 Going for a 2019 Green Ribbon?
The 2018 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) were announced on May 16. See the list of selectees, a press release, and a report about these schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions that are achieving sustainability gains in facilities and grounds, health and wellness, and environmental literacy. Read this blog highlighting the actions of a few of the 2018 honorees.
If your institution has not already been recognized, now is a great time to begin preparing for the 2019 application cycle by using resources and programs available on Green Strides. Read some common misconceptions about the award dispelled in a blog by the director and review Frequently Asked Questions on all three award categories. 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 eligible only 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 information. >>>>
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Congratulations to the 2018 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees. View the honorees and read about their work on the Green Strides website and ED awards page.
 At Mendon-Upton Regional School District’s Nipmuc Regional High School, students lay down compost. School garden vegetables are used in district cafeteria salad bars and donated to the Mendon Food Bank during the summer months. The district has also partnered with the Mendon Senior Center, which lends volunteers to help students with garden maintenance.
Mendon-Upton
Regional School District, Mendon, Massachusetts
Mendon-Upton Regional School District
(MURSD) entered into a power purchase agreement with 2.4
million kWh of solar production generated from two ground arrays in Dighton, Massachusetts and a series of seven large solar carports on the campus of the district's
middle school. MURSD also worked with National Grid to
retrofit every interior and exterior lighting fixture in the district to LED.
Between these efforts, Mendon-Upton saves approximately
$132,000 in electricity costs annually. All
four schools in the district have technologically advanced HVAC and control
systems that regulate heating and air ventilation to optimum comfort,
quality, moisture level, and efficiency.
The district has used only green cleaning products for at
least a decade. Schools implement
wellness weeks and participate in Fuel Up to Play 60. The food services department has forged a partnership with Maple Farms Sanctuary in Mendon to take food waste from school
cafeterias to feed rescued farm animals. For the past five years, the
district has been a 1:1 learning district, by providing every student in grades 5–12 with an iPad to use. All high school freshmen take
Ecology and Populations, a class that provides project-based learning opportunities. Students garden, go on outdoor
education overnights, and have the opportunity to travel to the Amazon. >>>>
 Through their Sowing Seeds project, Green Trails Elementary School students harvest, package, illustrate, research, and write planting instructions for seed packets, which are then gifted to “grandfriends” at a local senior center, and are also sold to community partners to ensure pollinator gardens are being grown throughout the community.
Green Trails Elementary
School, Chesterfield, Missouri
Green Trails
Elementary started by turning off lights and unplugging appliances which saved
about $8,000 in a single year. Since
2010, Green Trails has reduced energy use by 31 percent. One project added a
25 kilowatt solar photovoltaic array on the roof of the school, which generates a little over
5 percent of the school’s energy needs.
There is a monitor in the front lobby of the school that displays the
energy production levels, with the data also available on the school’s
website. In 2014, the Green Trails
community came together to build a community garden with raised beds, composted
soil, deer fencing, mulch, a shed, and an educational information board. The school now has a demonstration compost
station, a sandbox, a pollinator bed, a watering system, and an herb
garden. In 2015, a separate perennial
fruit and berry garden was installed, and Green Trails was recognized as a Certified
National Wildlife Habitat. Examples of using school garden produce in the cafeteria include baked sweet potatoes fries or smoothies with kale. Students have participated in tasting and cooking demonstrations such as making pesto. After studying compost, a group of school leaders requested a demonstration worm composting bin. The school
has hosted local gardening experts for home gardening sessions open to the
public. Many families have since started
their own organic gardens and pollinator beds.
When administrators raised the idea of doubling recess time outside, educators
were worried that there would not be enough time to complete the academic requirements of the school day, but they quickly discovered that it was easier to
teach with more focused, happier children. >>>>
 At Carnation Elementary School, classroom instruction is combined with direct field studies to give students a sense of place in their local environment and develop stewardship values.
Carnation Elementary School, Carnation, Washington
At Carnation Elementary
School (CES), the environment is presented as a global issue that
touches the local community in tangible ways.
The school partners with local agencies and organizations not only to learn about the environment, but also to work actively at improving conditions.
Students have the opportunity to work with local scientists,
educators, organic farmers, and specialists who impart a perspective
and understanding that is personal and meaningful. Students participate in environmental studies during a
multi-day and night trip.
Through citizen science programs, like the Great Backyard Bird Count,
students conduct field studies and record their data. Carnation’s student-led environmental club
set up a program that collects food scraps from the school cafeteria for use as
hog feed in the community. Students are also working to get filtered
water bottle stations installed throughout the school building. A major renovation was completed in 2010 in which energy-efficient systems and appliances were installed. All bathrooms have been
outfitted with automatic and low-flow fixtures. All
storm drains at Carnation Elementary are stenciled with "Salmon to
Sound" markings to remind students, staff, and parents to be careful of what
goes into the school runoff. The CES recycling rate is above 60 percent and, with
food recycling programs currently underway, this rate is expected to climb even
higher. CES offers a morning walking club; students participate in 55
minutes of recess daily; and students and staff participate in mindful
minutes throughout the school day. Students participate in
walking field trips that take them into the local community and ecosystem.
Off campus, students have been involved in tree plantings, river
exploration and restoration, forest trail studies, and ecological presentations at
the local farmers market, in addition to the releasing of salmon into local
streams. >>>>
 Captain Planet Foundation ecoTech Grants Are Due July 15
EcoTech
Grants are offered to engage children in inquiry-based, STEM-related
projects that leverage technology and/or use nature-based design to address
environmental problems in local communities. EcoTech Grants were created
to combat the notion that students needed to choose between “the screen” or “the
green” and to encourage educators and students to explore the role technology
can play in designing and implementing solutions to some of our most pressing
environmental challenges. The grants are available as cash of up to $2,500,
and support the purchase of materials and other project implementation
expenses. >>>>
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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 that 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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 The
Green Strides Webinar Series Has Promoted over 1000 Webinars to Date
The Green Strides Webinar Series has promoted over 1000 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 for additional free, publically available webinars related to school, district, and postsecondary sustainability to ed.green.ribbon.schools@ed.gov for listing. (Note: All times listed
are EST.)
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June
21, 2–2:30 p.m. Adding Whole
Grains to Your Menu
(USDA)
June
21, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Using the
Rockets Educator Guide to Teach Basic Physics (NASA)
June
22, 1–2 p.m. The Value of
Benchmarking Higher Education Buildings (EPA)
June
25, 6:30–7:30 p.m. An Orientation
to EPDC Digital Badging (NASA)
June
26, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Journey to
Mars: Understanding Radiation (NASA)
June
27, 12–12:30 p.m. Portfolio
Manager – Ask the Expert (EPA)
June
27, 1–2 p.m. Success Stories
on Hosting Energy Efficiency Competitions
(EPA)
June
27, 2–3 p.m. State Report
Cards and Report
(Safe Routes to School National Partnership)
June
27, 3–4:30 p.m. The Nitrogen
Footprint Tool for Universities (AASHE)
June
27, 6–7 p.m. Integrating Life
Sciences
(NASA)
June
28, 3–4 p.m. Bringing Research
to Life
(NAAEE)
June
28, 6–7 p.m. Designing the Mission (NASA)
July 5, 2018, 1–2 p.m. Portfolio
Manager 101
(EPA)
July 9, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Modern Figures –
OSIRIS Rex – Launch Windows (NASA)
July
12, 1–2 p.m. Portfolio
Manager 201
(EPA)
July
12, 5–6 p.m. Explore NASA
STEM Resources
(NASA)
July
17, 6:30–7:30 p.m. ISS – YES –
Pressure Suits
(NASA)
July
19, 1–2 p.m. Portfolio
Manager 301
(EPA)
July
18, 1–2:15 p.m. Growing the Managers of
Tomorrow’s Sustainable Urban Forests (USDA)
July
18, 3–4 p.m. Motivating and
Quantifying the Impacts of Behavior Change (AASHE)
Plan a Green Apple Day of Service at Your School This Fall
A Green Apple Day of Service gives parents, teachers, students, companies, and local organizations the opportunity to transform all schools into healthy, safe, and productive learning environments through local service projects. Check out project ideas, pick up helpful event resources, and register your project online. >>>>.
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The 2018 AASHE Conference and Expo is Oct. 2–5 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE’s) annual conference is the largest stage in North America to exchange effective models, policies, research, collaborations and transformative actions that advance sustainability in higher education and surrounding communities. With a theme of “Global Goals: Rising to the Challenge,” the 2018 AASHE Conference & Expo will examine the critical role of higher education in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. >>>>
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 The 2018 NAAEE Conference and Research Symposium is Oct. 9–13 in Spokane, Washington
For more than four decades, the North American Association for Environmental Education 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 the dissemination of best practices. This year’s conference, with the theme “A Force for the Future,” is in Spokane, Washington. >>>>
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 Imagine a Day Without
Water on Oct. 10
Imagine a
Day Without Water is the fourth annual day to raise awareness and
educate America about the value of water. Millions
of Americans participate in sharing a collective message through strategic
channels, including television, radio, local events, social media, and digital
content creation. >>>>
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 Green Clean Schools ISSA/INTERCLEAN Educational Facilities Track is Oct. 29–30 in Dallas, Texas
This two-day program will provide facility directors at schools and universities and their teams with the knowledge and tools necessary to support healthier, safer cleaning programs that promote learning. Together with leaders in the field of green cleaning in schools, participants will examine Healthy Schools Campaign’s 5 Steps to Green Cleaning in Schools, a guide to healthier cleaning in educational facilities, through a combination of case studies, deep dives into practical applications, and panel presentations focused on new and emerging trends in the field of green cleaning in schools. >>>>
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 LearningSCAPES 2018 is Nov. 1–4 in Chicago, Illinois
Association for Learning Environment’s mission is to connect those whose passion is to create the best possible physical learning spaces that encourage innovation, critical thinking, collaborative teamwork, and other skills that will empower students to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Its conference includes educational sessions, keynotes, and a showcase of state-of-the-art tools that move learning into the future through thoughtful school facilities. >>>>
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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 through
advanced school facilities. Leaders
from school districts and colleges, architects, interior designers, dealers and
exhibitors collaborate in the transformation of physical educational
environments. >>>>
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14–16 in Chicago, Illinois
Greenbuild is the world's largest
conference and expo dedicated to green building. It features three days of
inspiring speakers, invaluable networking opportunities, industry showcases,
LEED workshops, and tours
of the host city's green buildings. >>>>
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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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