate and document ongoing efforts to integrate sustainable environmental management practices, environmental education curriculum, professional development opportunities and community engagement into their daily activities. The award signifies their commitment to developing stewards of the land and reducing the school’s environmental impact.
Although DCPS has no schools that currently hold official Green School certifications, Dr. Paula Turner-Coleman, DCPS Science, Health, PE and STEM Lead, and ShoreRivers look forward to district schools being recognized for their work. ShoreRivers worked directly with teachers from three schools to achieve certification this year: Choptank Elementary, North Dorchester Middle and South Dorchester School.
“Dorchester County Public Schools already has a strong environmental literacy continuum in the elementary and middle grades. Finally taking this leap to achieve Maryland Green School status will give our schools the recognition they deserve for the work they are already doing,” said Dr. Turner-Coleman.
As a 2020 Certified Green Center, ShoreRivers has supported several Eastern Shore K–12 schools, including Matapeake and Easton elementary schools and Queen Anne’s County High School, in elements of the Green Schools certification (or recertification) process. The Maryland Green Schools Program is aligned with the environmental literacy and school sustainability goals outlined in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and supports the Maryland State Department of Education’s graduation requirements and standards.
“This recognition underscores ShoreRivers’ unwavering commitment to protecting and restoring our rivers while training the next generation of conservationists to do the same,” the organization said in a statement.
“Being a green hub allows us to support our school systems regionally, not just the schools we have program partnerships with,” said Suzanne Sullivan, ShoreRivers’ director of education. “This program has introduced us to so many amazing teachers and students who are passionate about the environment. We love being a Green Center because we can combine our education work with our other departments, helping schools with sustainable landscaping, citizen science and community outreach.”
ShoreRivers encourages schools interested in certification to contact their local Green Center for support.