The Green Ribbon Schools award will likely confer many of the benefits that Blue Ribbon Schools currently enjoy. That is, the schools will be nationally recognized as some of America's most successful schools—this time, in performance related to environmental impact, health and education.

Schools selected as Green Ribbon Schools may report a renewed sense of pride and accomplishment at their school, as is the case with Blue Ribbon schools. They may be sought out as mentors to others schools within and outside their school districts, and/or may find raising funds and recruiting students is a little easier.

Communities sometimes report that the Blue Ribbon award makes their neighborhood a more desirable place to live because parents want their children to attend a Blue Ribbon School—and real estate agents often use the Blue Ribbon award as a selling point for those neighborhoods. Over time, this may become the case for ED-Green Ribbon Schools as well.

Each year, all winning schools are invited to Washington, D.C. for a ceremony to celebrate their success, share information and receive a plaque to commemorate their achievement.

There are benefits to all schools moving toward the three Green Ribbon Schools pillars. National studies and existing green schools programs have linked energy savings to schools' cost savings; school environmental health to student and staff productivity; and environmental education to increased student engagement, in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects among others, improved student performance, enhanced critical thinking and innovation skills and reduced behavioral problems.

ED-GRS will provide technical assistance, including: 1) Resources and 2) A comprehensive evaluation framework for state level authorities selecting schools to nominate to ED.

ED-Green Ribbon Schools is a recognition initiative, not a green schools program which works with and supports schools. It is the first comprehensive federal direction-setting encompassing the three institutional roles of schools, including: 1) environmental impact and energy efficiency; 2) school environmental health; and 3) environmental and sustainability literacy. The initiative is intended to set a high bar for schools; to incent those schools that are already on the road to achieving high standards; and to propel others to move toward providing a healthy, sustainable education and learning space. The recognition award can have a broad impact on students, teachers and instruction.

Of course, the real engines of change will be in the schools, districts and states, as communities work together to devise appropriate mechanisms and materials by which to propose and select nominees for the award to the U.S. Department of Education (ED). In doing so, we expect the communities model after and broaden the scope of existing state and non-profit green schools programs, aligning to the ED recognition criteria and employing ED's evaluation framework for nominating authorities.

The pillars and corresponding elements are broad reaching and inclusive of many of the elements of existing green schools programs, although they may be stated slightly differently. They are:

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 ^{[ 1 ]} 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.

State education and comparable authorities making nominations to ED will be provided a framework describing guidelines by which to gauge the performance of schools in these three pillars, based on existing metrics and resources.

Schools demonstrating high achievement in the Green Ribbon Schools Pillars and Elements; meeting all eligibility requirements; complying with all applicable federal civil rights and federal, state and local health, environment and safety statutory and regulatory requirements; and meeting high college- and career-ready standards ^{[ 2 ]} are eligible for consideration by their state or comparable authority, including each Chief State School Officer (CSSO), the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). Each authority is permitted only a few nominations each year (see the related question and answer below) based on eligibility requirements and criteria above.

Each authority is invited to nominate those they assess to be the highest performing in their jurisdiction, according to the framework provided by ED, based on the authorities' evaluation of schools' quantified achievement ^{[ 3 ]} toward reaching the goals of all of the Green Ribbon School Pillars and their Elements ^{[ 4 ]}. Nominees demonstrating exemplary achievement in all three Pillars and every Element, according to the Framework will be ranked highest.

Schools are nominated by their Chief State School Officer to U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools. Depending on your state, there may be a selection process involving a state level green schools program or other selection infrastructure to identify finalists.

States and comparable authorities (see below, regarding DoDEA and BIE schools) will be required to make their nominations to the Department by a date in early spring, which will be specified in the coming months, enclosing the evaluation framework from each nominee with an ED Presentation Form, which ED will supply to the authorities once it is approved by the Office of Management and Budget.

The U.S. Department of Education determines how many schools may be nominated from each state or comparable authority. ED-GRS will launch a pilot program in fall 2011 with as many as 50 awards to be made in 2012, with the goal of expanding within five years to approximately 200 awards per year. These numbers are approximate. The Department is not bound by this estimate of schools to be recognized and may award more or fewer in the pilot year. The goal is to stand up a truly model first cohort of Green Ribbon Schools for other schools to aspire to.

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 ^{[ 5 ]}. 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.

Yes. Both Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools are eligible.

Yes, private schools are also nominated through the Chief State School Officer in their state to U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools. Each state may nominate one private school.

Schools must be nominated to the Department of Education by their state or comparable authority in order for their application to be sent to the Department of Education. Schools principal application review will be made by state education authorities, in collaboration with state health, safety and environmental authorities. Once a state or comparable authority selects its nominees, it will work with the school to complete a Nominee Presentation Form to present the high achieving evaluation to ED.

At ED, these evaluations will be reviewed for proper certification by state authorities; compliance with eligibility, civil rights, health, environment and safety statutory and regulatory requirements; and high college and career ready academic standards.

In the pilot year, ED will announce award criteria in fall 2011 and the first cohort of Green Ribbon Schools in the spring. In September 2011, ED will post finalized award criteria, including details on eligibility, requirements and nominating authorities, as well as a brief video of the Secretary inviting states and schools to apply for 2011-2012 year awards. This will include sufficient application and nomination infrastructure for state education authorities to prepare for application submission, expected in early spring. Following Office of Management and Budget approval of the ED Nominee Presentation Form, the finalized form and a deadline for presentation of nominees to ED will be provided to nominating authorities. Tentative key dates in the recognition award pilot year timeline subject to change include:

Note that all dates are tentative. Once ED receives Office of Management and Budget approval of the Nominee Presentation Form it will provide the finalized form and a deadline for presentation of nominees to nominating authorities. Authorities will be permitted sufficient time to complete this cover sheet to their evaluation of nominees. In the interim of that approval, nominating authorities can view a draft version of the Presentation Form on the ED website so that they know what to expect.

If you have questions about the program, or believe your school qualifies and would like to request that your state or alternative authority consider your school for nomination, you can find their name and contact information on the websites below.

• Public and charter schools: http://www.ccsso.org/
• BIE: http://www.bie.edu/
• DoDEA: http://www.dodea.edu/

ED-GRS maintains a regularly updated resource page and features resources on its Facebook page. The resource page provides links to programs operated by federal agencies, non- profit entities and individual states. In addition, your state may run a green schools program with resources that are specific to your region and needs. We encourage interested schools to employ these resources to suit their needs; however, we cannot guarantee that employing the resources listed will ensure a Green Ribbon award.

^{[ 1 ]} 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 ]

^{[ 2 ]} For more on college and career-ready standards, see: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publication_pg4.html [ return to text ]

^{[ 3 ]} It is recommended that the quantified assessment be based on the guidelines 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 ]

^{[ 4 ]} 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 ]

^{[ 5 ]} A student from a "disadvantaged background" is defined for this program by the CSSO of each state. The definition must include students who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals and may include students with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient, migrant, or receiving services under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. [ return to text ]

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.