Senior Administration officials honored the first-ever U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) this morning at a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. Among the inaugural honorees are 78 schools that represent 29 states and the District of Columbia. The program was developed by the Department with support from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), several other agencies and dozens of non-profit stakeholders.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined White House CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin to address the honorees and congratulate them on their achievements. Representatives from winning schools received plaques and banners in recognition of their high achievement in saving energy, reducing costs, providing healthy learning spaces, and offering education geared toward the challenges of the 21st century.
"These schools represent a broad portfolio of urban, suburban, and rural communities, working to provide students with a high-quality, well-rounded education, healthy living, clean environments and best practices for reducing our environmental impact," said Secretary Duncan. "Green Ribbon Schools are an inspiration and deserve the spotlight for embodying strong examples of innovative learning and civic engagement."
"By embracing 'green' these schools have demonstrated their commitment to incorporating environmental practices in education," said White House CEQ Chair Sutley. "The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools winners honored today are taking bold steps to increase environmental awareness that will have an impact on the health of America's students and create the next generation of environmental stewards."
The U.S. Department of Education released a document with highlights from the 2012 honorees. Along with the awards, Secretary Duncan also announced the first installment of the Green Strides Webinar Series to help all schools move toward reduced environmental impact, improved health and effective sustainability literacy -- the three 'Pillars' of the Green Ribbon award.
"Every child should have a safe and healthy place to learn, and every parent should have confidence that sending their child to school in the morning doesn't mean exposing them to environmental threats," said EPA Administrator Jackson. "These Green Ribbon Schools are making our schools healthier places to learn, and giving students hands-on STEM learning opportunities that show them how the environment connects to their own lives. Those experiences will be valuable to their future, and ours."
"The Green Ribbon Schools program is a wonderful example of our overall National Prevention Strategy to increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life," said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Benjamin. "These schools show us how we can make health and wellness a part of our children's everyday lives."
In 2012, more than 350 schools completed applications to some 30 state education agencies. Schools will have another opportunity to apply to their state education agencies for their nominations to the Department this winter. Next year's program criteria will be published this summer for states to develop those competitions and will require state agencies to submit their nominees in early 2013. Fourteen states have already indicated their intent to nominate schools in the next round of the competition.
U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools resources.
U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools blogs.
U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools on Facebook.
A complete list of the 2012 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools follows:
Alabama
Munford Elementary School
Munford, Alabama
Winterboro High School
Talladega, Alabama
Arizona
The STAR School
Flagstaff, Arizona
Roadrunner Elementary School
Phoenix, Arizona
Arkansas
Acorn High School
Mena, Arkansas
California
Longfellow Elementary School
Long Beach, California
Environmental Charter High School
Lawndale, California
Grand View Elementary School
Manhattan Beach, California
The Athenian School
Danville, California
Colorado
Flagstone Elementary School
Castle Rock, Colorado
Denver Green School
Denver, Colorado
Wellington Middle School
Wellington, Colorado
District of Columbia
Stoddert Elementary School
Washington, DC
Sidwell Friends Middle School
Washington, DC
Florida
Learning Gate Community School
Lutz, Florida
Pine Jog Elementary School
West Palm Beach, Florida
TERRA Environmental Research Institute
Miami, Florida
Georgia
Springdale Park Elementary School
Atlanta, Georgia
Arabia Mountain High School
Lithonia, Georgia
Savannah Country Day School
Savannah, Georgia
Hawaii
Ewa Makai Middle School
Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Hawaii Preparatory Academy
Kamuela, Hawaii
Illinois
Academy for Global Citizenship
Chicago, Illinois
Thomas J. Waters Elementary School
Chicago, Illinois
Prairie Crossing Charter School
Grayslake, Illinois
Iowa
Des Moines Central Campus High School
Des Moines, Iowa
Kansas
Eisenhower High School
Goddard, Kansas
Erie High School
Erie, Kansas
Brookwood Elementary
Leawood, Kansas
Kentucky
Rosa Parks Elementary School
Lexington, Kentucky
Georgetown Middle School
Georgetown, Kentucky
Richardsville Elementary School
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Maryland
Dunloggin Middle School
Ellicott City, Maryland
Francis Scott Key Middle School
Silver Spring, Maryland
Folger McKinsey Elementary School
Severna Park, Maryland
Lucy School
Middletown, Maryland
Michigan
Clarkston High School
Clarkston, Michigan
Detroit Edison Public School Academy
Detroit, Michigan
Minnesota
North Shore Community School
Duluth, Minnesota
Garlough Environmental Magnet School
West St. Paul, Minnesota
Kennedy Community School
Saint Joseph, Minnesota
Missouri
Crossroads College Preparatory School
St. Louis, Missouri
The College School
St. Louis, Missouri
Nebraska
Lothrop Science & Technology Magnet Center
Omaha, Nebraska
Miller Park Elementary
Omaha, Nebraska
New Jersey
Bernards High School
Bernardsville, New Jersey
Midtown Community Elementary School
Neptune, New Jersey
Alder Avenue Middle School
Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
The Willow School
Gladstone, New Jersey
New York
Hampton Bays Middle School
Hampton Bays, New York
Sleepy Hollow Middle School
Sleepy Hollow, New York
Bethlehem Central Middle School
Delmar, New York
North Carolina
Evergreen Community Charter School
Asheville, North Carolina
American Hebrew Academy
Greensboro, North Carolina
North Dakota (Bureau of Indian Education)
Circle of Nations
Wahpeton, North Dakota
Ohio
Loveland High School
Loveland, Ohio
North Adams Elementary School
Seaman, Ohio
Oregon
Sunnyside Environmental School
Portland, Oregon
Willamina Elementary School
Willamina, Oregon
Gladstone High School
Gladstone, Oregon
Catlin Gable School
Portland, Oregon
Pennsylvania
Radnor Middle School
Wayne, Pennsylvania
Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
A.W. Beattie Career Center
Allison Park, Pennsylvania
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Classical High School
Providence, Rhode Island
Nathan Bishop Middle School
Providence, Rhode Island
Virginia
Fishburn Park Elementary Schoo l
Roanoke, Virginia
The Gereau Center for Applied Technology & Career Exploration
Rocky Mount, Virginia
Washington
Tahoma Junior High School
Ravensdale, Washington
Camelot Elementary School
Auburn, Washington
Secondary Academy for Success
Bothell, Washington
The Overlake School
Redmond, Washington
West Virginia
Hilltop Elementary School
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wyoming County Career & Technical Center
Pineville, West Virginia
Wisconsin
Dimensions of Learning Academy
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Middleton High School
Middleton, Wisconsin
Purdy Elementary School
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin