Recognizing Green
Schools, Districts, and Postsecondary Institutions this Earth Day
On Earth Day, April 22, U.S. Secretary of
Education John King announced the 2016 U.S. Department of Education Green
Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS), District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary
Sustainability Awardees. Joined in a video by Managing Director of
the White House Council on Environmental Quality Christy Goldfuss, Secretary King
celebrated the 47 schools, 15 school districts, and 11 postsecondary
institutions chosen for their commitment to reducing environmental impact,
improving health, and offering effective environmental education. You can view the video of the Earth Day
announcement here and read the blog by ED-Green Ribbon Schools
Director Andrea Suarez Falken here. View the full state-by-state list of 2016 honorees and read our annual Highlights from the
Honorees Report.
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Selecting
Nominees for U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools 2017
Are you ready for 2017?! Most participating
states post applications for schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions
each summer with deadlines to submit to them each winter. State authorities’ school, district, and
postsecondary nominations are due to ED by February 1 of each year. In addition to a total of five school
and district nominees, each state may nominate one postsecondary institution
for leadership in all three Pillars. State selection committees may include state
education agencies, state higher education agencies, governors’ offices, and
outside partners. Interested schools, districts, colleges, universities
should contact their state education
authorities for information on how to apply in a given
state. State education
authorities can contact U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for more information on how to nominate. >>>>
Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands
Publishes “Green Schoolyards” Report
“Green Schoolyards: A
Growing Movement Supporting Health, Education and Connection with Nature,” describes the significant and diverse
benefits of green schoolyards. This
report documents the journeys and lessons of green schoolyard programs shared
at a 2015 Green Schoolyard Summit, as well as the experiences and expertise of
grassroots leaders and public and private partners working at the school,
community, and city levels; policymakers from the local, state, and national
levels; and, additional research into emerging ideas, funding streams, and
innovative partnerships. >>>>
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Meet A Few of the 2016 Honorees!
We’ll be featuring the 2016 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon
Schools, District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability
Awardees who are demonstrating innovative practices for others to follow. This month, meet honorees from California,
Connecticut, and Kentucky.
Los Angeles
Unified School District, Los Angeles, California
The Los
Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the second largest school district
in the nation, serving more than
650,000 students, 76 percent of whom are eligible for free and reduced price lunch.
LAUSD has undertaken a robust
sustainability initiative aimed at reducing environmental impact and costs,
including high performance design and construction on all new schools and
modernization projects; energy audit and energy- and water-efficiency
retrofits; use of recycled water; installation of 21 megawatts of solar
capacity; innovative technology such as ground source heat pumps and low-impact
stormwater management; recycling, reuse, salvage, and composting programs; and
conversion of the district’s bus and fleet vehicles to clean and alternative
energy. To date, 78 schools have been Collaborative
for High Performance Schools (CHPS) certified. More than 375 schools have onsite gardens
maintained by students, staff, and community partners. Through the Bring the Farmer to Your School
program, local farmers visit Title I classrooms to deliver interactive
presentations about agriculture, farming as a career, water conservation, and
the importance of eating fresh produce. The district has more than 50
environmentally-themed magnets and academies.
Fifty-one high schools offer AP Environmental Science (APES) and several
schools use the district’s legacy agricultural areas and greenhouses to offer
horticulture-focused experiential programs.
Teachers from more than 440 schools have participated in sustainability
education professional development workshops.
LAUSD has developed school-based programs and curricula
that integrate sustainability concepts across disciplines, including
sustainability-related career technical education, contests, and outdoor
education; advanced learning programs that prepare LAUSD students for success
in the careers of the future; and partnerships with dozens of non-profit local
and regional entities who motivate student body to become active participants
in developing a more sustainable future.
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 Students at Coeur d'Alene Elementary School in LAUSD participate in monthly classes using school gardening as a platform for STEM and experiential learning.
CREC Two
Rivers Magnet High School, Hartford, Connecticut
Two Rivers Magnet High School (TRMHS) is an
environmental science magnet school in Hartford, Connecticut serving over 395 students
in grades 9-12, more than 50 percent of whom are eligible for free and reduced
price lunch and more than 80 percent of whom are minority. TRMHS integrates the magnet school theme of
environmental science and engineering throughout all core, elective, and
co-curricular classes, in addition to environmental STEM pathways,
theme-specific professional development, and a theme-specific senior capstone
project. TRMHS offers four exciting
theme-specific pathways for students to choose from: Aquatic Studies,
Environmental Studies, Environmental Science and Engineering, and Plant
Genomics and Biotechnology. Learning
occurs in multiple environments, including nearby parks, rivers, coastal and
mountain regions, and nature preserves. Students
at TRMHS participate in courses that teach sustainable green building design,
techniques in water quality testing, aquaponics food production, and drone and
robotic conservation efforts. Staff members participate in a CSA to bring
farm-fresh produce to the school, a program that has expanded to include
students’ families. The cafeteria offers
vegetarian and vegan choices, as well as culturally-inspired meals. As an urban school located on a former
brownfield site, the school uses local parks for recreation, and walks to many
of the fieldtrip sites. Currently TRMHS is located in the renovated historic
Colt Armory in downtown Hartford. This
factory was a former brownfield site that has been rehabbed and revitalized to
serve as the campus for three CREC schools. TRMHS has a greenhouse that
students utilize in AP Environmental Science and for their capstone
projects. >>>>
 CREC has created a living lab between the Connecticut and Hockanum Rivers where Two Rivers High School students and teachers can explore the natural world of obtaining real life field experiences.
Berea
College, Berea, Kentucky
Berea College is one of seven work colleges in
the U.S., which means that in exchange for free tuition, students, who must be
economically disadvantaged, are required to work on campus. This provides an opportunity to address
environmental and sustainability education.
Students often work as waste diversion coordinators, sustainable foods
coordinators, alternative transportation coordinators, gardeners, or childcare providers. Berea’s campus boasts the first
LEED-certified building and LEED-certified historic hotel in Kentucky, as well
as the first LEED Platinum Residential Building with Living Building Petal recognition
from the Living Futures Institute. Berea’s
innovative Ecovillage is an ecologically-sustainable residential and learning
complex designed to provide housing for student families, childcare for campus
children, and a living/labor opportunity for students interested in
sustainability. The college is well on
its way to becoming a net zero waste institution, with a 70 percent diversion
rate. With the launch of the school’s
car and ride share programs in 2014, Berea College was named a top-ranked car
share usage school in the nation. Over
25 percent of the food served in Berea’s dining facilities comes from local and
organically-sourced purveyors, much from the school’s own 400-acre organic
farm. The college’s Farm Store offers
organic produce, meat, and other locally-sourced products to the community and
provides discounts to students, faculty, and staff. The Center for Excellence in Learning through
Service enables students to volunteer in local non-profit organizations and
schools to solve real-world sustainability problems. >>>>
 Berea College's Farm Store offers organic produce, meat, and other locally-sourced products to the community and provides discounts to students, faculty, and staff.
Every Kid In the Park Prepares for A Second Cohort of
Fourth-Graders!
As part of President Obama’s commitment to
protect our nation’s unique outdoor spaces and ensure that every American has
the opportunity to visit and enjoy them, the Every Kid in a Park initiative
allows fourth graders nationwide to obtain a pass for free entry for them and
their families to more than 2,000 federally managed lands and waters nationwide
for an entire year. The second year of
this annual program will begin on September 1, which is when current third
graders will be eligible to download their passes. Parents, teachers, and community
organizations can lead fun, educational outings for kids currently in the 4th
grade to any national park, national forest, or other federal land or water
site across the country. More
information to help plan trips is available on the Every Kid in a Park website
and Scholastic has developed activities. You can follow Every Kid in the
Park on Twitter and Facebook. >>>>
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May
02, 2016, 6:30-7:30 pm Journey
to Mars: Roving the Red Planet
(NASA)
May
03, 2016, 6:30-7:30 pm Journey to
Mars: Understanding Radiation (NASA)
May
04, 2016, 6:30-7:30 pm SLS
Engineering is Out of This World (NASA)
May
05, 2016, 6:00-7:00 pm Journey
to Mars: Looking for Life (NASA)
May
09, 2016, 6:30-7:30 pm Exploration
of Mars Through the Eyes of the Rovers (NASA)
May
10, 2016, 2:00-3:30 pm School
IPM Educational Program (EPA)
May
10, 2016, 4:00-5:00 pm Virtual
Missions and Exoplanets Part 1: (NASA)
May
11, 2016, 1:00-2:30 pm The
Impact of Green Buildings on Cognitive Function (EPA)
May
11, 2016, 4:00-5:00 pm Virtual
Missions and Exoplanets Part 2: (NASA)
May
12, 2016, 6:00-7:00 pm Journey
to Mars: Destination Mars- Super Models
(NASA)
May
17, 2016, 2:00-3:00 pm School Garden and Mental Health Challenges (SF USA)
May
17, 2016, 2:00-3:30 pm Ants--#1
Pest in Schools (EPA)
May
17, 2016, 6:30-7:30 pm Parachuting
onto Mars (NASA)
May
18, 2016, 3:00-3:45 pm Community Food
Systems in Native Communities: (USDA)
May
24, 2016, 1:00-2:00 pm Portfolio
Manager 101 (EPA)
May
24, 2016, 4:00-5:00 pm Air
and Space- Contrails – Clouds and Human Activity (NASA)
May
25, 2016, 1:00-2:00 pm Portfolio
Manager 201 (EPA)
May
25, 2016, 5:00-6:00 pm Journey
to Mars: Kinesthetic Problem Solving (NASA)
May
25, 2016, 7:30-8:30 pm National Marine
Sanctuaries: Climate Change (NOAA)
May
26, 2016, 1:00-2:00 pm Portfolio
Manager 301 (EPA)
May
26, 2016, 2:00-2:45 pm Planning for Farm to School
Success (USDA)
May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
Each year, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of
America (AAFA) declares May to be National Asthma and Allergy Awareness
Month. Asthma affects approximately 25.9
million Americans and more than 50 million Americans suffer from all types of
allergies. AAFA offers tools to bring healthy messages to work, school and
home. >>>>
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Endangered
Species Day is May 20
Zoos, aquariums, botanic gardens, wildlife
refuges, conservation groups, national parks, museums, and schools throughout
the country will hold tours, open houses, special presentations, exhibits,
milkweed plantings/butterfly garden installations, habitat clean-ups/other
restoration events, children’s activities and more on May 15, that weekend
and throughout May. Participate in a local event or take action individually. >>>>
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The Children and Nature Conference is May 25-27 in Saint Paul,
Minn.
The Children and Nature Network 2016 Summit and
Conference will take place May 25-27 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The conference provides opportunities to
engage with leaders from a wide-range of sectors and peers to learn about
cutting-edge initiatives, share lessons learned, activate collaboration, spark
new connections, and chart a path for expanding the movement. >>>>
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The Student Climate
& Conservation Congress is June 26-July 2 in Shepherdstown, WV
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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The Green Clean Schools Leadership
Institute is July 28-29th in Ellicott City, MD
This training will bring together leading university
and K-12 facility operators in an effort to grow the green cleaning movement. It will include hands-on leadership skill
training and workshops; expert panels and discussions on how to create a green
cleaning program; an in-depth tour of an award-winning program; and the opportunity
to network with other leaders in the field.
Some scholarships are available for school representatives. >>>>
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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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