ED Honors 2016 School, District, & Postsecondary
Sustainability Awardees in DC
On July 20th, the 2016 U.S. Department of Education
Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary
Sustainability Awardees received accolades at a ceremony in Washington, DC for
their sustainable, healthy facilities, wellness practices, and sustainability
learning. Deputy Secretary of Commerce
Bruce Andrews, Federal Chief Sustainability Officer Christine Harada, Deputy
Director of the Center for Green Schools at the USGBC Anisa Baldwin-Metzger, and
Secretary of Education John King congratulated honorees and announced the
relaunch of the Green Strides Tour, which will head to Pennsylvania this fall.
You can view video and photos from the ceremony, reception, and iPad photo booth. Read
the press release, blogs (“Celebrating Five Years of Incentivizing Sustainable
Schools Practices” and “Why I can’t Wait to Get Back to the Green Strides Tour”) and the Director’s closing remarks. We invite you to share ceremony photos and
impressions with us on Twitter (EDGreenRibbon) and Facebook (EDGreenRibbonSchools) using hashtag #EDGRSCeremony or #EDGreenRibbon.
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 Representatives from Whitehouse School in Whitehouse Station, NJ receive their award during the 2016 recognition awards ceremony on July 20th in Washington, D.C. Whitehouse convened its first school-level green team in 2011, and teachers worked with students to offer an assembly where an “energy hog” was introduced as an analogy for environmentally unsustainable behaviors.
State Authorities Prepare for 2016-2017 Award Cycle
U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) began
in 2011-2012 by defining the term “green school” according to three Pillars and recognizing 78 schools.
In 2012-2013, ED added a District Sustainability Award and honored 64 schools
and 14 districts. It also initiated an
annual tour spotlighting the practices of honorees and launched a Green Strides
portal with resources for all schools to employ. The 2013-2014 cycle named 48 school and 9 district honorees and introduced the Director’s Award to honor state officials advancing school
sustainability. In 2015, the Postsecondary Sustainability Award debuted, with nine
colleges and universities, 14 districts, and 58 schools recognized, and saw the
revamping of Green Strides. This year, the award honored 47 schools, 15
districts, 11 postsecondary institutions, and one state official.
For 2016-2017, states are now preparing their applications and
will post them by the fall with deadlines to submit to them in the winter. State authorities’ school, district, and
postsecondary nominations are due to ED by February 1, 2017 and 2017 honorees
will be announced on April 24th, 2017. Interested colleges and universities should
contact their state
higher education authorities, while schools and districts should contact their state education agencies.
State education authorities’ participation in
nominating school, district, and postsecondary candidates is voluntary. Hearing from interested applicants may be
helpful to those considering 2015-2016 participation. State education authorities should contact U.S. Department
of Education Green Ribbon Schools for more information and can find updated criteria and other state implementation guidance on our website.
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Summer is a great time to take inspiration from the
2016 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability
Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees. Make plans for sustainability projects in the
coming year and learn more about their work on Green Strides.
University
of Montevallo, Montevallo, Ala.
Founded in 1896, the University of Montevallo
(UM) was the first university in Alabama to implement a Green Fund. From the use of energy management software,
to major upgrades to the central plant, to solar-powered pedestrian crossing
signage, the University uses strategies of all magnitudes to reduce effect on
the environment. Renovations and upgrades in existing buildings
including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning changes; window, lighting,
and solar shade installation; and roof and insulation replacements have
resulted in numerous efficiencies and improvements in electricity, gas, and
steam savings, as well as reductions in water usage, heat gain, and energy
loss. Facilities and security staff
employ a fleet of electric vehicles. The
“Table to Garden to Table” initiative reduces food waste by composting unused
vegetable matter from the cafeteria to fertilize the UM organic community
garden. Produce grown in garden is
donated to local families in need. Two
mason bee hives were installed in 2014. UM
recently added wellness amenities at University Lake, including canoes, kayaks,
and a 1.3-mile fitness trail with 10 exercise stations. UM and the city of Montevallo partnered in
2011 to create the first citywide bike sharing program in the state of Alabama. Montevallo offers a minor in Environmental
Studies with an option to major through the Interdisciplinary Studies
Program. Since 2011, the university’s
Environmental Stewardship Award has honored students for their academic
achievement, service, and leadership potential.
The James Shepherd Wylie Observatory is the region’s premiere,
completely accessible telescope, in a complex designed to meet LEED Platinum
standards. >>>>
 Students in a Montevallo class on public art designed and created unique bike racks that not only promote physical activity and environmental responsibility, but also help further beautify the already unique campus.
Hellgate
High School, Missoula, Mont.
Hellgate High School has served the community of
Missoula, Montana for over 108 years.
The sustainability initiative at Hellgate High School is guided and
driven by Hellgate High School’s environmental group, known as Students Against
the Violation of Earth (S.A.V.E.), which includes recycling, composting,
gardening/earth week, and grant writing committees, each with a student chair
and supporting member students. Instead
of having just one day devoted to sustainability, the school hosts an entire
Earth Week of events, including a celebrated "Trashion" Show. The school works with local community
partners to incorporate sustainable features and programs, such as the rooftop
garden and solar panels. Students work
with the Montana Conservation Corps to build trails, and Habitat for Humanity
to build homes. Hellgate also hosts
leaders of sustainability from around the country to speak about sustainability,
such as individuals from the U.S. Green Building Council, NWF, and the U.S.
Forest Service. Hellgate has a
well-developed recycling and resource efficiency program that includes solar
panels and composter. The school has
used its energy audit and data collection as a basis for ongoing analysis and
the creation of an energy management plan.
Hellgate currently has an ENERGY STAR rating of 77. The school hosted Montana Crunch Time, a
statewide celebration of local foods. Students
engage in experiential and place-based learning activities that enable them to
incorporate sustainability topics into their life experience. >>>>
 Hellgate students engage in experiential and place-based learning activities that enable them to incorporate sustainability topics into their life experience, including an annual “Trashion” show.
Park Forest
Elementary School, State College, Pa.
Park Forest Elementary School (PFE) tracks
resource usage in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, beginning with a score of 73
and progressing to 84. The school has
reduced its waste footprint greatly in its move toward zero
waste. PFE
participates in the Earth Force service action program, whereby students
identify a problem and work collaboratively to address it. PFE garnered a three-year grant from the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection that allowed the school to
establish a professional development model that encouraged the use of the
schoolyard. Efforts include a nature trail, greenhouse, composting program, raised bed
gardens, a cold frame, honeybee hives, rain gardens and wetlands, a pollinator
garden, bluebird and bat boxes, an amphitheater, weather stations, an
interactive sundial, and an animal observation area. Each year, students participate in Apple
Crunch Day, Walk to School Day, and Go for the Greens. With the support of a grant, the physical
education teacher purchased bicycles to teach bicycle safety and recreational
riding to all fifth graders. Twenty-five
percent of food served in the cafeteria is locally grown. >>>>
 Using the four lenses of community, democracy, inquiry, and environment, PFE works to provide opportunities for all learners to engage meaningfully in authentic learning experiences. Park Forest hosts an annual schoolwide campout.
The 2016 Eat Learn Live and Grow School Garden Grant
Application Deadline is Aug. 31
Planting the seeds of health and wellness, the
2016 Eat, Learn, Live, and Grow Grant sponsored by Chartwells K12 in
partnership with KidsGardening.org offers funding for schools seeking to
enhance their curriculum and offer food and nutrition education through an
edible garden program. Any public or private school serving students in
grades K to 12 and planning a new or expanding an established garden program is
eligible to apply. >>>>
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Spotlight on A
Resource: The Learning Lab, Available
Free Until Sept. 1
Learning Lab is a new online education platform that
provides K-12 teachers and school leaders with comprehensive project- and
STEM-based curriculum encouraging student leadership, sustainability literacy,
and real-world action. The catalog, which includes 320+ lessons in English and
Spanish, is accessible for free before September 1, so be sure to check it out,
and learn more or contact learninglab@usgbc.org
for more information about accessing best-in-class sustainability education
resources in the coming school year. >>>>
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Apply for a GreenWorks! Environmental Education Grant by
Sept. 30
Project Learning Tree offers grants up to $1,000
to schools and youth organizations for environmental service-learning projects
that link classroom learning to the real world. Students implement an action
project they help design to green their school or to improve an aspect of their
neighborhood’s environment. The projects
partner students with their whole school, local businesses and/or community organizations,
and provide opportunities for student leadership. >>>>
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Apply for Captain Planet Foundation Small Grants by
September 30th
Captain Planet Foundation’s (CPF) Small Grants
fund environmental stewardship and service-learning projects that engage
children in critical thinking, research, inquiry investigations, and real-world
environmental problem-solving. CPF’s
Small Grants are given in five major areas: Earth (recycling, conservation, and gardening projects), Fire (energy conservation and
renewable energy projects), Wind (air
pollution and pollinator conservation projects), Water (water conservation, watershed, and monitoring projects) and
Heart (community vitality
and outdoor education projects). Grants
provide educators with the funding needed to purchase equipment, materials, or
supplies. >>>>
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August
02, 2016, 6:30-7:30 pm NASA Resources for Home
School (NASA)
August
03, 2016, 12 -12:30 pm Portfolio Manager - Ask The
Expert (EPA)
August
10, 2016, 12 -12:30 pm Portfolio Manager - Ask The
Expert (EPA)
August
11, 2016, 1:00-2:30 pm Finding Solutions for
Hard-to-Recycle Items (CURC)
August
11, 2016, 6:00-7:00 pm Real
NASA Data: Discovering New Planets
(NASA)
August
17, 2016, 12 -12:30 pm Portfolio Manager - Ask The
Expert (EPA)
August
23, 2016, 1:00-2:00 pm Portfolio Manager 101 (EPA)
August
24, 2016, 12 -12:30 pm Portfolio Manager - Ask The
Expert (EPA)
August
24, 2016, 1:00-2:00 pm Portfolio Manager 201 (EPA)
August
24, 2016, 1:00-2:00 pm Kids Impacting Community
Policy (Safe
Routes to School)
August
25, 2016, 1:00-2:00 pm Portfolio Manager 301 (EPA)
August
25, 2016, 6:00-7:00 pm Real
NASA Data: Hurricanes (NASA)
August
30, 2016, 4:00-5:00 pm Real
NASA Data: Clouds and Contrails
(NASA)
August 31, 2016, 12 -12:30 pm Portfolio
Manager - Ask The Expert
(EPA)
Green Apple Day of Service is Saturday, Sept. 24 at YOUR
School
All over the world,
communities are coming together to improve local schools, making an impact on
the environment, supporting health and wellness, and advancing environmental
and sustainability literacy. Since 2012, more than 750,000 volunteers have
hosted some 12,660 events with a collective impact on the learning environments
of approximately 7 million students in all 50 U.S. states across 73 countries.
Visit greenapple.org for ideas and resources, and sign up to host
or join an event in your community. >>>>
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Greenbuild 2016 is in Los Angeles, CA Oct.
5-7th
Greenbuild
is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. It
features three days of speakers, networking opportunities, industry showcases,
LEED workshops and tours of the host city's green buildings. With the theme “Iconic
Green,” the 2016 conference celebrates the icons of the movement - those who
are working in the trenches today and those who are leading the way into the future. >>>>
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The 2016 AASHE Conference and Expo is Oct. 9-12 in
Baltimore, MD
The
AASHE Conference & Expo brings together some 2,000 campus administrators,
sustainability staff, students, faculty, businesses, media and others to
explore more than 400 educational sessions, workshops, tours and keynote
addresses that advance sustainability in higher education. This year's theme, “Beyond the Campus,”
explores the dissemination and implementation of sustainability solutions in
surrounding communities and the world. >>>>
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The
North American Association for Environmental Education Conference is Oct 19-22
For
more than four decades, NAAEE has convened one of the leading annual
conferences for environmental education professionals, from classroom teachers
and teacher educators to nature center staff to climate science researchers and
everyone in between. Averaging 1,000 participants each year, the event is
designed to promote innovation, networking, learning, and dissemination of best
practices. This year’s conference, with
the theme “From Inspiration to Impact,” is in Madison, WI. This is the first
year the conference is offering a green schools track and there will be several
sessions related to ED-GRS. >>>>
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EDSpaces is Nov. 2-4 in Cincinnati, OH
EDspaces
is the gathering place for architects, facility planners, designers,
administrators and dealers to learn about trends and experience the latest
products and services to enhance student learning. >>>>
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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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