Green Ribbon Schools: The Win-Win Scenario our Students Need!

Written by: Danielle Moodie-Mills and Jenna Peters

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM9kuZcz_Nw[/youtube]

The U.S. Department of Education announced today the creation of the Green Ribbon Schools program, which will recognize schools that have taken great strides in greening their curricula, buildings, school grounds and overall building operations.

In a time when budgets are tight, the Department of Education is encouraging schools to engage in a creative win-win scenariocutting expenses while using the school facilities as dynamic learning labs for students.

Here’s what Education Secretary Arne Duncan had to say:

“Environmental literacy is an important part of a well-rounded, world-class education. Through the Green Ribbon Schools program, we’ll be holding up schools that are leading the way in teaching science and in ways that show students the importance of developing clean energy sources and sustainable solutions for the environment.”

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley also spoke about the importance of environmental education and green schools to prepare Americans for the coming clean energy economy.

The effort to get the Green Ribbon program adopted by the Department was conceived and coordinated by the Campaign for Environmental Literacy (CEL), and the Green Ribbon campaign’s steering committee – CEL, Earth Day Network, the National Wildlife Federation and the U.S. Green Building Council – worked for over a year to make this happen. Seventy-five national and state organizations also supported the push for the initiative.

We are excited that this federal initiative supports the work of the National Wildlife Federation, which has helped more than 4,000 schools go green over the last 15 years through Certified Schoolyard Habitats and Eco-Schools USA.

Stay tuned for more details about Green Ribbon Schools in the coming weeks…