October’s Sustainability Spotlight is shining on Amy Swanson from Sheridan Elementary School. Swanson started working at Sheridan 7 years ago and has been their Sustainability Champion ever since! Currently, Swanson is the school’s Media Specialist and, in this role, she has incorporated sustainability and the outdoors into her students’ everyday routines.
“As a librarian, you have to be a little bit of a champion for the world, right?” she said, “And sustainability is part of that.”
‘Swanson makes the most out of Sheridan’s outdoor classroom, hosting many outdoor and garden-related activities such as trash walks, rock decorating, and outdoor reading. She has also encouraged other staff to take their students outside and has supported seed-starting, art projects, and Sheridan’s Walk, Bike and Roll to School event. She credits Sheridan’s community spirit with making all of these activities possible and successful.
“That kind of ‘Sheridan culture’ where we take care of each other is always around.We are a part of this community; this school really does have a magic, and we just can’t deny it. But I think part of it is deeply rooted in taking care of the neighborhood, and that we are a community.”
Over the summer, Swanson hosted Summer Library events where students and community members were encouraged to have hands-on interactions with many outdoor-related activities. The first activity focused on worms, another on rocks and minerals, and her favorite activity was focused on plants. As a part of this activity, Swanson teamed up with the community so participating students could take home tomato and herb plants alongside books, extending outdoor learning to their homes.
“It just made my heart just soar. We can take these, and they were like, ‘I can plant a plant?’ I was like, ‘Yes, you can!’”
She finds that one of the most rewarding parts of this program is getting students excited about nature and outdoor activities.
To get inspired for the many activities that she takes part in and encourages staff to incorporate into the students’ learning, Swanson looks at the Green Schools Recognition Program for where they can earn points. In the 2025-26 school year, Sheridan earned 210 points, achieving “Greenest” recognition and receiving a $200 sustainability funding reward. She says that moving learning to the outdoor classroom is one of the easy activities that she checks off their list.
“I’ve looked at some of the things that we can do to get points, and I’m like, okay, so easy to go outside and read. It’s so easy to tell teachers that they can go outside and do math. The outdoor classroom is just a huge part of the kids here too. I think teachers try to use it as much as they can.”
Swanson highlights that part of the importance of letting students learn outside is unplugging from devices and fully experiencing the world around them. By having students interact with nature, she feels that they are building a lifelong connection with the planet, and with their school community. Beyond clean-up projects, and outdoor crafts and activities, Swanson encourages students to view the outdoors as a place where they can continue to learn and be involved with making a difference.
I think the biggest thing about sustainability is just really teaching that lifelong connection. This is our earth, and you really have to make sure that you are doing your part. Yes, we are 400 people in this building, but 400 people make a really big deal."
She continues this messaging through indoor activities as well, highlighting books such as The Water Princess by Susan Verde and connecting the issues discussed to current environmental topics, such as the impact of AI on natural resources.
Another book connection that Swanson has made within Sheridan classrooms is the Golden Sower book The World’s Best House Plant. After reading this book, Swanson provided every classroom at Sheridan with a houseplant that the students got to name and take care of with their class. She also encourages students to help out with taking care of plants all across the school and in the library.
Beyond plants, Swanson also encourages students to practice sustainable waste practices. She noted how she sees students sorting compost and recycling in their classrooms and always making sure to place their trash in the correct bins. Students are also tasked with helping to save energy through sustainable classroom task lists that include turning off the lights when they’re not in use. She highlights the impact of small tasks on the environment and the ways that students view the space around them.
“It’s the small things that will lead to building people who think about those things maybe don’t even have to think about it because it’s just part of what we do.”
Swanson’s biggest piece of advice to staff wanting to get more involved is to try to make sustainability and outdoor learning a part of your school culture. She encourages staff to make sustainable practices and ideas a part of their everyday classroom experiences. She explains that she believes that sustainability and learning to take care of the environment is a part of life that can be taught and explored by educators.
The advice that I would give is just: we are teachers, we are educators, and this is a part of life. This is making sure that we are taking care of other things, not just the everyday curriculum. This is life skills. These are life skills that we have to teach, to make a better world.”
LPS Sustainability is very proud of Amy Swanson and all of the hard work that she has put into incorporating sustainability into Sheridan’s culture and everyday experiences. We cannot wait to see what she and the outstanding Sheridan Sharks accomplish in this coming year.