The Greening of Schools, Neighborhoods

The Ezeilos are captains of a globetrotting green team. Through their foundation and company, they're spreading eco-love to elementary schools and bringing more parks and paths to urban and rural communities on two continents.

"The next generation should be aware of the finite side of our natural resources," says Angelou Ezeilo, 38, who founded the nonprofit Greening Youth Foundation last year. Her husband, James, 42, manages a for-profit sister company, Greening Youth LLC, which he started in 2007.

The Ezeilos are helping schools and cities develop eco-conscious policies from the inside out. Their international effort teams schools, companies, small towns and major cities to raise awareness about environmental damage and work toward a cleaner planet.

Miles Ezeilo, 10, and Cole Ezeilo, 7, the founders' sons, are members of the Greening Youth Foundation's Eco Force.

The foundation's C.L.E.A.N. program, which stands for "children living energetically advancing nature," helps third-grade students understand the value of clean land, air and water. Its Eco Force Clubs bring together fourth and fifth graders, who spearhead green efforts in their schools.

For example, the Eco Force Club at Brookwood Elementary School in Snellville, Ga., about 25 miles northeast of Atlanta, is working with Nike (NKE Quote) to hold a shoe-recycling drive in the spring. The goal is to collect shoes whose materials can be reused in playgrounds and gym floors.

The foundation also evaluates schools' energy usage and waste creation, and tries to find ways to trim both. The biggest culprit is usually paper, which makes up 65% of school waste. The Ezeilo's organizations are working together to redirect paper to recycling plants instead of landfills.