As your PTA/PTSA is electing your board and creating your budget for next year, here are some best practices to support sustainability.
- Fill your Sustainability Chair or VP role. This person is your connection to district-wide sustainability conversations.
- Put sustainability in your budget. Please be clear on exactly how you’re funding sustainability. This minimizes confusion next year. Some sustainability chairs want to designate funds to support the school’s Green Team. No Green Team? A classroom sustainability grant available to teachers may be appropriate. Lastly, a line item specifically for PTSA-level sustainability can be used to hold sustainability events or to help your PTSA model sustainability in all it does.
- Model sustainability to the community. Look for simple actions that “green” the PTSA itself, like purchasing reusable supplies instead of single-use ones, holding events that are accessible without a car trip, or using scannable QR codes instead of handing out paper flyers.
- Build sustainability into your newsletter. Many PTSAs assume they need snippets of sustainability topics in their newsletter. Instead, simply add sustainability to your existing messages. For example, when advertising an event, remind families to consider carpooling, or say that there will be water bottle refilling stations and no bottled water for sale at the event.
Questions? Email Council’s Sustainability Chair at Sustainability@LWPTSA.net.