This comprehensive guide introduces teachers to the Generation Earth approach to environmental service learning. It contains valuable background information on environment-based education and step-by-step guidance for completing a service learning project.

In this guide, you will find a sampling of resources from other Generation Earth toolkits as well as a project idea map activity. The project idea map can be a tool used for an initial planning brainstorm or a living document that is updated as planning continues. From there, explore a variety of project ideas and helpful tips for utilizing other Generation Earth project toolkits. Finally, this guide offers ideas for project reflection and demonstration which encourage students to show what they have learned to others, as well as themselves. The Generation Earth pre-project and post-project surveys are a great way for students to see their own progress.

Water Pollution Prevention Project Toolkit

This toolkit explores the water pollution and conservation potential on a typical school campus or in the community. This exploration will help your group learn about the issue, audit the site and choose from a variety of options to help conserve water, increase infiltration or reduce pollution on campus and in the community through a trash cleanup event. This toolkit contains a water audit guide, interview questionnaire, project selection guide and step-by-step instructions for a student-run cleanup event.

Waste Reduction & Recycling Project Toolkit

This toolkit explores the waste on a typical school campus – from what can be found in the trash cans after each meal is served, to classrooms and school offices. This exploration will help your group reduce waste on campus by creating goals, relationships with key stakeholders and offering a variety of options to reduce waste on campus. This toolkit contains a waste audit guide, waste reduction interview and step by step instructions on how to set up a waste reduction project on a school campus.

Education Campaign: Water Pollution Prevention

• An education campaign is a great way to inform a specific audience about the issues related to stormwater pollution and ways people can address these issues. This guide will help your group raise awareness about stormwater pollution through an education campaign.

Education Campaign: Waste Reduction & Recycling

• An education campaign is a great way to inform and address waste issues to a specific audience. This guide will help your group raise awareness about waste through an educational campaign.

Community Swap

• This guide will help your school promote the reuse of items and reduce waste in the process. A student-run swap can be used as a platform to support communities in Los Angeles County, bringing environmental education and empowering individual neighborhoods to share resources and grow together.

E-Waste Collection

• This toolkit provides steps to follow when setting up an E-waste collection event. This allows students to organize and advertise the event so that community members are able to participate.

Textile Recycling

• This guide will help your school promote the reuse of items and reduce waste in the process. Proper disposal of textile waste includes keeping it out of landfills through sharing, swapping, donating, recycling and repurposing. Your group can play a major part in creating awareness of proper disposal by hosting a textile recycling event.

Food Rescue

• This guide explores the edible food waste on a typical school campus – from what can be found in the trash cans after each meal served to classrooms that serve breakfast and snacks. This exploration will help your group recover food waste on campus by creating a plan, establishing relationships with key stakeholders, finding resources and implementing a sustainable program.

Composting

• This guide explores compostable food and green waste at a typical school campus. This exploration helps recover food waste on campus by creating a plan, establishing relationships with key stakeholders, installing compost bins and implementing a composting program.

Native Plants Garden

• This guide explores how you can plant native plants to restore our watershed by designing and installing a native plant garden.

Rain Barrels

• This toolkit explores the growing water needs in LA and helps determine how your group can help both the quality and quantity of our water by installing a rain barrel to capture stormwater.

Caring for Trees

• This toolkit explores the beneficial effects that can be provided by healthy trees. This exploration will help determine how your group can help increase tree benefits and canopy by caring for existing trees, so they grow and thrive.