District Sample Application

Note to Nominating Authorities: This sample application is provided to assist you, but is not required. You are encouraged adapt to your jurisdiction’s needs in order to document how your nominees are high performing in every Pillar and Element.

Note to Nominating Authorities: This sample application is provided to assist you, but is not required. You are encouraged to adapt it to your jurisdiction’s needs. The aim is to use a format that shows how your nominees’ are high performing in every Pillar within the allowable page limit. How you achieve that is up to you.

ED-GRS Sample Application for Schools

Thank you for your interest in completing the State Department of X application to U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS). ED-GRS recognizes schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions taking a comprehensive approach to sustainability that incorporates environmental learning with improving environmental and health impacts.

Becoming a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School is a two-step process. The first step is to complete and submit this form to be selected as a nominee by an eligible state nominating authority. Then, the U.S. Department of Education reviews nominees put forth by eligible authorities and confirms a cohort annually.

At both levels, selection is based on documentation of the applicant's progress in all three of the ED-GRS Pillars. Note that it is not sufficient to be high performing in one area alone and you should review the ED Pillars before completing this application.

It will help you to assemble a team to complete the application. This team might include: a facilities manager, physical education director, food services director, curriculum director, finance department representatives, educators, and students. You may wish to consult the Green Strides for benchmarking tools, programs, and grants related to the Pillars.

State may wish to insert their scoring rubric, if they use one.

Applications are due by xyz to xyz. We will select nominees, notify them by xyz, and submit them to the U.S. Department of Education by February 1, 20xx.

Note that if selected for nomination to ED-GRS, the district superintendent must be prepared to certify that each of the statements below concerning the school’s eligibility and compliance with the following requirements is true. [Some states have all applicants sign certifications when submitting an application to the state. Others wait until they have selected applicants to request the Nominee Presentation Form be signed.]

1. The district has been evaluated and selected from among districts within the Nominating Authority’s jurisdiction, based on high achievement in the three ED-GRS Pillars: 1) reduced environmental impact and costs; 2) improved health and wellness; and 3) effective environmental and sustainability education.

2. The district is providing the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) access to information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to conduct a district wide compliance review.

3. OCR has not issued a violation letter of findings to the school district concluding that the nominated school district as a whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes. A violation letter of findings will not be considered outstanding if OCR has accepted a corrective action plan to remedy the violation.

4. The U.S. Department of Justice does not have a pending suit alleging that the school district has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes or the Constitution’s equal protection clause.

5. There are no findings of violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in a U.S. Department of Education monitoring report that apply to the school district in question; or if there are such findings, the state or school district has corrected, or agreed to correct, the findings.

6. The district meets all applicable federal, state, local and tribal health, environmental and safety requirements in law, regulations and policy and is willing to undergo EPA on-site verification.

District Contact Information

District Name:      

Address:       City:       State:       Zip:      

Website:       Facebook page:      

Superintendent Name:       Email:       Phone:      

Lead Applicant Name (if different):       Email:       Phone:      

Number of schools at each Level Early Learning 0-PK       Elementary (K - 5 or 6)       K – 8       Middle (6 - 8 or 9)       High (9 or 10 - 12)      	How would you describe your district? Urban Suburban Rural	Is your district among the largest 50 districts in the country? Yes No
		Total Enrolled:      
Does your district serve 40% or more students from disadvantaged households? Yes What percent?       No	% receiving FRPL      % Limited English Proficient       % Special Education      	Graduation rate:       Attendance rate:      

Crosscutting Questions

1. Is your district participating in a local, state or national program, such as EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, EcoSchools, Project Learning Tree, or others, which asks you to benchmark progress in some fashion in any or all of the Pillars?

Yes No Program(s) and level(s) achieved:      

2. Has your district received any awards for facilities, health or environment?

Yes No Award(s) and year(s)      

3. Does the district have a sustainability program or coordinator? Answer yes or no and describe the program and/or the coordinator’s role.      

Overview Summary Narrative for Highlights Report [You may wish to allow 2 pages for this overview essay, bearing in mind that you may need to have them edit for structure and clarity]

Provide a narrative describing your district’s efforts to reduce environmental impact and costs; improve student and staff health; and provide effective environmental and sustainability education. Be sure to cover every ED-GRS Pillar and underlying element in this overview of your work. See some examples in our past Highlights Reports.

Pillar I: Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs

Describe and provide evidence of how your district is reducing environmental impact and cost by:

Element A: Reducing or eliminating greenhouse gas emissions, including using energy audits, energy efficient facilities and practices, and use of renewable energy.

Element B: Improving quality, efficiency and conservation of water.

Element C: Reducing solid and hazardous waste through recycling and composting, reduced consumption, and improved management.

Element D: Expanded use of alternative transportation through active promotion of locally available transportation, energy-efficient options, and implementation of alternative transportation supportive projects and policies.

Pillar 2: Improve the Health and Wellness of Students and Staff

Describe and provide evidence of how your district is improving the health and wellness of students and staff by use of:

Element A: An integrated campus environmental health program, including pest management, contaminant controls, asthma control, indoor air quality, moisture control and chemical management.

Element B: Health and wellness programs.

Pillar 3: Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education

Describe and provide evidence of your environmental and sustainability education across the district by use of:

Element A: Interdisciplinary learning about the key dynamic relationships between environmental, energy and human systems.

Element B: Environment and sustainability curriculum and programs to develop STEM content knowledge and thinking skills to prepare graduates for the 21st century, technology-driven economy.

Element C: The development of civic engagement knowledge and skills and students’ application of such knowledge and skills to address sustainability issues in their community.

Note that STEM and civics work discussed should be described in relation to environmental and sustainability learning, rather than a general listing of all unrelated STEM or civics endeavors.

Photographs

Submit up to 5/10 [You may want to have some extras so you can submit best 5 to ED] photographs. Please save your photos using descriptive language. For example, “Students conduct water quality tests in outdoor classroom with science majors from nearby university x” would be more helpful than “Photo 1.” Photos should be action shots, not posed. By sending these photos, you are giving the U.S. Department of Education permission to use them.

Resources

State Green Ribbon Schools link: xyz

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools: www.ed.gov/ green-ribbon-schools

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