OSPI NEWS RELEASE: Two Washington Schools Honored as National Green Ribbon Schools

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 04/24/2023 08:33 AM PDT

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Two Washington Schools Honored as National Green Ribbon Schools

Two students catch frogs in their school garden.

Students at Pioneer Elementary School in the Peninsula School District catch frogs in the school garden. (Photo provided by Peninsula School District)

OLYMPIA—April 21, 2023— Every year, the U.S. Department of Education recognizes selected schools and school districts as Green Ribbon Schools for reducing environmental impacts and costs, improving health and wellness, and offering effective sustainability education. This year, Washington state’s Chief Leschi Schools in Puyallup and Pioneer Elementary School in the Peninsula School District have earned this national honor.

“Washington state continues to make environmental and sustainability education a priority, and it’s an incredible honor for two of our public schools to be nationally recognized as leaders in this work,” said State Superintendent Chris Reykdal. “Engaging our young people in this foundational learning prepares them for a lifetime of sustainable practices. Congratulations to the Chief Leschi and Pioneer Elementary communities!”

“This well-deserved recognition is a reminder that anyone can play a role in making communities sustainable,” said Governor Jay Inslee. “Schools are where young people prepare for their future, and that includes getting the knowledge necessary to support the environment and increase sustainability. Future generations are already learning the importance of being good stewards and the breadth of what that work entails.”

Across the country, 26 schools, 11 school districts, and four postsecondary institutions are being honored as 2023 Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees. The honorees were named from a pool of candidates nominated by 18 states. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) nominated both of Washington’s winners.

Chief Leschi Schools is Washington’s first state-tribal education compact (STEC) school to be selected as a Green Ribbon School. Founded in 1976, Chief Leschi Schools is operated by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, with 97% of their students identifying as Native American.

Chief Leschi’s environmental and sustainability achievements include restoration work at Lake Leschi, the on-campus wetlands, with much of the work being completed by the students themselves. Chief Leschi Schools also offers students access to an indigenous culinary garden and a miniature salmon hatchery.

Chief Leschi Schools has also participated for more than 2 years in the state’s ClimeTime Initiative, which provides grant funding for professional development in the Next Generation Science Standards for science educators. Additionally, high school teacher Elsie Mitchell received an honorable mention for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2022 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators, recognizing her work in creating the STEC’s natural resources career and technical education (CTE) pathway.

The Peninsula School District’s Pioneer Elementary School is a multiage STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) project-based learning school, with a focus on environmental and sustainability educational approaches. The school offers students access to a STEAM makerspace and innovation room and has partnered with community-based organizations to participate in outdoor education, build a school garden, buy a 3D printer, and learn from experts about watersheds.

Pioneer Elementary School also participates in the ClimeTime Initiative, and has been awarded additional grants from OSPI, the Rotary Club of Gig Harbor, and the Washington Education Association.

For More Information

Students at Chief Leschi Schools collect alevins from the tank to put into the net pen in Lake Leschi, where they will be protected and fed until they are large enough to release into Clarks Creek and swim to the Puget Sound. (Photo provided by Chief Leschi Schools)

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Led by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI oversees K-12 public education in Washington state. Our mission is to provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives.

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