Why ED-Green Ribbon Schools?

• History• Authorities and Programs• ED as connector & communicator

of best practices and resources

Let’s Look at How and Why ED-Green Ribbon Schools Came to Be

• Public request to EPA, ED and White House • Concept launch with heads of EPA, ED and

CEQ in April 2011, indicating the pilot year cohort would be named in spring 2012.

• Summer 2011 developing award criteria and nomination infrastructure, consulting with associations, states, national and local NGOs, school communities, technical experts, the public, and numerous federal partners.

Campaign Steering CommitteeCampaign for Environmental LiteracyEarth Day NetworkNational Wildlife FederationU.S. Green Building Council

Supporting Organizations (National)Alliance for Climate Education Alliance to Save Energy American Architectural FoundationAmerican Federation of TeachersAmerican Montessori SocietyAssociation for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher

Education BlueGreen AllianceCommittee on Architecture for EducationCouncil of Educational Facility Planners International Council of Environmental Deans and DirectorsEarth ForceGreen Charter Schools NetworkGreen Community SchoolsGreen Fox SchoolsGreen Schools AllianceGreen Schools InitiativeGreen Schools NetworkGREENGUARD Environmental InstituteHealthy Schools CampaignHispanic Access FoundationNational Association of Elementary School PrincipalsNational Association of Independent SchoolsNational Audubon SocietyNational Clearinghouse for Educational FacilitiesNational Council for Science and the EnvironmentNational Education AssociationNational Energy Education Development ProjectNational Green Schools CoalitionNational Green Schools NetworkNational School Boards AssociationNational Science Teachers AssociationNorth American Association for Environmental EducationOcean FoundationProject Learning TreeU.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable DevelopmentZerofootprint Challenge for Schools

Supporting Organizations (State)Arkansas Environmental Education AssociationCalifornia Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education Environmental Education Alliance of GeorgiaEnvironmental Education Association of AlabamaEnvironmental Education Association of New MexicoEnvironmental Education Association of OregonEnvironmental Education Association of WashingtonEnvironment Education Connections of South DakotaEnvironmental Education Council of OhioEnvironmental Educators of North CarolinaHawaii Environmental Education AllianceIdaho Environmental Education AssociationKansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education Kansas Green Schools ProgramKentucky Association for Environmental EducationKentucky Environmental Education Council Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor EducationMaryland Green SchoolsMinnesota Association for Environmental EducationMissouri Environmental Education AssociationNebraska Association for Conservation and Environmental EducationNew York State Outdoor Education AssociationOregon Green SchoolsPennsylvania Association of Environmental EducatorsRhode Island Environmental Education AssociationSouth Carolina Green Steps SchoolsTennessee Environmental Education AssociationTennessee Environmental Literacy Working Group Texas Green Ribbon Schools Utah Society for Environmental Education Vermont Sweep: State-Wide Environmental Education ProgramsWashington Green SchoolsWest Virginia Green SchoolsWest Virginia Environmental Education Association Wisconsin Green & Healthy Schools

How ED-Green Ribbon Schools Works

• Honors schools, school districts and institutions of higher education (IHEs)

• Tool to encourage new collaborations among state education authorities, both PK-12 and postsecondary, and various inter-agency and inter-sector partners.

• Communicates best practices and resources.• Recognition; not a grant.

• Reducing environmental impact and costs; • Improving health and wellness;

and • Providing effective environmental

education.

Consensus-Based Pillars

A Means To Use Existing Resources to Achieve Current National Goals…

Economic health and stability• Improvements to school facilities create jobs.• Conservation measures save schools money. • Preparation for the green economy.• Strengthen the nation's energy security. • Conserve critical natural resources.

…And Educators’ goals

Student Achievement• fostering health, wellness and achievement• providing a well-rounded education• increasing STEM skills, knowledge and

engagement• ensuring students’ college and career

preparedness • civic skills and values

…And Postsecondary Aims

• Reduced college costs• Increased completion rates• Green career connections• Increased civic skills

What ED-Green Ribbon Schools is Not

• NOT a new rating system.• NOT tied to any one program or standard;• Encourages schools, districts and

postsecondary institutions to use pre-existing programs and standards in three Pillars.

• Promote ALL of the many federal and other sector resources, programs, and standards in the area of the three Pillars.

Selecting Nominees in States

• Interested schools, districts and IHE’s must be nominated by their state education authorities and cannot apply directly to ED.

• Each authority is invited to nominate up to five schools or school districts and a single IHE that they assess to be the highest performing in their jurisdiction, based on the authorities’ evaluation of applicants’ achievement in all Pillars and every Element.

School and District Nominees

• Schools must be nominated by their state education authorities.

• Mechanism for private, BIE and DOD schools. • State education authorities evaluate schools

based on 3 Pillars• Compliance with federal, state and local civil

rights, health, safety and environmental laws. • Based on their evaluation, state authorities send

nominees to USED.• Encourages underserved nominees.

Postsecondary Nominees

• IHEs must be nominated by their state education authorities and cannot apply directly to ED.

• State Higher Education Executive Officers, Governors and Associations form state nomination committee.

• Committees evaluate schools based on 3 Pillars• Encouraged to take into account diversity. • Based on their evaluation, state authorities send

nominees to USED.

States’ Applications

• No required federal application.• Each state evaluates its candidates as it wishes

and submits documentation showing how nominees are high performing in every Pillar and Element.

• This can be a question-by-question format or a narrative summarizing accomplishments in each Pillar.

• Sample application templates provided to state authorities for their use and adaptation.

• Green Strides with Webinars• Highlights Report• Newsletter and Social Media• Ceremony and Announcement• Best Practices Tour

Communicating Best Practices and Resources

Results

• 204 schools; 23 districts• 30+ participating states• New state collaborations• New federal collaborations• More resources into schools

Timeframe for Pilot Timeframe for Pilot

• Spring: ED provides refreshed criteria• Summer: State authorities encouraged to

indicate their intent to submit nominees to USED. • Sept: States begin selection processes• Winter: State application deadlines (vary by

state)• February 1: States submit nominees to ED. • April 22: USED announces honorees. • July: USED hosts national recognition award

ceremony.

The ED-GRS Calendar

Additional Information

Website ed.gov/green-ribbon-schools and ed.gov/green-strides

Facebook EDGreenRibbonSchools

Twitter EDGreenRibbon

Email green.ribbon.schools@ed.gov.