Parkway School Receives Green Ribbon Honors from U.S. Department of Education

Greenwich’s Parkway Elementary School is one of four schools in Connecticut that were selected as a 2015 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School.

The State Department of Education announced that four schools and one district from Connecticut were among the selected 2015 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools.

The awardees were named last week and in addition to Parkway School, include the Stamford Public Schools District, Hartford’s Academy of Engineering and Green Technology, Stamford’s Rogers International School, and Westport’s Greens Farms Academy.

Honored schools “greened” their campuses by partnering with local farms to sell produce and promote healthy eating, building a windmill that was shipped to Nepal to power a school, creating a wildlife sanctuary that includes meadows and marshes, and maintaining miles of nature trails, among many other activities.

Here is why the 260-student Parkway School won, according to the Connecticut Department of Education:

“Green” education activities at Parkway include constructing a pollinator garden that is certified as a National Fish and Wildlife Schoolyard Habitat, partnering with a local organic farmer to sell produce and learn about healthy eating, hosting Green LEAF Night to share lessons about sustainable living with families, and service learning projects.”

“Connecticut’s young people are among the savviest of next generation environmentalists—it’s imperative that our schools are leading efforts to curb pollution, improve efficiency, and reduce our overall impact on the planet,” Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman said in a statement. “I applaud Connecticut’s 2015 Green Ribbon schools for protecting our environment today and setting us on a course towards a more sustainable future.”

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In total, across the country, 58 schools and 14 districts were honored for their exemplary efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, promote better health, and ensure effective environmental education, including civics and green career pathways.

The Stamford District was honored for its focus on energy and facility management across the district, along with a focus on green learning and healthy living skills for its students.

And Rogers International School was honored because “The school provides a unique learning laboratory with its LEED Silver certified building, including rooftop garden, ice storage cooling system, and surrounding marsh and meadows Wildlife Sanctuary. Many lessons are learned outdoors, including a Trout in the Classroom program that releases fish into the Mianus River, fitness challenges, and a service project building a purple martin nesting house for the campus.”

This is the fourth year of the Green Ribbon School award program and the third year Connecticut nominated schools for consideration. The honorees were nominated by the Connecticut Green LEAF program, which is free and open to all K-12 schools, both public and private. Through the program, schools receive support to grow greener and focus on “LEAF”: leading, educating, achieving, and fostering healthy, green schools for all.

Currently, 76 schools participate in the program, which operates through a collaboration of the Connecticut Departments of Education, Energy and Environmental Protection, Administrative Services, and Public Health, along with more than 35 environmental and educational partners.

Photo credit: Greenwich Public Schools.