Barrow Elementary is a school rich in heritage and tradition. Built in 1923, we are surrounded by the University of Georgia, historic neighborhoods, and the Five Points shopping hub in Athens, GA. We are enthusiastic, caring, and dedicated professionals working to meet the needs of 500 culturally diverse students in an urban setting. Consistently high test scores reflect our strong focus on academic excellence and an emphasis on inquiry based, hands on participation in a variety of environmental partnerships and initiatives.

In 2005, Barrow became the first of two public schools to pilot the ACC Green School Program. The Green School Program is a joint project of the Athens Clarke County (ACC) Recycling Division, ACC Public Utilities (Water Conservation), Transportation and Public Works (Storm Water) and Keep Athens Clarke County Beautiful (KACCB).

Their mission is to assist schools with education and improvement efforts
focusing on conservation, preservation, and beautification of the environment. Annually, the program recognizes participating schools that implement exceptional environmental education and improvement programs.

News & Information

Barrow Holds Garden Earth Science Night

Barrow Family's Enjoy Environmental Fellowship!

Environmental Webinars

Barrow Students interact virtually!

3rd Grade Georgia Habitat Study

Barrow 3rd Graders participate in interdisciplinary habitat study.

Outdoor Classroom Symposium

Glennda Shealey and Natalie Hicks awarded funding scholarships.

Soles4Souls Program

Barrow Elementary serves as a donation site for the ACC - Soles4Souls shoe drive.

Barrow Teacher Named CCSD Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to Barrow Elementary 4th grade teacher Beth Selleck.

Musical Recycling Performance

Music Teacher earns Foundation Grant

Hands on Athens Community Outreach

Local citizens support Barrow's outdoor classrooms!

Barrow students bring one for the chipper!

Barrow 4th and 5th grade students participate in annual recycling community service event.

Outdoor Classroom Symposium

2009 PRISM Grant for global conservation family science night awarded.

Alternative Recess Days Over 200 Barrow buddies particpate in monthly "alternative recess" days.

Blue Ridge Overnight Field Trip

Barrow 4th graders attended Camp Blue Ridge in Toccoa, Georgia for an annual overnight field trip.

Safe Routes to School Barrow School community members kick off our 4th annual International bike and walk to school days for the 2009-10 school year.

Barrow Girl Scout Camporee

Barrow Girl Scout Troop 2017 hosted a Camporee at Sandy Creek Nature Center.

Recycling Rangers

Students in Ms. Sheppard's 3rd grade class have been introducing fellow Barrow buddies to the school-wide recycling program and the many types of materials collected on a school-wide basis.

Eve Carson Memorial Award

Barrow Elementary 5th graders received the 2008 Eve Carson Service Learning Award for their contributions to environmental education.

Field Trip to Cine Theatre

Barrow students in grades 3 - 5 traveled to Cine Theatre to view the documentary "Arctic Tale" and particpate in a discussion on Global Warming.

Public Works Week

ACC Landscape Management, Public Utilities, Solid Waste, Transit and Transportation & Public Works are joining forces to showcase their services to K - 3 students at Barrow Elementary.

2008 Greenfest Awards

Barrow students earned distinction at the 2008 Greenfest Environmental Awards Ceremony held at the Lyndon House Gallery.

Age/Grade Level Served:
Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade

EE Programs:
After School Programs, Celebration or Special Event, Club for Students, Committee to Support School-wide EE Efforts, Environmental Monitoring/Citizen Science Projects, Environmental Service Learning Projects, Field Trips and/or Outreach Programs for Students, Overnight/Residential Programs for Students, Professional Learning Opportunities for Teachers, Teaching Materials or Kits for Teachers

Sample Partnership Events:

Agriculture Awareness Day - Barrow faculty partner with UGA Agriculture students to develop school-wide enrichment for all students. Interactive centers on soil, natural resources, water, bee keeping, tractor safety, agri-engineering, care and feeding of farm animals, equine and rodeo training, and 4H outreach are presented each spring during Agriculture Awareness Month.

Barrow Science Olympiad - Barrow Students participate in a full day of interactive science activities. Partnerships with UGA Eco Reach, Ecology, Entomology, Nutrition, Health Sciences, Physics, Biology, Forestry, and Natural Resource student outreach groups provide rotating classroom centers for students.

Artist in Residence Program - Co-sponsored by the Barrow "A is for Arts" fine arts committee, first grade students participate in a month long exploration of the GPS life science curriculum through art and dance. Students create performance based productions highlighting various aspects of plant life - pollination, metamorphasis, germination, fruit to flower, vegetation, classification, and diversity in nature.

Family Involvement:
Rivers Alive Clean Up
Safe Routes / Bike to School
Family Science Night

Community Service:
Bags for Bears – Bear Hollow/Memorial Park Recycling Program
Hands on Athens/MLK Day of Service – Barrow Grounds/Garden Clean Up
KACCB Bring One for the Chipper – Christmas Tree Recycling
Sam’s Club Return the Warmth Plastic Bottle Recycling Program

Curriculum Extensions:
AIMS / GEMS / Aldo Leopold / Native Seasons
Garden Earth / River of Words / GYSTC Science Modules
Project Learning Tree / Project WET/ Project WILD

Field Trips:
Camp Blue Ridge / Mayfield Dairy Farm / Sandy Creek Nature Center
Skidaway Marine Institute / UGA Institute of Ecology / ACC Recycling Center
UGA Vet School / Yellow River Game Ranch / Fernbank Science Center
GA Nature Center/ UGA Botanical Gardens / Jack's Tree Farm / Snipes Center

Green and Healthy School Features and Activities:
Composting, Litter Prevention, Natural Learning and Play Area, Recycling (6+ material types), Waste Reduction, Water Conservation

School and cafeteria based recycling: aluminum and steel cans, cardboard, white and colored paper, milk cartons, paper products, glass bottles/jars, polystyrene, magazines, newspaper, phone books, ink jet cartridges, plastic bottles, plastic bags.

School based composting: food and paper waste, coffee grounds, yard trimmings, vermicomposting. Our student run composting program extends microorganism GPS units.

Water conservation: on site rain barrels

Litter prevention: In 2007 we were recognized by Governor Perdue as a Youth Clean Community Challenge school site.

Safe Routes to School: Pilot School for Athens Clarke County in partnership with Bike Athens. Monthly bike to school events and bike safety programs.

Barrow Boogie 5K and Fun Run sponsored by our PTA to encourage walking/jogging in our community. Fundraiser for school–wide programming.



Outdoor Classroom Features:
Amphitheater, Compost Bin or Area, Garden - Butterflies / Insect Pollinators, Garden - Vegetables or Herbs, Native Plant Landscape, Picnic Tables, Benches, or other Study Sites, Trees, Forest or Arboretum

Our Barrow After-School Program hosts an outdoor Earth Day festival, complete with poetry readings, environmental skits, birdhouse building, bubble making, seed plantings, nature spy walks, and an outdoor concert in our amphitheatre.

Our playground and outdoor classroom facilities are open to the general public after 6:00 PM for utilization as a community park.


Recognition for Excellence in EE:
2005 Athens- Clarke County Green School
2007 Georgia Community Challenge School
2007 Green Schools Recycling Program of the Year
2007 Individual Recycler of the Year –
Elizabeth Goddard, Head Custodian, Barrow Elementary
2008 Weyerhaeuser Excellence in Recycling Award
2009 Partnership for Reform in Science and Math -
Our Shared Forest Family Science Night Event Host
2009 Clarke County School District Teacher of the Year - Beth Selleck

Barrow Elementary, GA School of Excellence

Grants Awarded:
Captain Planet, Georgia Recycling Coalition, Lowe’s, Home Depot, PRISM,
Eugene Odum, Foundation for Excellence – Clarke Co. School District

Community Partners in EE:
Bike Athens / Eaton Corporation / Earth Fare Inc.
Eco – Reach (UGA) / Georgia Recycling Coalition
Georgia State Botanical Garden / Master Gardeners
Keep Athens Clarke County Beautiful (KACCB)
Partnership for Reform in Science and Math (PRISM)
Sigma Alpha Agriculture Sorority (UGA) / TREX Company

Our programs include community outreach and service learning projects, parent/community partnerships, technology and fine arts integration, and a self-sustaining school-wide effort.




EE Professional Organization Membership:
GA - Environmental Education Alliance (EEA) of Georgia

Ecoregion(s)
Piedmont (Ecoregion 45)

Riverbasin(s)
Oconee River Basin