About
Our Mission
The Growing Up Green Charter School (GUGCS) supports children to be conscious, contributing members of their community through a rigorous, anti-racist, anti-bias curriculum and an engaging green culture. Graduates of GUGCS will be prepared to attend high-performing schools where their interdisciplinary academic foundation, knowledge of sustainability, and strong sense of self sets them apart as leaders and social justice advocates of the future.
Our Vision
GUGCS envisions an inclusive and diverse school community devoted to doing the work to create an equitable space. GUGCS places students at the center of their education through authentic, relevant, and rigorous learning experiences grounded in inquiry. Graduates of GUGCS will be innately curious learners, open-minded thinkers, compassionate critics, productive problem-solvers, and passionate challengers of the status quo who embrace differences. Graduates will act to promote an environmentally sustainable future and will face personal and social adversity with a growth mindset.
Core Values
Kindness
Kindness is being generous and considerate with ourselves and others.
Collaboration
Collaboration is the practice of working together.
Courage
Courage is the ability to bravely speak, think and act for what we believe.
Social Justice
Social Justice is our practice of actively taking a stance to fight against inequities and injustices to strive for a more equitable future for all.
Key Design Elements
Green Education
Green principles inform our curriculum, instruction, and culture. Each day, students participate in Explore and Discover Time, where our green themes emerge during social studies projects that incorporate skills from all other subjects.
Hands-On Learning in the Local Environment
Our model prioritizes hands-on, multi-sensory learning through activities such as our weekly Science Lab lessons, and local engagement with many regular field trips.
Actionable Assessment System
Growing Up Green uses internally developed “Looking Forward, Looking Back” assessments. We created these to guide curriculum development and instructional planning to the highest standard, and to evaluate our programs, focus professional development and support teacher growth.
Deliberate School Culture
At Growing Up Green, sustainability refers not only to resources, but also to relationships. We use the Responsive Classroom approach in our elementary schools, and Developmental Designs in our middle schools, which emphasize combining academics with emotional development. This encourages students to build social skills and fosters a positive learning environment.
Professional Environments
Growing Up Green expects teachers to be active learners and models of lifelong learning for students. We foster collaboration and growth among our teachers and staff, and give them the support they need to do their jobs well. We promote an environment where our green values are central, which includes how our teachers and staff approach and execute their roles.
Intervention and Support Systems
At Growing Up Green, our internal data systems allow us to quickly identify struggling students so that we can immediately respond with additional supports and interventions to ensure each student makes continued progress.
History
Growing Up Green Charter Schools first opened in 2009 in Long Island City serving 150 students in kindergarten and first grade. It has since expanded to two schools, one in Jamaica and one in Long Island City, that serve almost 1,400 students from across Queens. Our K-8 students are a diverse population of learners who graduate 8th grade and go on to some of the top-performing high schools in New York.
This success over more than 15 years is no accident. It is a result of an outstanding team of administrators, teachers, social workers, deans, and operations folks who are committed to giving Growing Up Green students the academic, social, and emotional support they need to succeed at the highest level. These outcomes are a product of the strong relationships Growing Up Green has built with the families of its students and the partnerships developed with community leaders in Queens.
