ED to
Announce 2016 Honorees on Earth Day, April 22nd
Each year, U.S. Department of Education Green
Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) asks state authorities to send their highest performing
nominees (up to five PK-12 schools or districts and one postsecondary
institution) in three areas that we call Pillars. Pillar I is “Reducing
Environmental Impact and Costs,” including waste, water, greenhouse gases,
energy, and alternative transportation. Pillar
II is “Improving Health and Wellness,” including physical activity, nutrition,
and environmental health. Pillar
III is “Teaching Effective Environmental Education, including STEM, civics, and
green careers. These handful of selectees help us to communicate
promising practices and resources in our Green Strides newsletter, social media,
and tour that all schools can employ. The 2016 federal review and
selection process is underway! ED received a total of 79 nominations from 27
nominating authorities, including 25 states, the District of Columbia, and
Department of Defense Education Activity, with over half of them
disadvantaged. The nominees include 12 postsecondary institutions, 15
districts, and 52 schools. Secretary of Education John King’s announcement
of the 2016 honorees will be made available on the Department’s YouTube site at 2 p.m. ET on April 22, 2016. >>>>
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See You at the 6th Annual Green Schools Conference
& Expo!
The
Green Schools Conference & Expo brings together educators, school
administrators, business and community leaders, nonprofit partners, green
building professionals, students, parents, and many others. The sixth annual
conference and expo scheduled for March 31-April 1 in Pittsburgh. >>>>
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ED Opens Competition for Regional Educational Laboratories
The
Department of Education opened the competition for the next generation of Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs). Each of the 10 RELs
conducts applied research; seeks out and widely disseminates findings from
high-quality research; and provides training, coaching, and technical support
for applying research to education improvement. The next RELs are expected
to begin their work in early 2017 and continue for a period of 60 months. >>>>
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Meet More of the 2015 Honorees
U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, District
Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees are
demonstrating innovative practices for others to follow:
Discovery
Elementary School, Everett, Wash.
Discovery Elementary, a level 3 Washington Green
School, decreased its trash output 62 percent, and increased recycling 25
percent and composting 66 percent.
During an energy audit, small personal refrigerators were removed from
around the school. Energy Monitor was
added to the list of classroom roles.
The technology department provided flat-screen monitors and removed all
tube-style monitors, also changing settings so the monitors automatically shut
down. The school replaced the boiler
with a more energy-efficient model and placed new weather stripping around
doors and windows. The school now has
guidelines for thermostat temperature settings as well as an automated HVAC
system. Discovery purchases products
made from and packaged with recycled materials and staff members avoid plastic
bags and items with excessive packaging.
Whenever possible, the community uses rechargeable batteries and both
sides of paper. The cafeteria has
replaced disposable trays with durable ones.
Students participate in essay contests and write about their dreams to
make their school, community, and the world a better place by protecting the
environment. Students participate in
Earth Day and Green Apple Day of Service, school grounds trash pick-up, and
know not to waste water. Discovery
formed a Verde Garden Team to organize a place where students and families
could come together to experience the joy of gardening, including fruits and
veggies, cedar worm bin, greenhouse, and herb garden. Thanks to a variety of local partners,
students visit a fish hatchery, wetlands, estuary, beach, lighthouse, nursery,
and farm. Fifth-grade students are enrolled
in a fitness program which monitors and measures their physical activity. Intermediate students are offered a bicycle
safety workshop. Staff members also
challenge each other to log hundreds of miles on their personal bikes instead
of driving to work, and participate in Bike to Work and School Month. >>>>
 Fourth Graders get ready to work in the Discovery Elementary School garden during Earth Week.
Pine
View School for the Gifted, Osprey, Fla.
In 2011, Pine View School for the Gifted
partnered with the University of Central Florida Solar Energy Center to install
a 10 kW solar array as part of the SunSmart E-Shelter Program. Over the subsequent
three years, the solar array generated an estimated 50,000 kW/h.
Pine View earned EPA ENERGY STAR certification in 2012. The school has saved thousands, and has
helped the Sarasota School District save $16,000,000 in energy costs since
2007. The school has diverted 43 percent
of its solid waste from landfill through recycling and composting. In the past two years, the E-Waste Tuesday
program has helped divert 2,300 pounds of electronic waste from th e
landfill. In 2014, over 400 runners
participated in the school’s first sponsored race. Pine View participates in
the USDA’s HealthierUS Schools Challenge, the Alliance for a Healthier
Generation’s Healthy School Program, and a farm to school program. The gardens on campus include a tower garden
where herbs and tomatoes are grown, and six raised garden beds that multiple
classes use, and the high school sustainable gardening club’s organic garden
and green roof project. Outdoor learning
opportunities include sustainable gardening, green roof work stations funded by
Toyota, a Nature Trail, and a solar array.
At the elementary level, the foreign-language department studies marine
vocabulary while singing songs from Finding Nemo. At the middle-school level, the math
department teaches lessons through the use of nature and photography. In high school, students study sustainability
in economics classes, put on a “Trashion Show” in their advanced placement (AP)
Environmental Studies class, and volunteer for coastal clean-ups. A unique band, called The Garbage Men Band,
uses instruments made of repurposed materials to spread the word about
recycling. Students are encouraged to go
into sustainability-related careers, attend sustainability conferences, and visit
organizations like The Florida House Institute. >>>>
 The Pine View Garbage Men Band offers a 2015 Earth Day performance using recycled materials instruments.
Auburn
University, Auburn, Ala.
Auburn
developed and adopted a Climate Action Plan in 2010, and identified a range of
strategies to help curb emissions. Since
2010, the university has designed and built over 36 percent of its new square
footage to LEED certified standards. The
university has explored the application of alternative energy through the
installation of a geothermal system at the athletic facility, as well as by
erecting solar array projects. Auburn
has been designated a Tree Campus USA every year since 2009, and features
cisterns, bioswales, rain gardens, dry stream beds, and pervious pavement. The community celebrates No Impact Week
annually. One of the primary methods
through which the university supports alternative transportation is the Tiger
Transit bus program. The university’s
purchasing and use preference for certified green cleaning products helps
reduce chemical exposure for building occupants. The Academic Sustainability Programs focus on
training students and faculty in the concepts and application of
sustainability; expanding the incorporation of sustainability into the
curriculum; fostering interdisciplinary sustainability research; and
overseeing, advising, and administering the minor in Sustainability
Studies. Over 300 courses in 42
departments offer sustainability-related content. Students have the opportunity to engage with
a variety of sustainability topics with study abroad of Regional Sustainable
Technologies in northern Spain, Climate Change and Environmental Management in
Panama, or Watershed Services in Costa Rica.
>>>>
 Faculty members use the campus as a living laboratory to provide sustainability-focused, active learning opportunities beyond the classroom, such as touring the Donald E Davis Arboretum to learn about using green infrastructure to manage stormwater in a more sustainable manner.
Mar.
02, 2016, 12-12:30 pm Ask
the Expert (EPA)
Mar.
03, 2016, 2:00-2:45 pm Food
Safety (USDA)
Mar.
03, 2016, 6:00-7:00 pm Robotics
on a Budget (NASA)
Mar.
07, 2016, 6:30-7:30 pm Calculator
Robotics (NASA)
Mar.
08, 2016, 6:30-7:30 pm Technology
Drives Exploration: Spinoffs (NASA)
Mar.
09, 2016, 10-11:00 pm The
ABC’s of School Gardens (Healthy Schools Challenge)
Mar.
10, 2016 1:00-2:00 pm Energy
Star and Green Building Rating Systems (EPA)
Mar.
10, 2016, 6:30-7:30 pm Technology Demonstration Challenges (NASA)
Mar.
16, 2016, 6:00-7:00 pm Space
Telescopes- Eyes in the Sky (NASA)
Mar.
17, 2016, 1:00-2:00 pm How
to Apply for the Energy Star (EPA)
Mar.
17, 2016, 2:00-2:45 pm Promoting
Your Farm to School Program (USDA)
Mar.
17, 2016, 6:30-7:30 pm Light
but Strong: A Lesson in Engineering
(NASA)
Mar.
22, 2016, 1:00-2:00 pm Portfolio
Manager 101 (EPA)
Mar.
22, 2016, 6:30-7:30 pm Making Waves
with NASA: Optics Resources (NASA)
Mar.
23, 2016, 1:00-2:00 pm Portfolio
Manager 201 (EPA)
Mar.
24, 2016, 1:00-2:00 pm Portfolio
Manager 301 (EPA)
Mar.
30, 2016, 1:00-2:00 pm Tackling
WaterSense - Outdoor Systems (EPA)
Mar.
31, 2016, 2:00-2:45 pm School Gardening (USDA)
Apply to Participate in the Student Climate and Conservation
Congress by Mar. 15
The Green Schools Alliance invites students who
have demonstrated leadership in their communities to participate in the Student
Climate & Conservation Congress. Hosted
at the U.S. Fish Wildlife Service’s
National Conservation Training Center, students and educators selected to
participate in the week-long Congress expand their understanding of
environmental, social, and economic interconnections, and create year-long
commitments to meet 21st century challenges. >>>>
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International School Meals Day is March 3
For the last three years, schools around the
world have celebrated International School Meals Day. Among the aims of International School Meals
Day are to raise awareness of the importance of the nutritional quality of
school meal programs worldwide; emphasize the connection between healthy
eating, education, and better learning; connect children around the world to
foster healthy eating habits and promote well-being in schools; share success
stories of school meal programs around the globe; and raise awareness of the
hunger and poverty issues being addressed through school feeding programs. >>>>
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National Healthy Schools Day is April 9th
Since 2002, parents, teachers, school nurses,
custodians, advocates, and agencies have promoted National Healthy Schools Day
activities nationwide. Whether you are
at the beginning stages of investigating school environments or have an
established Indoor Air/ Environmental Quality program, you are invited to host
a local activity that educates others and celebrates your school’s successes. National Healthy Schools Day is coordinated by
Healthy Schools Network in partnership with many agencies and organizations.
National Healthy Schools Day promotes the use of EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools
guidance as well as other EPA environmental health guidelines
and programs for schools and children’s health. >>>>
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Building Community Resilience Through Education Summit is April
6
Join educators and students focused on answering the
question, “How can we build community resilience through education?” Summit
activities will include a keynote address from climate activist Bill McKibben,
a panel on community resilience and education, informational sessions,
professional development workshops, a collaborative activity, field trips, and
a participant forum. >>>>
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Connect with Green Strides
Green Strides: Resources for School Facilities, Health, and
Environment
U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools
Facebook: @EDGreenRibbonSchools
Twitter: @EDGreenRibbon
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