Make Our Mother Proud

"Get green, get glam, get ready for prom!"

How's that for school spirit? This is Teens Turning Green's national rallying cry for peers to get involved in transforming the yearly annual dance into one more excellent avenue toward sustainable living. Co-sponsored by Whole Foods, an introduction to the Project Green Prom Tool Kit reads: "Beginning with greener alternatives in hair, makeup, skin and body care products, and extending to include prom attire and accessories, décor, transportation, flowers, and so much more ... our goal is to inspire teens across the country to take action that will sustain our health and that of our planet."

With an attitude like that, Teens Turning Green is proof that being under 20 definitely has its advantages. According to their website, "Teens Turning Green is a national movement of teens transforming the world through investigating harmful exposures in daily lives, schools, and communities, advocating for change in policy and habits to protect our world, and educating our peers and the community about healthier choices."

A few years ago a group of girls formed Teens for Safe Cosmetics — a program under Judy Shils' groundbreaking Search for the Cause banner — that gets other teens involved in gaining awareness about beauty products and their links to cancer. This movement spawned Teens for Healthy Schools. The organization was founded last year with a national goal of finding green alternatives to existing toxic products and practices in schools.

This year, both of these groups came together under the single umbrella, Teens Turning Green. Recently featured in both Seventeen magazine and Teen Vogue, these girls are making noise, and making a difference. One of TTG's recent initiatives was to launch a Safe Cosmetics blog at Whole Foods and design its own personal care product line. Featuring items like Alaffia Mango Body Butter and Pomega5 Perfectly Pom Moisturizer, the Teens Turning Green Collection boasts natural, earth friendly products with no toxic derivatives.

And it doesn't stop there. "Being green isn't just about remembering to recycle, buying organic or shopping vintage — it's about a whole eco mindset, a lifestyle ... " says TTG about their newest forthcoming initiative. Stay tuned on Aug. 1, when TTG breaks out the Project Green Dorm Toolkit, a "'checklist' suggesting the green version of — everything. Whether it's buying a recycled binder, organic cotton sheets, or organic deodorant ... chances are if you make one change, you'll make two and before you know it you will be part of this global 'greenswell.''

Photo courtesy of Teens Turning Green.