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

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

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.

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

Public and nonpublic schools are eligible to apply and should submit their applications to the Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Office of Facilities Planning. Commissioner King is permitted to nominate up to four schools and one school district to the U.S. Department of Education. If four schools are nominated, one must be a public school where at least 40 percent of its students are disadvantaged and one must be a nonpublic school. All schools must meet high college- and career-ready standards, be in compliance with federal civil rights laws, and all federal, state and local health and safety standards and regulations.

Three New York schools -- Crompond School, PS 057 Hubert H. Humphrey School and Rye Country Day School -- were among 14 districts and 64 schools in the nation named 2013 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools earlier this year.

Submission details, including the program timeline and application process, are available at. For more information on the Green Ribbon Schools program, please visitÌý.