CA Green Ribbon Schools Overview

The United States Department of Education and state Departments of Education have designed a recognition and awards program that aims to inspire schools, districts, and institutions of higher education (IHEs) to strive for 21st-century excellence by highlighting promising school sustainability practices and resources that all can employ. 

The award recognizes school communities that achieve progress towards sustainability across three pillars: 

• Pillar I: Reduce environmental impact and costs;

• Pillar II: Improve the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff; and

• Pillar III: Provide effective environmental and sustainability education

Every Fall, the California Department of Education hosts a Green Ribbon Schools (CA-GRS) competition for schools (public and private), districts and County Offices of Education, to submit an application demonstrating the school/district’s progress in the three green ribbon pillars of sustainability. Applicants who can demonstrate achievement and earn points in pillar categories are recognized in one of four tiered levels:

• Bronze Level (Entry Level Commitment): 55-64.9%

• Silver Level (Mid Integration): 65-74.9%

• Gold Level (Full Integration): 75% or better

• Green Achiever: Exemplary Achievement with Full Integration - Green achievers are nominated for Federal recognition in the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Program (ED-GRS). 

California (CA) Green Ribbon Report for 2014-2024: This report provides an overview and analysis of the California Green Ribbon application and honorees data since 2014. The report is organized to include data about all of the school communities  (schools, districts, and COEs) that have engaged with the CA Green Ribbon Program from those that have expressed interest, to those that have applied and not received awards, and those that have applied and achieved recognition status. Note the report does not include specifics around the individual names of schools, but serves as data for understanding overall totals for different data segments. 

CA Data Initiative for Environmental and Climate Action in California's TK-12 Schools - Green Ribbon Indicator: This Green Ribbon indicator page for the data intiiative provides an interactive database to explore school communities  (schools, districts, and COEs)  who have engaged with the CA Green Ribbon Program. The data website includes a number of interactive data visuals that can be filtered in different ways (region, county, enrollment size, etc.). Note the data website does include the specific names of individual communities that have received recognition status, but does not include the names of those who have just expressed interest, or those that have applied but not been awarded.