 At 2012 ED-GRS honoree North Shore Community School in Duluth, MN students play outdoors everyday.
Editor's Note
Tomorrow, our nation will observe the transition from one presidential administration to the next. Like all other recurring publications of the Department, Green Strides will be on hiatus as it is evaluated by the incoming administration. In the interim, visit www.ed.gov for the latest news and information.
The Director’s Award recognizes
state education authorities’ exemplary efforts to administer U.S. Department of
Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS). Annually, the Director’s Award
goes to the state education official who does the most to advance sustainable
education in his or her state, by such means as running a robust nomination
process; connecting more schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions to
sustainability resources; amplifying the stories of honorees; helping schools,
districts, and postsecondary institutions connect and learn from one another;
partnering with a variety of state and non- and for-profit private sector
entities; and exhibiting a dedication to exceptional school facilities, health,
and environmental education through activities outside of the award. If you wish to nominate a state education
official, please send your nomination and justification to ed.green.ribbon.schools@ed.gov by
March 1st. Any state education official who is involved in implementing
the ED-GRS award and who has not already won the Director’s Award is eligible
for nomination. Read about the past Director’s Award recipients. >>>>
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States Nominate Now and ED-Green Ribbon Schools Announces 2017 Honorees in April
Participating state education authorities are nominating schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions to U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) by Feb. 1 and ED will announce the 2017 cohort around Earth Day. Now
is a great time to begin preparing for the 2018 application cycle by using
resources and programs on Green Strides and to contact your state authority if
it does not already make nominations. Read some common
misconceptions about the award dispelled in a blog by the director and review
Frequently
Asked Questions on all three award categories. For future cycles, 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 can find award
criteria and other state implementation guidance on the ED website and should contact U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for more information. >>>>
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Resolved to make some sustainable improvements on your school in 2017? Take inspiration from the 2016 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools and learn more about their work on Green Strides.
 Students at Egg Harbor Township High School in Egg Harbor, NJ perform water quality tests in their outdoor classroom.
Egg Harbor
Township High School, Egg Harbor, N.J.
The
Egg Harbor Township High School (EHTHS) green team introduced students to
composting during a series of sustainability science labs and then built a
schoolwide program that has students collecting, measuring, and monitoring the
process. A school garden is used as an outdoor classroom where students
receive hands-on instruction in designing, planting, maintaining, and
harvesting. The campus includes a wildlife habitat, an educational pond,
a rain garden, and an outdoor learning area. Through students’ efforts,
EHTHS increased its recycling by over 4,000 percent. EHTHS reduced
utility costs by 35 percent through energy management and education, as well as
the installation of motion-activated and LED lights, efficient appliances, and
a 454-kilowatt solar array that generates 15 percent of the school’s energy
needs. Students use the data gathered to work on yearly energy projects.
EHTHS has adopted an outdoor air quality index flag program. Course sequences
in Environmental Science and Oceanography are available to all students, and a
new course dedicated entirely to the concept of sustainability began last
fall. Students participate in Science League, Recycle-Bowl, and
Envirothon competitions. >>>>
 Students from Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Baton Rouge, LA gain hands-on experience at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.
Baton
Rouge Magnet High School, Baton Rouge, La.
The
original Baton Rouge Magnet High School (BRMHS) building was constructed in
1926, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 2012
renovations included energy- and water-saving retrofits, leading to a 60
percent reduction in energy use, improved air quality, and a 70 percent water
use reduction. BRMHS has a full-time nurse on staff who coordinates
hearing and vision checks, the administration of flu vaccinations, and serves
as a sponsor for the Healthy Lifestyles club. All students in Louisiana’s
East Baton Rouge Parish are provided with a breakfast and lunch at no
cost. BRMHS uses vending machines containing salads, sandwiches, and
yogurt parfait (also at no cost to students) to offer more healthy choices in
addition to the school cafeteria’s hot meal option. Over the last six
years, BRMHS has seen exponential growth in environmental studies
enrollment. BRMHS now teaches 200 students Environmental Science every
year and students consistently score higher than average on the AP exam.
Each year, students from the AP Environmental Science class visit a nearby
elementary school to provide a hands-on lesson on sustainability and students
enrolled in environmental courses are required to design and implement a
service learning project. Their teachers present at the North American
Association for Environmental Education conference. >>>>
 Sixth grade Urban Community School students attend a four-day, three-night environmental camp at Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center.
Urban
Community School, Cleveland, Ohio
Urban
Community School (UCS) relocated in 2005 to the near west side of Cleveland, on
a brownfield consisting of an unused warehouse and its adjacent property.
The building is occupied by 550 students from preschool through grade eight, 74
percent of whom are eligible for free or reduced price lunch. UCS
features natural light, solar panels, timed computer shut-off, and water bottle
refilling stations. Recycling is routine throughout the school, and
composting is underway in the early childhood wing. UCS partnered with
The Refugee Response and the Cleveland Botanical Garden to establish a
half-acre learning garden that assists refugees in establishing themselves in
the U.S. through produce that is sold to local restaurants. KaBoom!, a
national nonprofit that works to bring balanced and active play into the daily
lives of all children, facilitated the installation of a playground designed
for primary students. MetroHealth hospital sponsors a weekly afterschool
exercise program, and Urban offers karate classes to students. Middle
school students conducted a West Creek water quality project, working the U.S.
EPA. All students in the sixth grade go to the Cuyahoga Valley
Environmental Education Center for a four-day, three-night environmental camp,
which immerses students in watershed and sustainability concepts. Upon
returning from camp, sixth grade students develop and implement a
sustainability project. >>>>
The Green Schools Conference and Expo (GSCE)
connects green school champions nationwide for two days of learning and
collaboration to support the shared mission of equitable, healthy and
high-performing schools, where students can learn how to sustain and improve
the world around them. Green Schools National Network members
receive a discount on registration. Learn more about membership. >>>>
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The 2017 Children & Nature Network International
Conference and Summit will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from
April 18 – 21, 2017. The 2017 conference theme, “Kids Need Nature, Nature Needs
Kids,” reflects the Network’s goal of ensuring that all children have access to
the many benefits of nature — and the need to inspire new generations of
environmental stewards. The conference will promote meaningful,
cross-sector engagement to create a world in which all children have access to
nature in their daily lives. >>>>
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The Student
Conservation Corps & Congress is a week-long leadership training program for
8th to 11th grade students held annually at the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife’s National Conservation Training Center. Participants spend a week studying and
discussing environmental, social, and economic interconnections to address
climate change and conservation challenges affecting their generation in an
ever changing world. >>>>
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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.
January 23, 4-5 p.m. Balloons and Kites for Elementary Educators (NASA)
January
24, 5-6 p.m. Portfolio
Manager 101 (EPA)
January 24, 6-7 p.m. Principles of Flight (NASA)
January 24, 7-8 p.m. Future Flight Equation (NASA)
January 25, 5-5:30 p.m. Portfolio
Manager – Ask The Expert (EPA)
January 25, 5-6 p.m. Portfolio
Manager 201 (EPA)
January 25, 7-8 p.m. Staying
Healthy in Space: Engineering in Life Sciences (NASA)
January 26, 5-6 p.m. Portfolio
Manager 301
(EPA)
January 26, 8-9 p.m. How NASA Uses Math (NASA)
January 31, 4-5 p.m. Teachers
Connect: NASA LaRC 100 Webinar (NASA)
January 31, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Bernoulli’s Principle (NASA)
February 1, 5-5:30 p.m. Portfolio
Manager – Ask The Expert (EPA)
February 1, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Detecting Exoplanets (NASA)
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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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