Vision

At The NEW School, we believe climate action begins with connection—to land, to community, and to purpose. “Roots of Change” is a youth-led climate stewardship initiative that empowers students to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by transforming our outdoor space into a living climate solution. Our vision is to model how regenerative practices—composting, gardening, and recycling—can turn a school into a carbon-conscious, resilient learning ecosystem. Our goal: to nurture a generation of green stewards who not only understand climate change, but act on it daily.

Action

Led by our Grades 2–8 “Earth Keepers” student team, this project tackled climate change through hands-on environmental transformation:

Built a regenerative outdoor learning garden using permaculture principles. Students grew native plants, pollinator habitats, and vegetables—offsetting emissions through carbon-sequestering soil care.

Launched a school-wide composting system to divert food waste from landfill, reducing methane emissions and enriching soil for our garden beds.

Expanded our “Cycle the Carton” project with custom-built waste stations and a liquid diversion system, reducing contamination and increasing recycling success.

Tracked environmental impact by calculating weekly waste reduction (both organics and cartons), and recording carbon sequestration estimates from plant growth.

Produced a student-led 3-minute climate action video, sharing our journey, data, and inspiration with families and our community.

Reflection & Celebration

“Roots of Change” redefined what it means to be a student in a climate-challenged world. Our students gained confidence as scientists, activists, and leaders. They learned that climate action isn’t just about protest—it’s about planting, building, measuring, teaching, and caring.

As a result of this initiative, our school diverted over 500 kg of waste, sequestered an estimated 200 kg of CO₂ through plant biomass, and inspired dozens of families to start composting and gardening at home. Our Earth Keepers led a spring “Green Heroes” fair, inviting the community to tour our garden, learn about climate-friendly practices, and take home seedlings grown by the students.

This project has become a seed of something much bigger—a model for school-based climate action grounded in joy, regeneration, and youth leadership.

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