Municipal Services

Go Green

Go Green Week

As part of our efforts to encourage environmental stewardship, the City of Turlock offers various activities and programs to students to teach earth-friendly behaviors. The cornerstone of our school-age public education campaign is the City of Turlock’s “Go Green Week” program.

In 2008, Sandra Tovar Medeiros Elementary School participated in the first-ever “Go Green Week” on April 21st-25th. The program focused on activities to educate students about the importance of environmentally-responsible behavior. Through a partnership involving City staff, teachers, administrators, community organizations, volunteers and parents, students learned about conservation and pollution prevention strategies such as recycling, composting, water conservation and waste reduction activities. The week included activities such as; school site visits by local business representatives, recycling contests, and a “Wear Green Day”. Green bracelets were distributed to every student to wear throughout the entire week. The week is coordinated annually, in conjunction with National Earth Day and coincides with the City of Turlock’s annual “Arbor Day” Tree Planting Celebration. Classroom presentations for every Kindergarten through 6th grade class were conducted throughout the week provided by representatives from local entities such as: California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock Irrigation District, Stanislaus County Department of Education and Department of Environmental Resources as well as the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Turlock Recycling Company, The Great Valley Museum of Natural Science, The Greenery Nursery and The City of Turlock Municipal Services Department. The presentation topics were selected by the teachers to reinforce learning that had already taken place in the classroom. The program concluded with a school assembly on Friday afternoon (with a visit from one of the “Team Green” mascots), where the recycling contest winners were announced and given prizes, and each student became honorary members of the “Team Green” kids club.

Now in it’s 6th year, Go Green Week is celebrated at most K-12 school sites in the Turlock Unified School District. With approximately 12,075 students and faculty participants, the program has helped to divert approximately 15,820 lbs. of material from the landfill, plant 114 trees, and assist with fundraising efforts to raise nearly $6,000 for the schools through the recycling contest activity.

Go Green Week seeks to engage youth citizens of Turlock in individual and collective activities to improve their health, to improve their schools and to inspire participation in building solutions for a sustainable future. By recognizing that our future success is tied to their understanding and acceptance of socially just endeavors, Go Green Week aimed to educate the children of today’s society in order to instill a sense of responsibility for the quality of living in Turlock in the future.

Go Green Week Testimonials