A Practical Guide to Leading Green Schools Partnering with Nature to Create Vibrant, Flourishing, Sustainable Schools

This practical guide for educational leaders explores how you can transform your school or district into a vibrant center of learning and socio-ecological responsibility with only three manageable actions: taking students outside, bringing nature inside, and cultivating a mindset of awareness, responsibility, and empathy. This book is rich in practical, attainable approaches and stories of real actions taken by leaders, teachers, parents, and community partners to design, lead, and manage a vibrant, flourishing, sustainable learning community. Authors Uline and Kensler take you on an inspirational journey through nine key leadership strategies for you to begin or expand your work towards whole school sustainability.

Action 1: BRING NATURE INSIDE 1. LEAD: Cultivate Living Systems-Minded Leadership 2. DESIGN: Choose Sustainable Building Systems and Design Features 3. MAINTAINAND OPERATE: Operate and Maintain Healthy, Safe, Sustainable Learning Environments ACTION 2: TAKE STUDENTS OUTSIDE 4. TEACH: Prepare Teachers to Teach in Nature 5. LEARN: Invite Students and Teachers to Learn in Nature 6. PLAY: Restore Nature Play into the School Day ACTION 3: CARE 7. MODEL: Cultivate and Model Care, Awareness, Responsibility, and Empathy 8. PARTNERS: Build Caring Partnerships 9. START SMALL: Start Small and Stay Anchored in a Vision of Vibrant, Flourishing, Sustainable Schools

Cynthia L. Uline is former Director of the National Center for the 21st Century Schoolhouse and Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University, USA. Lisa A. W. Kensler is the Emily R. and Gerald S. Leischuck Endowed Professor of Educational Leadership at Auburn University, USA.