Reaching Higher

Once your school has become a Green and Healthy school, “Reaching Higher” gives you the opportunity to make more health, safety and environmental changes within your school and community and be recognized for them. This optional step is not a requirement to maintain your Wisconsin Green & Healthy School status. Your school can use the Green & Healthy Schools Resources for project ideas; however we encourage schools to be creative and come up with some of your own projects.

To qualify for Reaching Higher recognition, your school must conduct assessments and implement action plans for all topics not completed in your original Green & Healthy School application.

How to Get Started with Reaching Higher

1. Find the topics not selected in your original Green & Healthy School application and conduct the Step 2 Assessment for each one.
   
2. Review Green & Healthy Schools Resources for project ideas.
3. Develop an action plan and implement it for your selected topics. (See Action Plan under the Action and Implementation Stage for further instruction).
4. After your school completes all the requirements for the topics selected (see Requirements Chart [PDF 172KB]), fill out the Wisconsin Green & Healthy Schools Reaching Higher Certification [PDF 145KB] form and mail it to:

   Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources
   Green & Healthy Schools Program
   Attn. Dan Werner WA/5
   PO Box 7921
   Madison, WI 53707-7921
   (608) 267-7622
   DNRGHSchools@wisconsin.gov

5. After your certification form is reviewed for completeness and approved, your school will receive a Green & Healthy School recognition plaque. Your school will also be listed on the Wisconsin Green & Healthy Schools Web site as having obtained Reaching Higher status.
6. Congratulations, your school has shown its continued commitment to becoming a model for health, safety, and environmental sustainability in your community.