KICK Challenges

Design and lead a seasonal challenge tied to a high-waste holiday — such as Easter egg recycling, responsible disposal of holiday lights (e-waste disposal) or reducing gift wrap waste.

Proof: Submit photos from the event or a brief description of what students did.

Many classrooms have more trash cans than they need. When a single paper towel lands in an almost-empty bin, the custodian still has to pull that entire bag at the end of the day. Reducing the number of bins in a room consolidates waste and cuts down on unnecessary bag use. Already made this change in a previous year? Keep the challenge going by sharing how the routine has changed or improved since you started.

Proof: Share your observations and results — how many bins you started with, how many you reduced to, and future plans.

Schedule a virtual session (https://calendar.app.google/LbPRLWNxJ2fRRVbN9) with the KGS Director to connect more about Kansas Green School opportunities for your school and for KICK Challenge support. Join the KGS Network (https://www.kansasgreenschools.org/), and subscribe to the KACEE Newsletter (https://www.kacee.org/subscribe) to access shared resources and recognition opportunities.

Proof: Submit a screenshot confirming your KGS Network Profile, confirm you got connected by subscribing to the KACEE newsletter and share a brief description of your takeaways with your virtual session with the KGS Director.

Help the KICK Challenge grow by introducing it to another school. Share what your school has been working on and invite a teacher or school you know to join in, to an upcoming KACEE Virtual Monthly Event (VME) or another way to share.

Proof: Submit a copy of the message, email, or flyer you used to share the event or KICK Challenge with to another school along with the name of the school you contacted.

Take your school composting program a step further by packaging and selling finished compost to the community. Students manage the production, packaging, and sales process — generating both environmental impact and a potential revenue stream for the school's sustainability efforts.

Proof: Submit a photo of your compost product and a brief description of how the sales program works and what the proceeds support.

Take your class on a guided tour of a local landfill, recycling facility, or waste collection center — or join a virtual session. Use the exploration to spark the conversations: "Where does our trash go? What happens to things we recycle?"

Proof: Submit a photo of your class during the visit or virtual session, along with a brief description of one thing students learned including where their trash goes and recycling options in your community. Submit the number of adults and students participated.

Engage students in hands-on projects that work through each tier of the waste hierarchy — from refusing unnecessary items to creatively repurposing materials. Build both the skills and the mindset for more sustainable everyday choices.

Proof: Submit photos of student projects and a brief description of what tier of the waste hierarchy each project addressed.

Explore what a low-waste lunch could look like and invite families to join the conversation. Share ideas and tips — like reusable containers, whole fruit, or skipping single-use packaging — and encourage them to try reducing lunch waste in whatever way works best for them.

Proof: Share your photos and the materials shared with students and school/district community.

Organize a coordinated cleanup of school grounds with students and/or staff and families and separate trash from recycling before disposal if applicable.

Proof: Submit before-and-after photos of the cleanup area and a brief note on how much was collected.

Bring environmental education to life through structured, hands-on activities such as recycling relays, aluminum lifecycle explorations, or reduce-reuse-recycle challenges — connecting classroom learning to real-world action.

Proof: Submit a description of the activity, photos from the event, and a brief reflection on what students took away from the experience.

Transform materials that cannot be recycled — bottle caps, plastic packaging, broken items — into collaborative works of art that spark community conversations about waste, creativity, and finding alternative uses for items that are difficult to recycle or dispose of properly.

Proof: Submit a photo of the finished artwork and a label or description explaining what materials were used and why and the date of completion.

Set up a share bin in the cafeteria where students can drop unopened, unwanted food for classmates instead of throwing away. Already have one going? Tell us how it's evolved — what you've noticed, what's working, and any ideas for making it better.

Proof: Snap a photo of your share bin in action and share how it works (what goes in, where it lives, how students grab items) along with a rough estimate of how much food gets redirected each week.

Connect with the people who know your cafeteria best. Meeting with food service director and staff opens the door to understanding how lunch decisions shape the school's daily waste and to discover what challenges they face and what ideas might be possible.

Proof: Share a summary of your conversation and any ideas or improvements that came out of it, along with a photo if you have one.

Fill clear bags with one lunch period's worth of trash and line them up in a hallway. One powerful visual can make a big impact. How to do it: Prep — Before lunch, place a clean clear bag (double bagged) inside each cafeteria trash can. Collect — After one lunch period, gather and tie the bags. Line up — Arrange them side by side in a high-traffic hallway or entryway. Snap and share — Take a photo. Post it on morning announcements, socials, newsletter, etc. Clean up — Toss the bags immediately after the photo or display for a short time for student body to see. Talk about it — Add a simple sign: "This is one lunch. Where does it go?" Pro tip: Check with your custodian and principal beforehand — explain you're using clean bags and handling all cleanup yourself

Proof: Submit photos of the hallway line up and number of trash bags collected after one lunch. If school is in session 180 days a year, how many trash bags does your school produce for lunch?

Take cleanup efforts into the surrounding neighborhood/area with a focus on storm drains or the nearest water way, helping students connect litter on land to water pollution in local waterways. Students can extend their impact by creating awareness materials to share with school and surrounding communities.

Proof: Submit photos from the cleanup and an example of the awareness materials — signs, door hangers, social media, newsletter, etc. that shows education outreach.

Create and run a waste education campaign for the school community — through sustainability posters, weekly intercom announcements, a student-produced recycling guide, or a social media post tagged #KeepItCleanKansas.

Proof: Submit photos or copies of your campaign materials and a brief description of who the audience was and how it was shared.

Partner with local restaurants to tackle single-use plastic straw waste in your community. The approach is up to you — educate customers, supply alternative straw options, sell reusable straws as a fundraiser, or encourage restaurants to offer straws on request rather than handing them out automatically.

Proof: Share what your class did, who you partnered with, and what impact or response you saw. Photos, letters, or any materials you created are welcome.

Host a clothing swap or donation drive to extend the life of gently used apparel and reduce textile waste.

Proof: Submit a photo from the drive and a brief report on how many items were collected.

Organize a school collection point for items that can't go in the regular recycling bin — such as plastic film through Trex, snack wrappers and markers through TerraCycle, or other materials accepted by local programs. Already made this change in a previous year? Keep the challenge going by sharing how the routine has evolved or what's changed since you started or add any additional hard to recycle item for the challenge.

Proof: Submit a photo of your collection point along with the name of the program(s) you worked with or added.

Students produce a short film about waste, composting and/or recycling. Videos can be shared with the school community, used as an educational tool and can be submitted for the KICK Challenge.

Proof: Submit a link to or copy of the video.

Students write persuasive letters, opinion pieces, or articles about a waste or environmental issue, addressed to a real audience — a school board member, elected official, or the broader school community.

Proof: Submit a copy of what students wrote and confirmation that it was sent or published.

Once your school has built a successful composting or recycling program, formalize that knowledge by mentoring a neighboring school through the process. Students take the lead in sharing what they've learned — multiplying the impact and building a regional culture of sustainability.

Proof: Submit a description of how the mentorship was structured, which school you worked with, and photos or materials from the sessions.

Establish or strengthen a school-wide recycling program, including clearly labeled bins, a collection schedule, and student involvement in keeping it running.

Proof: Submit photos of the recycling setup and a brief description of how the program is organized, including student roles.

Before you begin, open the "Waste and Recycling Investigation" for your grade band and make a copy. Just open the document, click "File," then "Make a Copy." Rename it with your school's name and the Investigation title — for example, "Sunflower Elementary Waste and Recycling Investigation." Your team can share the link and enter data together into the investigation. K-2 Whole School Waste Investigation: Use the Whole-School Waste Investigation module to expand the inquiry beyond the classroom. Students investigate different areas of the building and combine their findings to build a complete picture of the waste stream in your school building and opportunities for school wide waste reduction. 3-5 Whole School Waste Investigation: Use the Whole-School Waste Investigation module to expand the inquiry beyond the classroom. Student teams investigate different areas of the building and combine their findings to build a complete picture of the waste stream in your school building and opportunities for school wide waste reduction. Bonus: Your school earns a badge for completing this investigation!

Proof: K-2 Whole School Waste Investigation: Submit a photo and a description of your findings. 3-5 Whole School Waste Investigation: Submit your Waste and Recycling Investigation by sharing your Google link to verify completion of the Whole School Waste section.

Establish (or continue) a student-led green team or environmental club to coordinate KICK challenges, sustainability efforts, rally peers, and keep environmental action going well beyond a single challenge or school year. -New teams: Recruit members, assign roles, and outline your first-year goals. -Existing teams: Show how you're keeping momentum — include your plan for recruiting new members each year (e.g., grade transitions, graduating seniors) so the team stays active long-term.

Proof: Submit a photo of the team, a list of members and roles, and a brief description of what the group plans to work on this year (including your recruitment strategy, if applicable).

Complete all three investigations — cafeteria, classroom, and whole-school — along with a set of background questions to earn recognition for the full Waste and Recycling Investigation. Each investigation can be submitted individually, but completing all three unlocks this program-wide award- The Kansas Green School of Excellence. And there's more to explore. Kansas Green Schools offers investigations across a range of topics — Energy, Water, Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality, and School Health — as well as a Learning Community investigation that dives into outdoor learning spaces like school gardens, pollinator gardens, and biodiversity on school grounds. Complete two or more Green School Investigations and your school earns state and national recognition. Learn more at www.kansasgreenschools.org.

Before you begin, open the "Waste and Recycling Investigation" for your grade band and make a copy. Just open the document, click "File," then "Make a Copy." Rename it with your school's name and the Investigation title — for example, "Sunflower Elementary Waste and Recycling Investigation." Your team can share the link and enter data together into the investigation. K-2 Classroom Waste Investigation: Use the Classroom Waste Investigation module to lead students through sorting, weighing and categorizing the waste classrooms generate and explore opportunities for waste reduction. 3-5 Classroom Waste Investigation: Use the Classroom Waste Investigation module to lead students through sorting, weighing and categorizing the waste classrooms generate and explore opportunities for waste reduction. Bonus: Your school earns a badge for completing this investigation!

Proof: Submit any photos and the Waste and Recycling Investigation by sharing its Google link to verify completion of the Classroom School Waste section.

Before you begin, open the "Waste and Recycling Investigation" for your grade band and make a copy. Just open the document, click "File," then "Make a Copy." Rename it with your school's name and the Investigation title — for example, "Sunflower Elementary Waste and Recycling Investigation." Your team can share the link and enter data together into the investigation. K-2 Cafeteria Waste Investigation: Use the Cafeteria Waste Investigation module to guide your class through a structured study of food and packaging waste generated during school lunch. 3-5 Cafeteria Waste Investigation: Use the Cafeteria Waste Investigation module to guide your class through a structured study of food and packaging waste generated during school lunch. Use THESE (https://canva.link/v923fa7z7v0y3xw) bin labels for your Cafeteria investigation. Bonus: Your school earns a badge for completing this investigation!

Proof: Submit any photos and the Waste and Recycling Investigation by sharing its Google link to verify completion of the Cafeteria Waste section.

Invest in your own environmental education practice by attending a KDHE-endorsed conference, such as the Kansas Environmental Education Conference (https://www.kacee.org/conference) or the "Be the Change" eeCredential (https://www.kacee.org/eecredentials). Bring back new strategies and ideas to share with your classroom and colleagues. Already completed the "Be the Change" eeCredential? Other KACEE professional learning offerings count too.

Proof: Submit a photo or screenshot of your KACEE sign up screen as you register or your completion certificate.

Establish an on-site composting program that diverts food scraps from the landfill, with students helping to build, maintain, and communicate about the system. The goal goes beyond building bins — students should understand why composting matters, from reducing methane emissions in landfills to creating nutrient-rich soil.

Proof: Submit a photo of the composting setup and a brief description of how it works, who maintains it and any composting education for students.