Obama Administration Officials Host National Recognition Ceremony for First-Ever U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools

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