Green Ribbon School Award

The US Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award (ED-GRS) honors public and private schools, school districts and institutions of higher education that are exemplary in all three of the following areas:

• ·         Reducing environmental impact and costs
• ·         Improving health and wellness of schools, students, and staff
• ·         Providing effective environmental education

Combined progress in ALL three of these areas, collectively known as Pillars, serves as the basis for recognition. Each Pillar is divided into Elements, which provide further guidance on each of the three main areas. ED-GRS aligns with the Department of Education’s cross-cutting goals for education, including improving student, staff, and facility performance and increasing efficiency at the federal, state, and local levels.

Awardees receive a plaque and a flag for the school, local recognition, and an invitation to the national ceremony in Washington, DC. The awards are announced on Earth Day and the national award ceremony occurs in the summer.

Chief State School Officers, in collaboration with state offices of higher education, nominate schools for this award by February 1. Most often states use an application process to select the nominees. To participate in the program, state coordinators should indicate an interest to the program coordinator’s email address below.

More information is at the program website: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/index.html

The ED-GRS program coordinator is: Andrea Suarez Falken, andrea.falken@ed.gov, (202) 2505-O708

Twitter and Facebook: @EDGreenRibbonSchools

ED Green Ribbon Schools Fact Sheet: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/factsheet.pdf