Oregon Sustainable Schools Awards and Green Ribbon Schools

For immediate release
contact Christine Miles, 503-947-5637

January 10, 2012

Oregon Sustainable Schools Awards and Green Ribbon Schools

Schools can apply for new Sustainable School Awards

(Salem, OR.) The Oregon Department of Education is pleased to announce the launch of the Oregon Sustainable Schools Awards. The Oregon award program identifies nominees for the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools recognition program. The Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative (SOSI), along with the Oregon Department of Education created the awards to recognize public and private K-12 schools that demonstrate progress in the following four key areas:

Environmental Impacts
Healthy, Safe School Environments and Services for Students and Staff
Education for Sustainability: Environmental and Social Literacy
Social Sustainability

Any public or private K-12 school in Oregon can apply. The Oregon awards include recognition of the school with the highest overall achievement score in all key areas, as well as recognition of the highest achieving schools in each of the 4 individual areas.

“This is an excellent opportunity for our schools to highlight the work they are doing in the classroom, in the school and in their communities to become more sustainable,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo. “I look forward to honoring each school and the students who are taking the sustainable challenge and making a difference in their school and community.”

Oregon’s four nominee schools for federal Green Ribbon School recognition will be identified through this application process. One of the 4 must be a private school and one must have at least 40% of its students eligible for free and reduced lunch.

The Oregon Department of Education will host an informational webinar about the awards and application on January 17 at 4 PM. Details will be posted at the award website. Applications must be submitted by February 20.

More details as well as the application materials are now available from the SOSI website at: http://www.sustainableschools.org/sosi/oregon-award-program.

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Susan Castillo, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Christine Miles, Communications Director, Telephone (503) 947-5637
http://www.ode.state.or.us

Oregon Department of Education News Releases contain information that was originally released to the press as an official release. Refer to each News Release for the details.