Go green with the Macomb County Green Schools Program!

Macomb County schools now have an official way to proclaim their devotion to a cleaner environment and energy efficiency by joining the Michigan Green Schools Program.

The Macomb County Board of Commissioners gave a green light to the program at its November board meeting, an action required for the county’s schools to participate. The Board of Commissioners and the Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD) administer the program.

“The Green Schools Program is a fun way to engage school children in conserving energy and protecting the environment,” said County Commissioner Brian Brdak of New Baltimore, who sponsored the resolution creating the partnership with MISD.

The Michigan Green School Program, created in 2006, encourages schools to meet enough environmental goals to be designated a Green School. In Macomb County, schools have to meet at least 10 of 20 criteria.

Criteria include recycling paper, newspapers, magazines and batteries, creating a birdhouse habitat and a variety energy conservation projects. The deadline to submit a Green Schools Program application is March 17, 2009.

For more information, call Carol Jones, science consultant at the MISD at 586-228-3528 or E-mail at cjones@misd.net. People may also contact Patti Dib at the Macomb County Board of Commissioners office at 586-469-5125 for more information.