D65 Sustainability Update: Mar 26

D65 bus drivers got a recent sneak peek in early March at the new additions to the STA (Positive Connections) school bus fleet. Funded by the US EPA Clean School Bus grant, these 10 electric buses will hit the road later this spring serving our D65 students!

We're excited to celebrate Earth Month (April) in all our schools this year. Check out our D65 Plans and plan your April school celebrations including signing up for a Climate Action Project.

Learn more about our D65 partnership with Climate Cycle and how to participate & support our fundraising efforts via the North Shore Century Ride on September 20, 2026.

We're excited to host an End of School Clean Out again in 2026, coordinate with your School Leaders and sign-up by May 6 to participate. Learn more about our End of School Clean Out and our 2026 process, timeline and resources.

In 2025, our D65 schools mobilized to gather leftover school supplies that would typically go to the landfill. We encouraged sharing and reuse within our schools and D65 Families and recovered $2150 of school supplies to offset purchasing new supplies! Remaining items were donated to our D65 Family Wellness Program, Art Makers Outpost, and SCARCE.

Interested in planting new trees on our D65 school grounds this Fall? Make sure to use our refreshed D65 collaboration & approval process and submit your request by May 31.

Helpful Resources:

• School maps to identify viable spaces for new tree plantings, in partnership with Natural Habitat Evanston and our D65 Team.
• Approved Tree and Shrubs for D65 School Grounds to use when planning your tree planting requests.

Spring Seasonal Practice from April - May 15, reminder to our native planting stewards to trim or cut back any large plants that overwintered to make room for new spring growth.

Please update the Maps of Native Plantings on D65 School Grounds to identify existing native plantings on your school grounds including contact names / emails / phone numbers for the person / team stewarding each native planting area.

Please update your school's contact information for the 25-26 school year, including:

• Climate Action Team Chair(s)
• School Garden Team Chair(s)
• Climate Club
• School PTA and Newsletter emails

Evanston Community Cares & ETHS- in collaboration with many orgs & pantries are hosting another city wide food drive event at ETHS on March 28th.

All are welcome to sign up to volunteer, youth with a caretakers & families and teens in Highschool are encouraged to volunteer and will receive official community service hours.

Additionally all those who volunteer and want to pack their own box of food and essentials are welcome to take their items on Saturday as this is a mutual aid event. No other distributions will happen on Saturday. Sunday is the day of distribution from 12-3.

Here is the schedule:

• Friday: 1-5 PM Art Makers Outpost: Drop off Essentials & Non Perishable Food at (For people heading out of town for spring break)
• Saturday: 9 AM-12 PM Dawes Park—Truck drop-off of all items on list
• Saturday: 12-5 PM: ETHS Food, Essentials & Gift Card Drive up & Drop off
• Saturday: 5-6 PM ETHS Pantry pickup from the fieldhouse
• Sunday: 12-3 PM ETHS Family & Individual Distribution: Drive up & pick up

We welcome collaboration from anyone who would like to get involved and would love to have you on board to help!

Questions? Contact Val Kahan at val@artmakersoutpost.com.

Evanston Community Cares (ECC) is a new grassroots effort created by local residents and leaders to ensure that every neighbor has reliable access to food, essential services, and emergency support. In response to the federal shutdown, SNAP disruptions, job loss, and rising financial pressures, our fund provides fast, compassionate mutual aid when families need it most. Learn more about how to support and get involved.

The Evanston Community Fridges are looking for community members to help shop for, clean, and deliver food for the three community fridges in Evanston. Evanston’s three community fridges provide free food and toiletries to any community member, anytime. To read about the donation guidelines and fridge locations, please visit https://www.evanstoncommunityfridges.com. To learn how to get more involved, please email evanstoncommunityfridge@gmail.com.

ESCCA, the Evanston School Children’s Clothing Association, is hard at work fulfilling its historic mission - to make sure no Evanston child misses school for lack of warm clothing or shoes. ESCCA opened its doors to District 65 children just before the start of the school year so they could visit our store and choose warm clothing, coats, shoes, boots, socks, undergarments, and more. ESCCA has received over 150 referrals so far this school year.

There are many ways to get involved with ESCCA:

• Consider purchasing something from our Amazon Wishlist which we continue to update with the items we need most. Click HERE!

• Contribute financially to ESCCA to help us purchase clothing for the shop. Click HERE!

• Drop off warm clothing in The Clothing Bin - located at 1500 McDaniel Drive (behind the D65 Building)

• Volunteer with ESCCA!

At Harbert Payne Park, a native plant steward has set aside a wooded area in the park as a potential spot for a nature play area. The site could also include a grassy area of the park near the forested area.

Interested in leading and/or volunteering to help make this Nature Play Area a reality? Contact Celia Michener at cemgroupc@gmail.com.

• SWANCC Waste Reduction and Litter Clean Up Grants - open year-round

• D65 Sustainability Website
• D65 Sustainability and Garden Resources Library
• D65 Climate Action & Garden Community Contact List
• D65 Sustainability Positive Impact: 24-25 School Year
• D65 Sustainability Positive Impact: 23-24 School Year
• D65 Sustainability Positive Impact: 22-23 School Year
• D65 Sustainability Newsletter Archive