The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has teamed up with Houston Independent School District to offer the first in a series of sustainable schools webinars for all teachers on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

The Eco-Schools USA workshop will be held online from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for schools interested in implementing a student-based energy efficiency program to make their school more sustainable. The program is part of an ongoing partnership between the district and the NWF designed to help schools go green within their building, school grounds and curriculum.

Teachers who register for the webinar will learn about Eco-Schools USA’s main components and international connections, as well as what they will need to get started. The webinar will also include feedback from teachers in the field about their personal experiences with Eco-Schools USA and how it helped to transform their school. Once teachers, staff or administration attend the webinar, they will have the opportunity to attend a professional development workshop in October.

To sign up, register here.

The goal of the Eco-Schools program is to make environmental awareness and action an intrinsic part of the culture of a school, creating Eco-Action teams that include students, teachers, administrators, non-teaching staff, parents, and the community. Schools taking part in the program are awarded a bronze, silver or green flag award for their environmental efforts and commitment to maintaining a sustainable campus.

Currently, 22 HISD schools are participating in the Eco-Schools program, with an additional 10-15 HISD campuses expected to register, according to National Wildlife Federation Senior Education Manager Marya Fowler.

Teachers interested in signing up for the webinar or learning more about the Eco-Schools program should send an email to fowler@nwf.org. To learn more about HISD’s green building efforts, visit www.houstonisd.org/greenschools .