U.S. OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HOSTS NATIONAL RECOGNITION CEREMONY FOR U.S. ED. DEPT. GREEN RIBBON SCHOOLS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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

78 SCHOOLS NAMED AS GREEN RIBBON SCHOOLS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Obama Administration Names 78 Schools in 29 States and D.C. as First-Ever U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools 

Winners represent a diverse portfolio of schools, includes 66 public and 12 private schools in urban and rural communities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was joined today by White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to announce the first-ever U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, a list including 78 schools that span 29 states and D.C.

The announcement was made during a visit to Stoddert Elementary School, one of D.C.’s two honorees.

“Science, environmental and outdoor education plays a central role in providing children with a well-rounded education, helping prepare them for the jobs of the future,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools demonstrate compelling examples of the ways schools can help children build real-world skillsets, cut school costs, and provide healthy learning environments.”

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) is a federal recognition program that opened in September 2011. Honored schools exercise a comprehensive approach to creating “green” environments through reducing environmental impact, promoting health, and ensuring a high-quality environmental and outdoor education to prepare students with the 21^st century skills and sustainability concepts needed in the growing global economy.

"Schools that take a green approach cut costs on their utility bills, foster healthy and productive classrooms, and prepare students to thrive in the 21st century economy," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "These Green Ribbon School award winners are taking outstanding steps to educate tomorrow's environmental leaders, and demonstrating how sustainability and environmental awareness make sense for the health of our students and our country."

The 78 awarded schools were named winners from among nearly 100 nominees submitted by 30 state education agencies, the District of Columbia and the Bureau of Indian Education. More than 350 schools completed applications to their state education agencies. Among the list of winners are 66 public schools including 8 charters, and 12 private schools composed of 43 elementary, 31 middle and 26 high schools with around 50 percent representing high poverty schools.

"These Green Ribbon Schools are giving students and educators what they need to maximize learning and minimize risks like asthma and other respiratory illnesses, ensuring that no child is burdened by pollution in or around their school," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Today's winners are protecting our children's health and opening up environmental education opportunities for students. The EPA is proud to help recognize the Green Ribbon award winners and will continue working to improve the environment of our nation’s schools and helping prepare students to succeed in the emerging green economy.”

The U.S. Department of Education’s “Green Ribbons” are one-year recognition awards.