Elementary and high school students showcase sustainability projects to Lake Oswego school board

Students from Westridge Elementary, Lakeridge Middle School and Lake Oswego High School told the school board on Tuesday night that hands-on projects and clubs are building sustainability habits.

"We collect paper and other recyclable materials and make sure they are sorted correctly," said Leona, a 5th grader at Westridge Elementary, explaining her school's recycling efforts. Students described composting that turns waste into soil, a community garden where they plant and learn about food systems, and STEAM projects that reuse materials for engineering challenges.

At Lakeridge Middle School, a teacher filling in for a student presenter relayed an 8th grader's through-line from early outdoor-school composting to architecture features in the Middle School: "Robbie was able to create this kind of through line in our conversation about sustainability," the teacher said. Lake Oswego High School senior Millie, a member of her school's Green Team, said students have lobbied at the State Capitol on environmental bills and conducted a cafeteria food-waste audit that led to outreach with elementary schools.

Board members asked students how classroom work translated to home habits, and praised the district’s strategic push on sustainability. The board noted upcoming partnerships — including a planned field trip with the Lake Oswego Watershed Council and a planned district collaboration with the city's sustainability advisor council to strengthen composting programs.

The student presentations were part of a broader meeting that also included public comment on technology and district updates on assessments and proposed fees.