Apply for U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon
3In the state of Missouri, Missouri Green Schools (MGS) serves as the conduit for the U.S Department of Education Green Ribbon School (ED-GRS) Award. ED-GRS recognition award honors schools and school districts. Both MGS and ED-GRS are aligned with and recognize schools for their achievements across all three “pillars” of a green school:
1) reduced environmental impacts and costs;
2) improved health and wellness of schools, students and staff;
3) effective environmental and sustainability education.
The deadline for submitting 2023 applications is January 09, 2022. If you are interested in applying to become a Green Ribbon School honoree for 2023 please email mgs@meea.org.
Process:
- Schools must be enrolled in Missouri Green Schools to be considered for ED-GRS.
- You will complete a nomination form and an application that must be returned to mgs@meea.org by January 9, 2023. Application should include: A clear, specific and well-articulated understanding of how environmental sustainability, health, and learning fit with the school’s vision and mission; innovative approaches (given a particular school’s circumstances) to one or more of the criteria outlined in the 3 pillars; and at least five action photos of students involved in green practices.
- MGS will select candidates that they will bring forward to the Missouri Department of Education for Nomination.
Honorees
Honored schools, school districts, and institutes of higher education are announced each spring. The selectees are invited to a summer ceremony in Washington, D.C. where they receive a sustainable plaque; are the subject of media attention; and feel their efforts celebrated. Other schools, in turn, learn about and adopt their practices.
Selection & Scoring
Selection Process
The selection committee consists of at least one representative each from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Missouri Environmental Education Association, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The committee proposes a list of reviewers with expertise in one or more of the pillars and with no conflicts of interest from working with schools.
Applications are distributed to the reviewers who use a scoring guide to provide a quantitative score to the selection committee.
Applications meeting a minimum score of a 100 points are selected for further consideration based on demonstrating efforts in all three pillars, on how well their efforts align with the school’s vision and mission, and the quality of the innovative approaches and their documentation.
Successful applicant packages will be sent to MO-DESE for final approval and nomination to The US Dept of Education.
ED-GRS allows only one private school to be nominated, and at least one public school with a 40% disadvantaged population needs to be nominated for every two schools with fewer disadvantaged students. This second point means that we are somewhat limited by the number of schools with disadvantaged populations that apply. The final selection takes these additional requirements into consideration. Each state can make up to five nominations.
Scoring Guide
This scoring guide will be used by the people evaluating the nomination forms to make sure nominees meet minimum standards. The scoring guide can help applicants understand how best to frame their story of effort and achievement. The application sections are weighted as follows:
10% Summary Statement
10% Engagement, Benchmarking, and Awards
25% Pillar 1: Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs
25% Pillar 2: Improved Health and Wellness
25% Pillar 3: Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education
5% Media (Pictures or Video)
Lastly, due to ED-GRS requirements, only one private school may be nominated, and at least one public school with a 40% disadvantaged population needs to be nominated for every two schools with fewer disadvantaged students. This second point means that we are somewhat limited by the number of schools with disadvantaged populations that apply.