Summer Out of School Specials & Academy
July 6-July 10, 4-7pm, Daniels Run Elementary Library. Level 1 Get2Green Academy One Continuing Education Credit Course: Incorporating Nature Across Curriculum–Cultivating Curiosity on our School Campus
This course is designed to cultivate curiosity in all content areas by incorporating nature across the curriculum, particularly for teachers who want to begin or further their school’s progress toward engaging students in environmental stewardship. Major topics include benefits of outdoor education, integration of environmental stewardship in the strategic plan and learning model, successful as well as strategies for working with student action teams. Participants will use resources provided by Get2Green and National Wildlife Federation Eco-Schools USA program to understand how to engage students in meaningful learning experiences and foster Portrait of a Graduate skills and attributes. Register in MyPDE.
Thursday, July 16, 1-3pm, Frost Middle School Lecture Hall. Bringing Streams to Your Classroom. While we all want our students to experience a stream ecosystem, sometimes it’s not possible. This is where freshwater ecologists from Fairfax County’s Watershed Education and Outreach (WEO) can help! Depending on the season, they can bring either live aquatic insects to your classroom, critters in resin, or show your students how to make their own critter cube to “sample” a local stream. Participants will work with and create their own set of resin critters. They will also learn how these insects help us tell the story of our streams here in Fairfax County. Register in MyPDE.
Tuesday, July 21, 12:30-2:30pm, Virtual. Moving Closer to Zero Waste.
This session supports Get2Green Leaders in their role as Zero Waste Liaisons. Get the latest updates from Food and Nutrition Services and Facilities Management. Learn about changes coming with the new waste hauling contract. Explore the newly updated Zero Waste Toolkit and collaborate with peers to address waste reduction challenges. Please note this content is updated annually and this year we are offering the exact same session in July and September due to the importance. Register in MyPDE.
Tuesday, August 11,1-3pm, Virtual. Ready to Grow: Planning for a Sustainable School Year. Discover how to build and empower a dynamic Green Team, transform your school grounds into inspiring spaces for outdoor learning, and explore impactful environmental stewardship activities that engage students in meaningful, real-world experiences using National Wildlife Foundation’s Eco-Schools as our guidance. Please note–this is a repeat of previous offerings. Register in MyPDE.
Summer Bucket List
Consider using the Summer Bucket List for inspiration to get outside this summer! How many activities can you check off the list before summer ends? Share the Summer Bucket List in English and in Spanish to encourage families to continue connecting with nature over the break.
Congratulations to the FCPS Caring for Our Watersheds Winners!
Earth Force’s Caring for Our Watersheds (CfOW) Chesapeake Bay asked students to submit a proposal that answered the question, “What can you do to improve your watershed?” As groups of ten or more, young people in grades 5-12 researched their local watershed, identified an environmental concern, and implemented one realistic solution. This year, 2,000+ young people wrote and presented student-driven proposals to judges that won them funds to implement & advocate for innovative environmental actions in their communities, in partnership with folks in local decision making spaces.
In the final year of CfOW, five FCPS schools received project implementation and prize money. The top ten projects were announced on May 14, 2026:
- 1st Place went to Oakton HS for their “Cougars for Conservation: Native Restoration for Birds and the Bay” project
- 3rd Place was awarded to McLean HS for “Bring Back Stars” light pollution project
- 5th Place went to London Towne ES for “Trout Trek”
- 6th place went to Rachel Carson Middle School for their project “Only Rain in the Drains” project
- 7th place went to Katherine Johnson MS for “Re-development proposal for Northfax.”
On May 14, 2026, as part of Environmental Action Civics Week, the CfOW Finals were held to award cash prizes. Visit Earth Force’s YouTube playlist to view the Finals and see the Virtual Project Showcase. Thank you to Earth Force and their sponsor, Nutrien, for supporting the environmental action of so many FCPS students through CfOW’s history and providing $160,000 in funding for student projects over the program’s run.
Congratulations to Get2Green Support Specialist, Karen Taylor
Get2Green is announcing the bittersweet retirement of Karen Taylor, the Get2Green Support Specialist. Karen has offered her unique expertise and voice of reason to so much of the environmental work happening in FCPS and shared her thoughtfulness in the newsletter’s Together We Grow feature. The Get2Green Team would like to thank Karen for her dedication and service to supporting environmental stewardship opportunities for students across FCPS. We wish her the best in retirement!
Fairfax County Public Schools Puzzle Hunt
The Solving Fun Puzzle Pals are busy creating puzzles for this year's hunt, which kicks off June 1, 2026! The hunt is brought to you by Fairfax County Public Schools and Safe Routes to School. They’re excited for the community to explore wonderful locations within Fairfax County! The hunt is free and filled with bike and pedestrian safety-themed puzzles for you and your family and friends to solve together. Solve one region’s puzzles or do them all. Each puzzle leads to a different location in Fairfax County. Solve the puzzles to find a location and go there to find clues for final answers. Walk, bike, and roll safely with friends and family! Learn more about the FCPS Puzzle Hunt and start your puzzling. Happy solving!
Take Action Global and LEGO Build the World Mini-Missions
Looking for fun, low-prep activities for end-of-year learning, summer programs, STEM stations, or makerspaces? Join Take Action Global and LEGO Build the Change student mini-missions! Use them as rotating creativity stations where students design, build, collaborate, and share solutions to real-world challenges.
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