Recognition Programs and Assessment Tools

Green Ribbon Schools: The U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) Award honors schools, districts, and county offices that are exemplary in three Pillars: 1) reducing environmental impact and costs; 2) improving the health and wellness of students and staff; and 3) providing effective environmental and sustainability education. In California, nominations for the federal ED-GRS award are made by participating in the CA Green Ribbon Schools Award (CA-GRS) program. To reduce repetition, CA-GRS uses the same application as the federal ED-GRS program, but recognizes all schools that can demonstrate achievement of the three Pillars, in a tiered recognition: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Green Achiever. Applications are due annually in the fall and schools, districts, and county offices are welcome to apply. Explores resources below to get started with the Green Ribbon: 

• CA Green Ribbon Overview and Application Support Resources

• CAELI Taking Green Ribbon to Scale Campaign

Bay Area Green Business:  This certification is sponsored by a successful partnership of environmental agencies, utilities and nonprofit organizations that assist, recognize and promote businesses and government agencies that volunteer to operate in a more environmentally responsible way. To be certified “green,” participants must be in compliance with all regulations and meet program standards for conserving resources, preventing pollution and minimizing waste. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, and certification is valid on a three year cycle. 

Eco-Schools: Eco-Schools is an international program that aims to model environmentally sound practices, provide support toward greening the curriculum, and supports science and academic achievement. Eco-Schools has created a seven-step framework and process; once schools complete it they can become certified/awarded a “Green Flag.” Additional resources for the Eco-Schools award can be found in the Eco-Schools USA handbook.

Green School Alliance: The Green Schools Alliance (GSA) sponsors a number of measurement and tracking programs that provide a clear roadmap for achieving sustainability accountability, and tools for benchmarking and making the work transparent: START, protostar, Energystar Portfolio Manager, etc. Additionally, GSA sponsors ongoing community campaigns and competitive challenges. 

Green Building Certifications: There are a number or organizations that support green facilities and buildings that are healthy for people and the planet, and are utilized for enhancing teaching and learning. The majority of the criteria for these certifications and recognition programs are largely focused on facilities and operations but have great crossover opportunities for K-12 educators from multiple disciples:

• US Green Building Council's LEED and The Center for Green Schools

• Collaborative for High Performing Schools (CHPS)

• Living Building Challenge's Net Zero Certification