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Location: Shakopee, Minnesota
ShakoGreen!
Sustainability is at the heart of our mission.
District Project Story #1
Submitted: 4/28/25
Shakopee High is uniquely identified as a Green School. The creation of our Environmental Learning Center showcases the remarkable resources our school provides. Shakopee Schools was the first district to pass a Minnesota GreenStep Schools board resolution. The process to complete the documentation got delayed until our environmental teacher entrusted everything into the hands of one student and assigned it as a capstone project, so Shakopee High School could participate in the MN GreenStep program.
Picture from the SUN Club meeting, discussing their future plans for Shakopee GreenStep School
ShakoGreen! Sustainability is at the heart of our mission. - Project Story
ShakoGreen! Sustainability is at the heart of our mission. - Project Story
Prepared by Yuosrady Phoeurn, a student member of the Shakopee Schools Green Team
Prepared by Yuosrady Phoeurn, a student member of the Shakopee Schools Green Team
Shakogreen! - A Video by student Yuosrady Phoeurn
Shakogreen! - A Video by student Yuosrady Phoeurn
Shakopee High School has been committed to environmental education and responsibility for a long time, which led to the opening of the Shakopee Environmental Learning Center on October 2nd, 2013. Environmental education was integrated into the curriculum. This covers the understanding of nature, controlling energy use, the ability to do basic gardening, etc. The SUN club was established in 2005 by Rachael Whitehair. It stood strong as an environmental club and on May 2, 2024, SUN club became a GreenStep club.
Despite all the incredible actions that Shakopee High School features, the GreenStep opportunity never passed into our understanding until Andrew Boucher, a City Planner for the City of Shakopee and the MN GreenStep Cities Liaison, decided to reach out in July 2020 because of the potential Shakopee High School has to join the GreenStep Schools program.
The contacts in charge of the Shakopee GreenStep coordination were the Environmental teacher, Edward Loiselle, and the English teacher, CarolAnn Hook, who had been going back and forth with GreenStep about the school board resolution for Shakopee to join the GreenStep Schools program. Mr. Loiselle connected with our assistant superintendent, Jim Miklausich, to present this idea during a future school board meeting.
On Friday, March 5, 2021 City of Shakopee has officially formalized its commitment to school sustainability by joining the Minnesota GreenStep School program as a Resource Organization, demonstrating its ongoing support for local schools in implementing environmentally responsible practices and fostering a culture of sustainability throughout the community.
From March to August 2021, Shakopee High School worked to plan for becoming a GreenStep School. Edward Loiselle and Jim Miklausich worked to finalize the GreenStep resolution for the school board meeting.
On Monday, August 23, 2021, the resolution to join GreenStep schools was presented in the school board meeting. After some discussion and review, Shakopee Schools passed the MN GreenStep School resolution.
Progress to complete the rest of the application was delayed from September 2021 to April 2024, Shakopee could not fully commit to the GreenStep program officially due to some changes in the plan, and a lack of time to get the project into the big picture. However, the ideas were not forgotten. Shakopee High School continued its usual environmental education/activities while occasionally mentioning GreenStep during the SUN club meeting.
On Thursday, May 2, 2024, Shakopee Student Understanding Nature Club (SUN club) became a Minnesota GreenStep Club, marking a significant milestone in the club’s ongoing efforts to promote environmental awareness, sustainability, and student-led action within the Shakopee community.
In February 2025, Edward Loiselle, the Shakopee Environmental Teacher, guided a student named Yuosrady Phoeurn to carry on the GreenStep application process that had been paused for her Capstone project. She and the Minnesota GreenStep School Liaison worked together from gathering the Green Team members to getting the School Board Resolution recognized again. She also presented this fresh idea back to the SUN club, where they agreed to be the ones heavily involved in the Green Team meeting preparation.
In March 2025, Yuosrady Phoeurn took the opportunity to showcase Shakopee High School Green activities through a short educational video, along with some research regarding the project story application. Finally, the featured video “ShakoGreen!” was presented for her Capstone presentation. Furthermore, she continued to expand the project story application through research until everything was reviewed and finalized by the school representative.
On March 25, 2025, the Assistant Superintendent and Communication Director reaffirmed their commitment to the Minnesota GreenStep School Program once again through the school board meeting.
On March 26, 2025, the Assistant Superintendent, Jim Miklausich, and the Communications Director, Tiffany Olson, had a meeting with student Yuosrady Phoeurn and the representative of Shakopee GreenStep School, Edward Loiselle, about the commitment to the Minnesota GreenStep program. The permission to proceed was granted.
On April 28, 2025, The Shakopee GreenStep project story was approved and submitted.
Results:
The outcome of achieving GreenStep Level 1 for Shakopee High School is to recognize, maintain, and protect our current sustainability as we plan for the next step up to GreenStep Level 2. Participation will build a connection between students and staff, as well as the community as a whole. The annual review will provide a way to reflect and report on Green Team activities and updates.
Explore This Story Further
Explore This Story Further
Our Next Steps...
Benefits (to school and wider community):
Our solution to completing the project story uses the student’s capstone project to demonstrate the student’s ability in leadership and communication. SUN Club’s ongoing leadership and coordination of the Green Team will guide the school through the next GreenStep level. This approach will help build a brighter future for the next generation of the community through youth leadership and the endless opportunities that Shakopee High School provides.
Equity and Diversity Practices:
Shakopee High School recognized the significance of youth leadership, which can lead to a wonderful start in community education and communication.
Education Connections:
The completion of this project story was a student capstone project, and ongoing GreenStep coordination by SUN club will provide many opportunities for education connections.
Community Connections:
Important community connections included a City Planner of Shakopee, the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Liaison, and the Minnesota GreenStep School Liaison.
Lessons Learned:
The capstone was an incredible opportunity to move Shakopee’s GreenStep School progress forward. Without this, GreenStep recognition would not be where it is today for Shakopee High School.
The student video was also a great way for promotion, both for GreenStep Schools and for Shakopee High School.
This provides encouragement for ongoing youth leadership involvement.
Supplemental Links to Resources:
Shakogreen! a student video about Shakopee High School's environmental features and activities created as part of the Project Story submission.
Article by Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTS) on the Environment Learning Center
"Shakopee High School Brings Learning to the Outdoors Utilizing Renewable Energy" - 07/28/2014
Timeline:
In July 2020, Andrew Boucher, a City Planner for the City of Shakopee and MN GreenStep Cities Liaison, reached out to MN GreenStep Schools about City-School coordination on MN GreenStep programs to build on its existing coordination within the school district in Shakopee.
On Friday, March 5, 2021, the City of Shakopee formalizes its supportive role and joins MN GreenStep Schools as a Resource Organization
From March to August 2021, Shakopee High School made some drafts and changes to obtain permission to participate in the MN GreenStep School program.
On Monday, August 23, 2021, Shakopee High School passed the school board resolution to join MN GreenStep Schools.
From September 2021 to April 2024, While Shakopee continues its environmental learning work as always, staff changes and other events slow progress on completing the steps to become a MN GreenStep Level 1 school, but occasional meetings keep the idea alive.
On May 2, 2024, the Shakopee SUN club became a MN GreenStep Club.
In February 2025, Edward Loiselle, the environmental teacher, proposed the completion of this project to student Yuosrady Phoeurn.
In March, Yuosrady Phoeurn presented her video for her Capstone project and continued working on researching the project story.
On March 26, 2025, Yuosrady Phoeurn, Edward Loiselle, Jim Miklausich, and Tiffany Olson met and discussed the progress so far.
On April 28, 2025, The Shakopee GreenStep project story was approved and submitted.
Application Reference Details
Application Reference Details
Date: 4/28/25
Applying School District: ISD 720 Shakopee Public School
Applying Schools: Shakopee High School
MN GreenStep Schools Representative: Edward Loiselle: Shakopee High School Teacher, Representative of Shakopee Environmental Learning Center, eloisell@shakopeeschools.org
Green Team Members:
Edward Loiselle: Shakopee High School Teacher, Representative of Shakopee Environmental Learning Center, eloisell@shakopeeschools.org
School Administrator (Rotating listed members)
Jim Miklausich: Assistant Superintendent, jmiklausich@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Tiffany Olson: Director of Communications & Strategic Development, tolson@shakopee.k12.mn.us
CarolAnn Hook: English Teacher/ advisor for SUN club and FUS, chook@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Karthika Nair: President of SUN Club, 231622@shakopeeschools.org
Rachael Lee: President of SUN Club, 234161@shakopeeschools.org
Members of the SUN Club (students)
Facilities Team (Rotating listed members)
Jaime Grossman: Facility Use Specialist, jgrossman@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Jack Stroessner: Facilities Coordinator, jstroessner@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Marlene Bad Warrior: Facilities Assistant, mbadwarrior@shakopee.k12.mn.us
School Superintendent: Jim Miklausich: Assistant Superintendent, jmiklausich@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Green Team Plan: The Green Team planned to meet up a minimum of 3 times a year. Sun Club will be heavily engaged in most of the ideas. They will be the ones planning the meeting, observing what Shakopee High School needs, what to take away, and are expected to be the ones gathering more individuals who want to participate in our Shakopee Green Team, e.g., more students, staff, and community members.
School Board Resolution and Amendments:
Downloads coming soon
Acknowledgements: Without our team and support, the amazing ideas we’ve attempted would not have worked. Thanks to our partner, students, and donors who made Shakopee High School what it is now. Talking about the start of the Shakopee Environmental Learning Center, the majority of the contributions cae from financial donors, volunteers, and educational support. Even the building itself was constructed by 40 students from the Engineering and Manufacturing Academy at our school into big pictures.
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