Schools apply to state departments of education for states' nomination to USED and cannot apply directly to USED for the award. Please inquire with your state authority if you are interested in applying for its nomination.

The Secretary of Education invites Chief State School Officers (CSSOs), the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) ("the authorities") to nominate schools that meet the criteria for recognition [MS Word, 70K]. In submitting nominated schools, the authorities must confirm that the schools meet the minimum requirements established by the Department under "Program Requirements" and describe any other criteria used by the authorities to nominate the schools. The authorities may wish to develop or refine existing state or comparable level green school recognition infrastructures and/or run a concurrent award program within their jurisdictions in order to present nominees to ED.

In the first year of the program, each authority is permitted as many as four nominations. If a state or comparable authority wishes to nominate more than one public school, at least one must be a school with at least 40 percent of their students from a disadvantaged background. If an authority wishes to nominate a fourth school, one of the four must be a private school. Authorities are strongly encouraged to take a school's academic achievement and any achievement gaps into account when selecting schools, as the Department will consider these factors in selecting winners.

With the support of state health, environmental and safety authorities, state education authorities must certify evaluation of nominees in the Pillars and Elements, according to the minimum practices specified in the Framework for Evaluation of Schools by Authorities Making Nominations to the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools [MS Excel, 98K] and the applicable Civil Rights, Health, Environment and Safety Statutory and Regulatory Requirements [MS Word, 70K].

Of the nominees determined by the Nominating Authorities to be eligible and presented to ED based on their performance as described below, the Department, assisted by the Environmental Protection Agency, will conduct final review to ensure schools meet all of the eligibility requirements; comply with all applicable federal civil rights and federal, state and local health, environment and safety statutory and regulatory requirements; and meet high college- and career-ready academic standards , and then rate the finalists to select the awardees. Authorities must, at a minimum, include documentary verification of health, safety and environmental statutory and regulatory compliance of nominated schools. They are encouraged, but not required in the pilot year, to include on-site verification of compliance.

In the pilot year, each authority is invited to nominate those four schools they assess to be the highest performing in their jurisdiction, based on the authorities' evaluation of schools' quantified achievement ^{[ 1 ]} toward reaching the goals of the three Green Ribbon School Pillars and Elements, according to the Framework provided by ED ^{[ 2 ]}. The authorities will be provided the Framework in order to facilitate their evaluation of schools. Authorities must evaluate nominees to ED that exemplify high achievement in all three Pillars. Nominees demonstrating exemplary achievement in all three Pillars and every Element, according to the Framework will be ranked highest.

Green Ribbon Schools Pillars and Elements

1. Environmental Impact and Energy Efficiency

   • Reduced or eliminated greenhouse gas emissions, using an energy audit or emissions inventory and reduction plan, cost-effective energy efficiency improvements, conservation measures, and/or and on-site renewable energy and/or purchase of green power;
   • Improved water quality, efficiency, and conservation;
   • Reduced solid and hazardous waste production, through increased recycling, reduced consumption, and improved management, reduction, or elimination of hazardous waste streams; and
   • Expanded use of alternative transportation to, during and from school, through active promotion of locally-available, energy-efficient options and implementation of alternative transportation supportive projects and policies.

2. Healthy School Environments

   • An integrated school environmental health program based on an operations and facility-wide environmental management system that considers student, visitor and staff health and safety in all practices related to design, construction, renovation, operations, and maintenance of schools and grounds; and
   • High standards of nutrition, fitness, and quantity of quality outdoor time ^{[ 3 ]} for both students and staff.

3. Environmental and Sustainability Education

   • Interdisciplinary learning about the key relationships between dynamic environmental, energy and human systems;
   • Use of the environment and sustainability to develop STEM content knowledge and thinking skills to prepare graduates for the 21st century technology-driven economy; and
   • Development of civic engagement knowledge and skills, and students' application of these to address sustainability and environmental issues in their community.

Footnotes

^{[ 1 ]} The quantified assessment should be based on the common metrics provided in Framework for Evaluation of Schools by Authorities Making Nominations to the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (Framework). [ return to text ]

^{[ 2 ]} In future years, evaluators may be required to assess quantified achievement through review of the school community’s comprehensive green school plan that incorporates, at a minimum, the plan elements listed under “The Three Pillars and Elements,” and a baseline assessment for each of the elements of the plan; however, this is not a requirement in the pilot year. [ return to text ]

^{[ 3 ]} Local prevailing weather conditions over the course of the school year will be considered in assessing this element, to account for regional variability. [ return to text ]

Please note:
U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools is a federal recognition award and should not be confused with any green schools program conducted by non-governmental entities.