The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) has announced that 19 BCPS schools earned 2026 Maryland Green Schools status.
This announcement brings the total number of Maryland Green Schools in BCPS to 65. Statewide there are 702 Green Schools, or 40% of all Maryland schools.
Schools receive certification as Maryland Green Schools after demonstrating and documenting a continuous effort to integrate sustainable environmental management practices, environmental education curriculum, professional development opportunities, and community engagement into their daily operations.
The award signifies their commitment to developing stewards of the earth and reducing the school’s impact on the environment. Recertification takes place every four years.
“Green Schools provide engaging and effective instruction by integrating environmental learning across all subjects,” said MAEOE Executive Director Laura Johnson Collard.
“The results are powerful—we see students leading composting programs, conserving energy, joining environmental clubs, and advocating for what is important to them. These stories give us hope. They remind us that when young people are empowered with knowledge and a connection to the world around them, they become the changemakers we need—not just for the future, but right now.”
Local schools that renewed their status this year are Edgemere Elementary School Perry Hall Middle school and Kenwood High School.
The Green Schools program in BCPS provides students of all ages educational opportunities to reduce environmental impact, practice environmental stewardship, encourage sustainability, increase awareness of the connection between the environment and public health, and foster environmental literacy.
Maryland’s Green Schools will be celebrated at the Annual Maryland Green Schools Youth Summit on Thursday, May 28, at Sandy Point State Park near Annapolis.