school children learning outside

Sharpen Your Pencils

Pop quiz: is your school ready to become a Tree Campus? Good news, we’ve got a simple quiz to help you find out. The Readiness Quiz gives you a good baseline of what to expect and how to get started. 

Build Your Dream Team

Gather a crew of students and staff to help dream, plan and execute. Start with your school’s recycling or gardening clubs, and think about engaging your Parent-Teacher Organization. A good first step for your team: create your account and start your application, so you know what to plan for.

Explore Ideas, Activities, and Lesson Plans

As the school year gets into full swing, start incorporating tree-related content and experiences into your education plans. Looking for a place to start? Our Learning Hub has a curated library of lesson plans, activities, and guides for all grade levels.

Create a Hands-On Experience

Now it’s time to get some dirt under your fingernails. In addition to classroom lessons, it’s critical that students have an in-person, hands-on experience of planting and caring for trees. You can partner with local forestry organizations, and may even find a project to beautify your own campus. Don’t forget to take photos of the event for your application!

Celebrate Arbor Day as a Community

You’ve worked hard all year, so what better time to celebrate than Arbor Day? Most states celebrate Arbor Day in the spring, and observing the big day is part of the Tree Campus experience. Use it as a time to celebrate your school’s accomplishment, maybe even honoring students or staff who led your efforts.

Finalize Your Application

Tree Campus applications close at the end of the school year, but you can upload documentation of activities and events throughout the year. Once everything’s in, click submit, and we’ll be in touch.

You Did It! What’s Next?

If your application is approved, you can start sharing your accomplishments with your school and community leading into the next school year. Take some time to celebrate with your team. And now that you have the momentum of being an official Tree Campus, start looking ahead to next year and dream about how to grow your program – and your impact.