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Education Commissioner John B. King announced today that New York State is participating in the fourth year of the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) program, and invites public and non-public schools to apply for this national recognition.

“This national award recognizes schools that have made outstanding efforts to create energy efficient and sustainable school environments,” said Commissioner King.�� “The Board of Regents and I encourage public and nonpublic schools to apply for the Green Ribbon Schools Program.”

The ED-GRS program recognizes 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.�� The recognition award is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about practices proven to result in improved student engagement, academic achievement, graduation rates, and workforce preparedness, as well as a government-wide goal to increase energy independence and economic security.

The Green Ribbon Schools recognition award will be given to schools that have demonstrated high achievement in all three ED-GRS Pillars:

Pillar I:�������� Reduce environmental impact and costs.

Pillar II:������ Improve the health and wellness of students and staff.

Pillar III:���� Provide effective environmental and sustainability education, incorporating STEM, civic skills and green career pathways.

Public and non-public schools are eligible to apply and should submit their applications to the �鶹��Ƶ’s Office of Facilities Planning.�� Commissioner King is permitted to nominate as many as five Pre-K-12 applicants to the ED-GRS program.�� If NYS nominates more than two schools, at least one school must serve at least 40 percent of students from a disadvantaged background.�� If �鶹��Ƶ nominates five Pre-K-12 schools, one must be a non-public school.�� No more than one nominee may be a non-public school.�� A school may only be honored once.

Last year, one New York State school – Anne Hutchinson Elementary School, Eastchester, NY – was among 48 schools and 9 districts across the nation named U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools.

Submission details, including the program timeline and application process, are available at .�� For more information on the ED-GRS Green Ribbon Schools program, please visit .

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