During the 2025-2026 school year, thousands of students took collaborative, community-based action. Fueled by hope and determination, they championed bold solutions, safeguarding wildlife, revitalizing ecosystems, tackling climate challenges, and nurturing healthier, more connected communities.
Eco-Schools U.S. 2025-2026 Impact Report
The Eco-Schools U.S. program is a driving force for student-led environmental learning and action across the country.
Engage with and be inspired by the collective impact and stories from school communities across the country.
1 These values reflect data collected since the re-launch of Eco-Schools U.S. in 2023.
Actions Taken
Students Reached
Trash Collected (lbs)
Habitat Created (sqft)
Native Trees
and Plants
Hours of Outdoor Learning
Students took food waste straight to the source, writing letters to over 70 local restaurants they chose themselves. Each letter explained how food waste fuels climate change and offered a free, profitable fix: the Too Good To Go app. It's a powerful example of young people turning research into real community outreach.
Seventh and eighth graders became community advocates, researching pressing issues like toxic algae blooms, deforestation, and air pollution. They identified local decision-makers and mailed evidence-based letters demanding accountability. Several officials wrote back, proving to students that their voices carry real weight in shaping public discourse and policy.
A student-led food share program grew from a small tray system into a school-wide movement. After tracking results, leaders added a refrigerator to rescue perishables like milk and yogurt, not just shelf-stable snacks. Now self-sustained by students, the program is expanding its focus toward mindful consumption and reducing waste at the source.
Second grade EcoLeaders turned a science lesson on Monarch Butterflies into civic action, speaking to 220 classmates and the Mayor Pro Tempore at an Earth Day Assembly. Inspired by the city's post-derecho tree restoration efforts, students are now rebuilding their certified Monarch Waystation and preparing to track butterflies in their garden.
Partnering with area youth and the Chip Bag Project, students spent February collecting chip bags, wrappers, and other Mylar materials destined for landfills. These were transformed into insulated sleeping mats for people experiencing homelessness, each paired with a hotel voucher and connection to further services, turning everyday waste into life-saving aid.
Students in grades one through five grow, harvest, and cook their own organic food across a five-year journey. This year's new Cory Culinary Program brought the Charlie Cart into classrooms, where students read recipes, measured ingredients, and tasted garden-grown dishes, linking environmental stewardship directly to hands-on learning and personal wellness.
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