 Dog sled racing students from Conserve School, a 2014 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School, participate in the Three Bear Sled Dog Race held each February in Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin, defining the course at a trail crossing while a four-dog team passes.
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. If you wish to nominate a state education official, please send your
nomination letter to ed.green.ribbon.schools@ed.gov by
February 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 work of past ED-GRS Director’s Award
recipients. >>>>
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This
fall, the U.S. Department of Education invited state education authorities to
nominate schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions for U.S. Department
of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) 2018. As stated in the award criteria, in addition to a total of five
school or district nominees, each state may nominate one postsecondary
institution for leadership in all three pillars, for a total of no more than six
nominees. State selection
committees may include state education agencies, state higher education
agencies, governors’ offices, and outside partners. Interested schools,
districts, colleges, and universities should contact their state education authorities for information on how to be
considered for nomination. State
education authorities can contact ED-GRS for more information. Nominations from states will be accepted on
a rolling basis until March 31,
2018. >>>>
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As you hunker down for winter at school, take inspiration
from the 2017 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for your own efforts in 2018. View the honorees and
read about their work on Green Strides.
 At Chiaravalle Montessori School, toddlers tend the organic garden; preschoolers sort recycling; elementary children work to restore endangered prairielands and manage schoolwide worm composting.
Chiaravalle
Montessori is an independent school for children ages six months through eighth
grade. In 2015, Chiaravalle completed
construction of the North Wing, a multi-story, LEED Platinum replacement for an
aging annex attached to a historic school built in 1898. Sustainable features include geothermal
heating and cooling, photovoltaics, a green roof, use of renewable materials,
and a high-performance building envelope.
Montessori philosophy places emphasis on caring for and understanding
the natural world. Middle school students take multiple weeklong
outdoor education trips and grow hydroponic basil for a local restaurant. Waste-free lunches, nontoxic cleaning
products, and organic food are part of a comprehensive, sustainable education.
Students enjoy being in an active school where they can move throughout their
day. They sit on the floor, at tables,
or use standing desks, and have freedom to use the entire building as their
learning space instead of being seated at a single desk for many hours. Students as young as three years old can decide
to take a movement break; opportunities for sports, yoga, dance, and meditation
are offered daily; and active transportation is strongly encouraged. Chiaravalle has a student Green Team that
works with peers, faculty, and parents to encourage waste-free lunches; raise
money for ecological nonprofit initiatives they wish to support; teach their
peers how to use the compost bins; and initiate other student projects. Chiaravalle has a green purchasing policy
that prioritizes organic foods and ecofriendly products and processes whenever
possible and cost effective. >>>>
 During the 2011–12 school year, CCUSD launched the Green5 co-curricular sustainability education program to increase awareness among students and staff about recycling; reducing waste, energy use, and water consumption; reusing materials; engaging in active transportation; and rethinking local solutions to global problems.
In
October 2010 the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) Board created the
Environmental Sustainability Committee to help the district become more
environmentally and fiscally sustainable, and foster an ecoliterate and
globally responsible student body. In
2011 the ESC facilitated a third-party baseline energy audit of the school
facilities, created a sustainability master plan for the school board, and
began working on bringing a 750 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system to the
district’s main campus. As
of February 2014 the solar panels accounted for approximately 82 percent of
the energy needs of the three schools and delivered over $500,000 back into the
district’s general fund each year. CCUSD retrofitted all lights with LEDs and all restrooms with low-flow
fixtures. In 2014 CCUSD received a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rebate to replace two old diesel-fueled buses with new, cleaner,
low-emission buses. Since 2014 the amount of materials being sent to the landfill by CCUSD
has been reduced by more than 50 percent, for a districtwide diversion rate
exceeding 80 percent. The Green5 program now includes annual school assemblies; student and staff leaders at each school site; trainings on energy and
water auditing and waste reduction analysis and techniques; annual recycling competitions; districtwide administration, analysis, and
dissemination of the My Actions Count Survey three times each year; a robust
Safe Routes to School-sponsored Walk 'n Rollers Program; an expanding partnership with Culver CityBus Green Fleet; an
award-winning food program; and a program focused on reducing
food waste and sharing food with local families. There is also an air quality program, a green
cleaning pilot, and a mindfulness pilot underway, as well as edible and
learning gardens in every school. All elementary students have garden class as
part of formal instruction. At the
middle and high schools, all students are eligible to participate in garden
clubs. There are seasonal farmers
markets at all schools. The district
offers a science camp on Catalina Island, students participate in coastal
cleanup, and some grades participate in the Trout in the Classroom program. CCUSD holds all physical education classes
outdoors except in rain, and each school site
has a school nurse or health aid onsite at all times. Each elementary school also has either a
full-time or part-time school psychologist as well as a school counselor. The Sandy Segal Youth Health Center, located
on the main campus, provides free quality health care for hundreds of Culver
City youths each year, along with supportive services and health education
benefiting entire families. In addition
to 30 minutes of physical education every day, all elementary schools have a
total of 60 minutes of recess for free play in outdoor spaces. In June 2016 the school board passed an
Environmentally Preferential Purchasing Policy and Administrative
Resolution. >>>>
 Keene’s LEED Platinum educational building was built to support STEM education.
Keene State
College’s mission statement articulates core values of environmental
stewardship, sustainability, social justice, and equity. Keene State conducted a baseline greenhouse
gas inventory using the Clean Air/Cool Planet’s Campus Carbon Calculator, and a
baseline performance evaluation using the AASHE STARS assessment yielded a
Silver rating. Some key accomplishments
include the school’s innovative, first-in-the-nation initiative to replace
polluting heating oil with a carbon neutral biofuel made from 100 percent
purified recycled vegetable oils, which currently comprises 36 percent of the
school’s annual fuel use. The college’s food
waste education and composting programs support 30 percent diversion of waste receiving
accolades from the EPA Food Recovery Challenge.
Keene State emphasizes organic landscaping using compost made from
dining hall kitchen waste. The college’s
new, state-of-the-art, high-performance residential living and learning center
is designed to help achieve the aim of carbon-neutral/fossil free buildings
by 2030. The school community has
established a socially and environmentally responsible investment option. Sustainable health initiatives range from a
host of outdoor clubs and fitness programs, to a commitment to local and
fair-traded food. Environmental and sustainability education at Keene State engages the
whole curriculum, with every student required to complete 40 Integrative
Studies credits. Keene State offers four majors (environmental studies, geography,
sustainable product design and innovation, and safety and occupational health
applied sciences) that explore key relationships between environmental, energy,
and human systems, and some 35 percent of all academic classes address
environmental or sustainability topics. The Putnam Science Center houses
biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and geography—as well as a rooftop
greenhouse. Another point of pride is
the Ecovation Hub Education Research and Training Consortium, which is a collaborative
effort to develop a regional higher education center for green building and
community development that fosters sustainability and resilience. >>>>
The Green
Cleaning Award for Schools and Universities recognizes schools with outstanding
green cleaning programs. The application for the 2018 award is now available
online. Applications are due on Jan. 16, 2018. >>>>
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Are you
committed to building healthy schools, collaborating with diverse stakeholders,
and creating the conditions for every child to have a healthy, successful life?
You may be eligible for the America’s Promise Healthy Schools Fund. Three
to five two-year grants of up to $300,000 are available for organizations
working toward creating healthier school environments for all children.
Applicants from 20 priority states are eligible. The deadline to apply is
January 22, 2018. >>>>
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The Captain Planet Foundation’s ecoSolution Grants
(previously called “Small Grants”) have been the defining basis of the
organization’s work over the last 25 years.
The foundation has funded over 2,100 projects that have impacted 1.2
million youths around the world—actively fulfilling its mission to build the
next generation of environmental stewards and change-agents. ecoSolution Grants
range from $500-$2,500 and are intended to support solution-oriented, youth-led
projects that result in real environmental outcomes. >>>>
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Projects include a variety of ecological improvements
along with targeted community outreach, education and stewardship. Ecological improvements may include one or
more of the following: wetland, riparian, forest and coastal habitat restoration;
wildlife conservation; community tree canopy enhancement; water quality
monitoring; and stormwater management. Projects should also increase access to
the benefits of nature, reduce the impact of environmental hazards and engage
local communities, particularly underserved communities, in project planning,
outreach, and implementation. >>>>
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The
National League of Cities and Children & Nature Network are requesting
applications for city governments interested in technical assistance, with
pass-through funds, to connect children to nature more equitably. Applicants are encouraged to attend an
informational webinar on Jan. 12, 2018 at 1-2pm ET. >>>>
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The
National Park Trust’s Kids to Parks Day National School Contest is now open.
The contest is open to all Title I schools and school groups in the U.S. in
grades pre-K through 12. The goal of the Kids to Parks Day National School
Contest is to help educators engage students with their local parks through
education, outdoor recreation, and stewardship. >>>>
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The President’s
Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) recognizes outstanding environmental
projects by K-12 youth. PEYA promotes awareness of our nation's natural
resources and encourages positive community involvement. The Presidential
Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) recognizes outstanding
K-12 teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education. PIAEE’s
winners will be awarded up to $2,500 to be used to further their professional
development in environmental education. The teacher's local education agency
will also receive up to $2,500 to fund environmental education activities. >>>>
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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. (Note: All times listed are ET.)
Jan. 9, 3–4:15 p.m. Placing
Equity at the Center of Farm to Early Care and Education (National Farm to
School Network)
Jan. 11, 1–2 p.m. Portfolio
Manager 201 (EPA)
Jan. 16, 6:30–7:30 p.m. NASA
Aeronautics: Exploring the Extreme (NASA)
Jan. 17, 3–4:30 p.m. Infusing
Sustainability Principles and Practices into Study Abroad (AASHE)
Jan. 17, 6:30–7:30 p.m. NASA
Spotlites – Science for Students by Students (NASA)
Jan. 18, 1–2 p.m. Portfolio
Manager 301 (EPA)
Jan. 22, 6:30–7:30 p.m. How
NASA Plans to Get Humans Back to the Moon (Exploration Mission 1 (EM1)
(NASA)
Jan. 29, 6:30–7:30 p.m. The
Evolution of the Spacesuit – Dressed for Space (NASA)
Feb. 21, 2–3 p.m. National
Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series: Virtual Dives into America’s
Underwater Treasures (NOAA)
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The
9th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference will be held April 25–27, 2018 in
Cincinnati, Ohio. Hosted by the National
Farm to School Network, this biennial event convenes institutional cafeteria stakeholders
who are working to source local food and promote a culture of food and
agricultural literacy across the country. Registration will open January 2018. >>>>
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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, allows attendees to learn about
creative strategies for success and take home real-life tools that can
transform schools. Registration has begun! >>>>
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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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