May 31, 2018
Six PLT GreenSchools, one school district, and one institution of higher education are among the 46 schools, 6 school districts, and 6 institutions of higher learning recognized this year as U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS).
The awards acknowledge the innovative efforts of students, teachers, and school administrators across the country who are working to improve the sustainability, health, and safety of school facilities; ensure nutrition and fitness practices for a lifetime of wellness and productivity; and engage students in real-world learning. With the 2018 cohort, ED has now honored some 385 schools, 62 districts, and 40 postsecondary institutions.
PLT GreenSchools Honored as 2018 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools
Alabama
- Woodland Forest Elementary School, Tuscaloosa, AL
California
- Jack London Community Day School, Valley Glen, CA
Georgia
- Saddle Ridge Elementary Middle School, Rock Springs, GA
- Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Kentucky
- Meadowthorpe Elementary School, Lexington, KY
Massachusetts
- Arlington Public School District, Arlington, MA
Minnesota
- River’s Edge Academy School, St. Paul, MN
Missouri
- St. Louis University High School, St. Louis, MO
Three Highlights
Jack London Community Day School, Valley Glen, CA
JLCDS is a small high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest school district in California. At JLCDS, sustainability is not only about the environment, it’s also about empowering students to redirect their lives and learn to become positive agents of change through an ethic of environmental citizenship. Jack London practices sustainable, urban horticulture. Much of the effort involves container gardening on asphalt, including 30 raised beds designed and built by students, two asphalt cuts, 47 fruit trees, and numerous pots. Vegetables, herbs, berries and fruits are grown organically and the garden literally bursts through the fences.
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Georgia Southern is the state’s largest and most comprehensive center of higher education south of Atlanta. The university has made the principles of sustainability fundamental to every aspect, for example, preparing students to develop the solutions for a healthy and sustainable society and making sustainability a core value in operations and planning. The university was named one of the top green universities for the sixth consecutive year by the Princeton Review and also was given awards of excellence for work in creating a pedestrian-friendly campus to reduce carbon footprint and encourage healthy habits.
River’s Edge Academy School, St. Paul, MN
River’s Edge Academy (REA) is a small environmental charter high school in the Westside neighborhood of St. Paul, Minn. Fifty percent of REA’s 80 students receive free or reduced-price lunch and the school’s outdoor classroom includes a vegetable garden and chicken coop. REA demonstrates conscientious use of the facility and ongoing reductions in resource use, as well as unique courses that incorporate environmental learning, the outdoors, and integrated health curriculum. The school is conveniently located across the street from the Mississippi River and Harriet Island Park where students make use of the outdoors as an educational and recreational resource.
Congratulations to all U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees!
A report with highlights on all 58 awardees for 2018 can be found here.
