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How Can My School Become A U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School?

by
Bill Whorton

The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, as described in last week’s blog, will recognize schools that save energy, reduce costs, feature environmentally sustainable learning spaces, protect health, foster wellness, and offer environmental education to boost academic achievement and community engagement. Beginning in the 2011-2012 school year, the Department will recognize schools where staff, students, officials and communities have worked together to produce energy efficient, sustainable and healthy school environments and to ensure the sustainability and environmental literacy of graduates.

The Nomination Process

State education, Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) authorities serve as the first line of application in the school selection process. These education authorities evaluate schools based on their facilities’ environmental impact, school health, and environmental education, as well as their compliance with federal civil rights and federal, state and local health, safety and environmental statutory and regulatory requirements. Based on the evaluation, authorities select nominees to send to U.S. Department of Education.

At this time, there are not yet single designated Green Ribbon contacts in every state education office for schools to contact, though there are some exploratory committees, green schools programs and other officials that are taking lead roles. This will vary from state to state. In the next few weeks, interested educators can support the Green Ribbon Schools program by asking their state that there be a Green Ribbon contact, so that state departments of education give consideration to facilities, health and environmental education. Because state authorities’ participation in the Green Ribbon Schools recognition award is voluntary, their decision as to whether to participate in the pilot year may depend on hearing from interested school communities, principals and superintendents. In short, a Green Ribbon Schools recognition award is not yet a certainty in every state, but can become a reality with the public’s help in asking that their state participate in nominating schools to ED.

In the pilot year (2011-2012), participating states will select their top four schools as nominees to send to the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education will review all of the state-nominated schools and expects that as many as 50 awards will be made in 2012, with the goal of expanding within five years to approximately 200 awards per year. These numbers are approximate and the Department may award more or fewer, depending on the nominations it receives.

The Review Criteria

The U.S. Department of Education will base its selection of Green Ribbon Schools on pillars and corresponding elements that are broad reaching and inclusive of many of the elements of existing green schools programs, although they may be stated slightly differently. The Green Ribbon Schools Pillars and Elements are:

I. Environmental Impact and Energy Efficiency

  • Reduced or eliminated greenhouse gas emissions, using an energy audit or emissions inventory and reduction plan, cost-effective energy efficiency improvements, conservation measures, and/or and on-site renewable energy and/or purchase of green power;
  • Improved water quality, efficiency, and conservation;
  • Reduced solid and hazardous waste production, through increased recycling, reduced consumption, and improved management, reduction, or elimination of hazardous waste streams; and
  • Expanded use of alternative transportation to, during and from school, through active promotion of locally-available, energy-efficient options and implementation of alternative transportation supportive projects and policies.

II. Healthy School Environments

  • An integrated school environmental health program based on an operations and facility-wide environmental management system that considers student, visitor and staff health and safety in all practices related to design, construction, renovation, operations, and maintenance of schools and grounds; and
  • High standards of nutrition, fitness, and quantity of quality outdoor time for both students and staff.

III. Environmental and Sustainability Education

  • Interdisciplinary learning about the key relationships between dynamic environmental, energy and human systems;
  • Use of the environment and sustainability to develop STEM content knowledge and thinking skills to prepare graduates for the 21st century technology-driven economy; and
  • Development of civic engagement knowledge and skills, and students’ application of these to address sustainability and environmental issues in their community.

Nominees demonstrating exemplary achievement in all three Pillars and every Element, according to the Framework will be ranked highest in the state and national competitions for U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools recognition. The U.S. Department of Education tentatively plans to receive nominations from state authorities in late winter, and would then be able to host a recognition award ceremony for winning schools by the end of the school year. The firm deadline for state’s submission of nominees to ED will be announced in the coming weeks.

For additional information on this program and the application process, please refer to the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools website and facebook page. You can also email your questions about this program to green.ribbon.schools@ed.gov.