PLT GreenSchools!: 808 Green Ribbon Award Contenders
I spent this morning outdoors during a tree planting at the Department of Education's headquarters in D.C.
Local students planted a Texas live oak, the same tree that is depicted in the Education Department’s seal.
During the tree planting, the Department of Education announced the creation of the Green Ribbon schools program.
Through the Green Ribbon program, the Education Department, White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will recognize schools for energy conservation, creation of healthy learning spaces and advancing environmental literacy.
PLT, a program of the American Forest Foundation, applauds Education Secretary Arne Duncan, CEQ chair Nancy Sutley and EPA administrator Lisa Jackson for launching this new awards program.
“Environmental literacy is an important part of a well-rounded, world-class education,” Secretary Duncan said.
Since 1976, PLT's curricula and teachers have helped to advance world-class education here in the United States. PLT teaches students how to think about service-learning and community action in the context of a healthy environment.
Last week, PLT's GreenSchools! program surpassed the 800 registered schools mark and as of today, PLT has 808 registered GreenSchools! and counting. These participants will be model schools for the first pool of Green Ribbon contenders.
PLT’s GreenSchools! program, a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the Corporation for National and Community Service, combines environmental education, service-learning and student leadership opportunities to help turn America's schools into model green schools.
The Green Ribbon schools application will be released later this year, and the first group of honorees will be announced next year.
I hope to see some GreenSchools! among the first recipients to be recognized!
Learn more about PLT's GreenSchools! at GreenSchools.org.
