Green Schools Helps Roll Out the Federal Green Ribbon Schools Awards Program for MA Schools

Picture taken by Green Schools: Lisa Capone, Department of Energy & Resources, Jessica Hing, EPA Region 1, Mike Feeney, Department of Public Health, Eric Magers, Teacher at Manchester Essex Regional School District, Robin Organ, Executive Directorof Green Schools, Jim Elder, Center for Green Schools, Kevin Cellucci, Green Team President of Manchester Essex Regional High School

Green Schools (projectgreenschools.org) was delighted to participate in the first Green Ribbon Schools Conference held at Region 1 EPA New England Regional Laboratory in Chelmsford on Friday, October 5th. Green Schools is a member of the statewide Green Ribbon Schools Working Group. This is the first year that Massachusetts is participating in the program. Executive Director and Founder of Green Schools, Robin Organ represented the organization at the event which was sponsored by the Indoor Air Quality in Schools Taskforce and facilitated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “After two years of work on the ground, I could not be happier that Massachusetts Schools are now participating in the Federal Green Ribbon Schools Awards program. We have incredible environmental efforts being led across the Commonwealth, and it is time for our schools to be recognized, honored, and celebrated in this way.”  

Launched by the U.S. Department of Education in 2011, the Federal Green Ribbon Schools Award recognition honors schools that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs, improving the health and wellness of students and staff, and delivering effective environmental and sustainability education (STEM) that incorporates Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, civic skills, and green career pathways. Technical assistance for interested schools is available through the
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and its agencies, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE), the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Massachusetts School Building Authority, and a working group of non-governmental agencies. The recognition award is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education (ED) effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about practices that are proven to result in improved student engagement, higher academic achievement and graduation rates, and workforce preparedness, as well as a government wide goal of
increasing energy independence and economic security.

As part of this effort, ED aims to:

• 
  Facilitate the dissemination of best practices and standards regarding energy efficient, cost effective,healthy, and environmentally sustainable schools and educational programs among
  states, tribes, districts, and schools; and
• 
  Encourage the coordination of efforts among the public sector (at federal, state and
  local levels), the for-profit and non-profit sectors, and schools. Annually, ED recognizes schools and districts creating efficient, sustainable, and healthy
  school environments, and ensuring the environmental and sustainability literacy of graduates

Beginning in the 2011-2012 school year, the Department will recognize schools where staff, students, officials and communities have worked together to produce energy efficient, sustainable and healthy school environments and to ensure the sustainability and environmental literacy of graduates.

This initiative comes at a time when Green Schools (projectgreenschools.org) and its affiliates are well underway with their efforts to lead the way in education and awareness around these critical environmental issues in our local schools and beyond.

For more information about Green Schools visit www.projectgreenschools.org

Additional information about this program:

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/eligibility.html

Additional information for MA Schools:

http://www.doe.mass.edu/finance/sbuilding/GreenRibbon/