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In the News
Most participating state
education authorities have December submission deadlines for 2017 U.S.
Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS), with some falling in
November or early January. Interested colleges and universities should
contact state higher education authorities,
while schools and districts should contact state education
agencies. Schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions
are only eligible if nominated by state authorities. State education
authorities’ participation is voluntary. Hearing from interested
applicants may be helpful to those states considering participation. State education authorities can find criteria and
other state implementation guidance
on the ED website and should contact U.S. Department of Education Green
Ribbon Schools for more information. Now is also a good time to
begin preparing for next year’s application by using resources and programs on Green Strides and to contact your state education authorities if they do not make nominations. Read some common misconceptions dispelled in a blog by the director and review Frequently Asked
Questions on all three award categories here. >>>>
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The latest of four peer-reviewed articles, “Greener on the
Other Side: Cultivating Community and Improvement through Sustainability
Practices,” by William Sterrett, Lisa Kensler, and Tania McKey is now available
in the Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership. >>>>
Want to make some sustainable improvements on your school? Take inspiration from the 2016 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees and learn more about their work on Green Strides.
Lakota
Middle School, which celebrated over 50 years of excellence in educating
students in the Federal Way community, rededicated a new building in 2010 with
a construction modernized to Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol, including
criteria related to site, water, materials, energy, indoor environmental
quality, planning, and operations. The
building is adjacent to an extensive wetland, and includes photovoltaic roof
panels used to educate students about solar energy. During the 2011-2012 school year, a group of
students voiced interest in creating a school within a school that advocated
for environmental sustainability, a community garden, and stewardship. The district incorporated this student vision
into the Integrated Environmental Sustainability (IES) Academy. The academy provides students with
opportunities to construct their own understandings with clear awareness of,
and concerns about, economic, social, and ecological interdependence in their
communities through direct experiences in hands-on learning in a highly
engaging place- and service-based environment.
Students learn all core subjects by solving real-world problems through
interdisciplinary, project-based sustainability learning with a service
component. They design potential solutions
to issues such as water and energy use, resource conservation, climate change,
clean air, sustainable food and product design, all while seeking to maximize
the health of their community, social equity, and a sustainable economy.
 Granton Area School District,
Wisconsin
Located
in rural central Wisconsin, the Granton Area School District upgraded lighting,
replaced high-demand appliances, and expanded technology to increase energy
efficiency. Energy conservation and
sustainable behaviors are a part of the whole school’s culture, and are woven
into the curriculum at various levels.
Granton implements a schoolwide composting project. The district uses the Wisconsin K-12 Energy
Education Program (KEEP), Project WET, Project WILD, and PLT materials, and
students can enroll in a course titled Alternative Energy Overview for
technical college credits. Water
education includes wetland lessons, aquatic biotic and water quality studies of
the creek, aquaculture, invasive species studies, fish diseases, and
pollution. Students and community
members can be seen walking, jogging, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing on
the property, and the district uses a “hooked on fishing” program at the
pond across the road. Working with the
LEAF program from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, students learn
from professionals and inventory species at bioblitz events. On field trips, students visit the county
forest, local wildlife reserve, forests, apple orchards, cranberry marshes,
parks, and the zoo. Students can
participate in FFA and the community green team, and they plant and maintain
Granton’s numerous gardens. The school has
12 raised beds, a few other plots, and even its own roto-tiller, purchased by
the green team. Students are learning
processing, canning, and preserving produce from community members. An outdoor classroom, adjacent forest land,
and playground facility serve as outstanding environmental education learning
labs.
 Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, Georgia
At
Georgia Tech, sustainability principles and practices permeate every facet of
campus life – from the locally-sourced produce in the dining halls, to the Game
Day recycling program, to the school’s Smart Energy Campus program, which is
designed to reduce energy consumption and increase building operational
effectiveness. Georgia Tech has made the
Princeton Review Green Honor Roll, Sierra Club Coolest Schools, and has earned
an AASHE STARS Gold rating. From 2003
through 2015, Georgia Tech built or renovated 23 projects to LEED Silver-level
certification or higher, certifying 2.9 million square feet of space. Major solar power arrays on campus buildings
not only generate clean electricity, but provide hands-on opportunities for
students and researchers. Data from
energy utility systems all over campus are collected through the Smart Energy
Campus initiative. A green cleaning
program led to an annual savings of 84 percent and a 56 percent reduction of
chemical use. As part of the Quality
Enhancement Plan for the years 2016 – 2021, Georgia Tech introduced
Serve-Learn-Sustain. Students work to
develop ways to help make communities more livable, sustainable, and
prosperous. This might include
developing services for the under-served, deploying community renewable energy,
supporting infrastructure for clean water, or developing local, state, and
federal environmental policy. Georgia
Tech has 21 endowed chairs and 23 research centers that include a significant
sustainability component or focus.
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The Captain Planet
Foundation is accepting the next round of applications for small grants
totaling $500-$2500. Grant activities must be project-based, performed by
youth, and have real environmental outcomes. >>>>
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In the 2017
BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge, high school-aged teams use technology to
research, interpret, apply, and design an infographic that responds to one of
four cross-curricular bioenergy topics. Register by February 3 to
test your knowledge and creativity along with student teams across the
country. Submissions are due March 3, 2017. Selected infographics
will be featured on the challenge website, and one team will be selected to
present at the Bioenergy Technologies Office's conference in Washington,
D.C. >>>>
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Create a short video about human population growth that
highlights one of the following global challenges: Deforestation, Public
Health, or Water Scarcity. All videos must include how population
growth impacts the issue and at least one idea for a sustainable
solution. >>>>
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The President’s
Environmental Youth Awards promote awareness of our nation's natural resources
and encourages positive community involvement. The program includes two
components: a regional certificate of special recognition and a national award
competition. All qualified applicants each year receive a certificate of
recognition from their EPA regional office. In addition, one outstanding project from each
region is selected to receive a national award plaque. Projects are developed
by young individuals, school classes (K-12), summer camps, and youth
organizations to promote environmental stewardship. >>>>
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The Green Strides
Webinar Series Continues
The Green Strides Webinar Series promotes sessions that provide free
tools to
reduce schools' environmental impact and costs; improve health and wellness;
and teach effective environmental education. Consult the webinar
calendar and submit suggestions of free
webinars related to school, district, and postsecondary sustainability to ed.green.ribbon.schools@ed.gov for listing.
November 29,
6:30-7:30 p.m. NASA Technology in Your Classroom (NASA)
December 01, 6:00-7:00 p.m. National Marine Sanctuaries: Lionfish (NOAA)
December 01, 6:00-7:00 p.m. Solar System
Math (NASA)
December 07, 3:00-4:00 p.m. 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water (EPA)
December 08, 4:00-5:00 p.m. Garden Ideas for Indoors (Chartwells)
December 14, 6:00-7:00 p.m. So You Want to
be a Rocket Scientist? (NASA)
December 19, 4:00-5:00 p.m. How do I
Measure This? (NASA)
December 20, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Exploring Exoplanets Using Math (NASA)
December 21, 8:00-9:00 p.m. Tracking Water from Space (NASA)
The annual Green Schools Conference and Expo, the
only national conference bringing together experts and stakeholders to
influence sustainability in K-12 schools and districts, is designed to allow
attendees to learn about creative strategies for success and to take home
real-life tools that can transform schools. Stay tuned: Early bird registration begins soon! >>>>
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The Sc3 is a week-long
leadership training event for high school students held annually at the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center in West
Virginia. Students spend a week studying
and discussing environmental, social, and economic interconnections to address
climate change and conservation challenges affecting their generation – all
while connecting with nature and new friends. >>>>
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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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