Your Green Apple project guide
Over a million volunteers in 80 countries have participated in a Green Apple Day of Service project since 2012.
For project leaders that need some help getting started, we've created this checklist to help ensure the success of any Green Apple project, big or small. This guide covers each step of making your project happen, from getting it off the ground and enlisting volunteers to executing the event.
Table of Contents
Part One: Getting Started
Part Two: Putting the Pieces Together
Part Three: Planning Your Project
Part Four: Making Preparations
Part Five: The Final Details
Part Six: Executing the Event
Part Seven: The Wrap-up
Part One: Getting started
Register your project.
In order to access funding through DonorsChoose.org and be nominated for a Green Apple Award, create a user account and register your project or projects. Not only will this put your event on the map for everyone to see, but it will also give you access to a bunch of resources and planning tools to make your event a success. Not 100% sure about your project’s details? Estimate your impacts and details, and you can update the project later.
Join the community of project leaders.
Join the Green Apple Day of Service Discussion. After you register your Green Apple project, you will be invited to join the Green Apple Day of Service Facebook Group to share and request resources to help plan your project and celebrate what your school has been able to accomplish.
Pick your project location.
Pick the school where your Green Apple Day of Service will take place. If you are not a teacher, school staff, or student, reach out to schools in your community. Share the “Why Participate?” flyer to let them know what the day is all about. Also look over our handy Site Checklist to help you think about the logistics of hosting your project at a particular site. Once you know the location, update your project registration in your Green Apple account.
Find out what your school needs.
Talk with teachers, students, and administrators to assess their needs and goals. Take a trip through the inside and outside of your school and write down the everyday practices or the spaces that can be improved and how. It can help to look through the Project Ideas before you do this assessment to understand some of the things you should look for.
Think about what kind of impact you will make.
Consider which areas of sustainability are most important to the school and your community, the support and resources available, and what your school needs. Be sure to update your project registration to reflect these goals so that we can send you additional help, tailored to your project.
Part Two: Putting the Pieces Together
Craft your project vision.
Define the goals and scope of your project and give your project a name. Spend time doing some research, especially thinking about logistics, funding, and volunteer requirements. Be sure to update your project registration to include your project name and a short description, and adjust your intended impact categories.
If you’re looking for an in-depth, data driven approach to your Green Apple Day of Service project, the Center for Green Schools’ Building Learners Program engages every member of the school community in measuring, educating, improving, and celebrating a school’s sustainability.
Establish a timeline.
Create a timeline that includes the activities, steps, and permissions you need leading up to your project date. Include plans for promoting your event and recruiting volunteers and partners. Check out our sample project timeline document.
Create a fundraising strategy.
Create a budget for your project that includes the cost of all necessary materials and services. Even if it is just providing lunch or snacks for your volunteers, figuring it out early will give you more time later to focus on your project. Register the project on DonorsChoose.org, select materials and supplies you need, and label the project as a Green Apple Day of Service so our corporate partners can help you fundraise. If you need to raise additional funds, create a plan to raise money from neighbors, businesses, school booster clubs, or other sources. Download our tips for fundraising.
Build your team.
Find others, inside and outside of your school community, who are interested in making an impact. Building a team with a diverse range of skills and experiences is an important way to boost the success of your project. And don’t forget about the students! Students of all ages are awesome green schools ambassadors, and service projects are great opportunities for them to demonstrate their leadership skills.
Part Three: Planning Your Project
Assign roles and responsibilities.
Consider each team member’s strengths and resources to maximize everyone’s contributions. Define roles and responsibilities for your team, and consider organizing a planning meeting to get every on the same page.
Finalize important details.
Double check to make sure that the dates, times, and project details you have in mind work with your school. Be sure to think about how many volunteers will be on site, whether you will need to store materials, the level of student involvement, and facility staffing needs.
Take stock of fundraising.
Share your DonorsChoose.org page with your friends, family, and community to hit your fundraising goals. Label your project as a Green Apple Day of Service project so that our corporate partners can donate $200 to help reach your goals. Check out our additional fundraising tips and strategies.
Gather materials and resources.
Outside of your DonorsChoose.org page, what additional materials and resources do you need to secure? What can be purchased and what can be borrowed? Work with your team to strategize how you will get, haul, and store materials and supplies.
Part Four: Making Preparations
Get the word out.
Get the word out to friends and family, the school community, and local press. Use the event flyer template to create a flyer for your event that you can put up in the school and on community message boards. Reach out to news outlets and invite them to your project, start to promote your project on social media, and engage local leaders and influencers. Check out our Communications toolkit. Display your commitment to sustainability around the school with these Classroom Posters.
Create a detailed schedule for your Green Apple Day of Service.
Include roles and responsibilities, timing, location details, and a materials list. Share this with volunteers to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
Conduct any necessary volunteer or staff training.
Make sure that your volunteers are equipped for success. Consider hosting an in-person meeting or happy hour with school staff, community volunteers, or parents who will be involved.
Do a final site visit.
Check to make sure everything is in order and whether there have been any last minute changes to the site. Use the Site Checklist to make sure you've covered all your bases.
Dress the part.
Outfit your volunteers on Green Apple Day of Service with our exclusive, organic cotton T-shirts, and thank them for their contributions with Green Apple tote bags, water bottles and pins. Shop Green Apple Day of Service merchandise.
Part Five: The Final Details
Send out final details to your volunteers
Send an email to your volunteers a few days before your project to make sure they have all the information they need. Include project details, directions to the site, and any specific instructions that are necessary to their success.
Gather final materials and resources.
If you successfully fundraised through DonorsChoose.org, confirm delivery dates for your materials. Purchase any necessary additional materials, and gather all donated materials. If you are borrowing tools and supplies, keep track of where everything needs to be returned to, and be sure to label everything to avoid mix ups.
Print out signs, sign in sheets, and instructions.
Make sure you have adequate signage for your school site (especially if it is hard to find), have sign in sheets for your volunteers, and print any necessary resources ahead of time.
Make a backup plan.
For outdoor projects, make sure you have a backup plan or rain date for uncooperative weather.
Part Six: Executing the Event
Show up early.
Be there first and make sure that everything is organized and ready to go for the project. Put out sign in sheets and make sure everyone is able to find your event.
Have clear instructions ready to share with your volunteers.
Think about the minimum amount of work that should be done, and have instructions ready in case you accomplish more than you anticipated.
Make sure someone takes a few pictures of you and your volunteers hard at work.
Take before and after pictures, as well as photos of your event. The best photos show people at work, making a difference at the school together. Be sure to share these photos on social media with the hashtag #GreenAppleDay to broadcast the impact to your school community and for your project to be shared on the Center for Green Schools Twitter and Facebook. You can also upload photos to your project web page by visiting your greenapple.org account, or you can send your photos directly to us at schools@usgbc.org.
Encourage everyone on site to use #greenappleday to share the progress of your project!
Part Seven: The Wrap-up
Tell us how it went.
Update your project details in your Green Apple account to record your volunteer numbers, and tell us a little bit more about the impact of your project. Your project profile is your Green Apple Awards nomination, so be sure to be include pictures, event details, and the project impact.
Thank everyone for their time and efforts.
Send a thank you note to your volunteers, school administrators, sponsors, and everyone who made your event happen. You can also host a small party to toast your success!
Document your impact.
Update your project profile to make sure your community and other Green Apple Day of Service participants know the specific ways that your project improved your school or community. Use numbers to tell the story: how many plants, how many square feet, how many watts, how many gallons, etc. And, of course, be sure to include your photos!
Get feedback.
Send out a survey about your event to your volunteers, the school community, and school staff. Find out what works well and what could be better next time.
All resources
Classroom Posters
Communications toolkit
Fundraising tips
Green Apple Day of Service flyer template
Project planning timeline
Site checklist
"Why participate?" informational flyer
101: Your guide to getting started
99 ideas you can start anytime, anyday!
Looking for more project ideas?
Explore our directory of Green Apple Day of Service project ideas to help you advance sustainability at your school.