U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, and Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley will announce the first winners of the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools recognition awards at 10:30 a.m. ET on Monday, April 23, at Stoddert Elementary School in Washington, D.C.
The Green Ribbon Schools program was created in April 2011 and is modeled after the Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools Program, which annually honors public and private schools that are either high performing or have improved student achievement to high levels. Green Ribbon Schools are recognized for reducing their energy use and environmental impact, creating healthy learning environments, and providing effective environmental education that prepares students to succeed in the 21st century. Winning schools are located in 31 states and the District of Columbia and include public, both traditional and charter, and private schools at the elementary, middle, and senior high school levels.