As part of its Sturgeon Discovery Program, ShoreRivers fostered a partnership between Choptank Elementary School third-grade teacher Crystal Owens and nationally-renowned local artist Shelton Hawkins to amplify student voice through a school beautification project. Hawkins worked with students to design and install a mural that compiled students’ own works of art into a large, flowing piece that now decorates the school hallways and gives everyone who walks by a lesson on what the endangered Atlantic sturgeon looks like.
ShoreRivers — thanks to new funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Environmental Education Grant Program — is expanding their work as a certified Maryland Green Center to Dorchester County by partnering with the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Educators (MAEOE) and Dorchester County Public Schools (DCPS) to build the school district’s capacity to obtain its first Green School certifications.
ShoreRivers supported North Dorchester High School students in building oyster cages for use by volunteers growing oyster spat as part of the Marylanders Grow Oysters Program. Oysters grown in these cages are later planted to restore Chesapeake Bay sanctuaries.
To be certified as a Maryland Green School, schools must demonstrate and document a continuous effort to integrate sustainable environmental management practices, environmental education curriculum, professional development opportunities, and community engagement into their daily operations. The award signifies their commitment to developing stewards of the earth and reducing the school’s environmental impact.
While DCPS does not have any schools the currently hold formal Green School certifications, Dr. Paula Turner-Coleman, DCPS’ Supervisor of Science, Health, P.E., & STEM, and ShoreRivers look forward to having county schools recognized for their work. ShoreRivers is working directly with passionate teachers from three schools to get certified this year: Choptank Elementary, North Dorchester Middle, and South Dorchester School.
“Dorchester County Public Schools already has a strong environmental literacy continuum in place across the elementary and secondary grades. Finally taking that leap to achieve the 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 certified Green Center since 2020, ShoreRivers has supported several K–12 schools across the Eastern Shore, 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 environmental literacy and school sustainability goals outlined in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and supports Maryland State Department of Education graduation requirements and standards. This recognition underscores ShoreRivers’ unwavering commitment to protecting and restoring our rivers while educating the next generation of environmental stewards to do the same.
“Being a Green Center 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 get to combine our education work with our other departments, helping schools with sustainable landscaping, citizen science, and community outreach.”
ShoreRivers encourages schools interested in being certified to reach out to their local Green Center for support.