Irmo Middle School and Dutch Fork Elementary Academy of Environmental Sciences have recently earned recertification as Green Steps Schools.

Irmo Middle has been a Green Steps School for eight years and has implemented at least two projects in three main categories: conservation, protection and restoration, the press release read.

Conserve projects include energy, reduce, reuse, recycle and green purchasing; protect projects include air, water and litter prevention; and restore projects include soil and habitat.

“We owe a lot to the driving forces behind our Green Steps success to Mrs. Cameran Davenport and Mr. Will Green. They motivate students to want to do more in being stewards of our natural environment,” Principal Mansa Joseph said. “At Irmo Middle School, we feel that our Green Steps work is essential in our efforts to love and grow our students. We do this work through all grade levels and our Hive program.”

Furthermore, Irmo Middle earned the Overall School of the Year award in 2019, the Restore award in 2023 and most recently won the 2024 Conserve School of the Year award in September.

Dutch Fork Elementary Academy of Environmental Sciences has been a certified Green Steps School for 11 years and has earned awards for Conserve (2011), Protect (2021), Restore (2017) and Overall School of the Year in 2018. In 2019, the school earned the National Green Ribbon School Award.

“We are incredibly excited and proud to have received our recertification as a Green Steps School,” Principal Rebecca Dilley said in a press release. “At Dutch Fork Elementary School, we are ‘All in...TOGETHER’ to ensure we are loving and growing our students, each other and taking care of the world we live in.

"Special thanks to our phenomenal Resident Scientist, Amy Umberger, our wonderful teachers and staff and all of our mentors and volunteers. We are excited to have been able to refine and refresh our Academy of Environmental Sciences throughout this process. Our future is bright Fox Family!”

To earn an award, projects must have a constructive environmental impact, be worthy of being shown to other schools, be well-established (at least for 12 months), documented and sustainable.

According to the Education Association of South Carolina, in order to be a Green Steps School, schools must: form a staff “green team,” attend annual training and update sessions (virtual and in-person options), decide on one or more sustainability projects and fill out the 2024 form with a mentor.

The Green Steps Program was formed in 2003 when Keep the Midlands Beautiful, Sonoco Recycling and DHEC’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling created it in hopes of encouraging schools to take steps to create sustainability projects and educate others.