Sample Application- Districts

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 all of it to your jurisdiction’s needs. The overall aim is use a format that shows how your nominees’ are high performing in every Pillar and Element within the allowable page limit. How you achieve that is up to you. These are merely some suggestions offered as a starting place.

ED-GRS Sample Nominating Authority Application for Districts

Thank you for your interest in completing the (nominating authority name) application for nomination to U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS). In order to complete this application, you will need to collect data about your district’s facility, health, physical education and safety policies; food service; and environmental and sustainability curriculum.

Through its District Sustainability Award, ED-GRS recognizes districts taking a comprehensive approach to greening. A comprehensive approach incorporates environmental learning with improving environmental and health impacts. Becoming a U.S. Department of Education District Sustainability Awardee is a two-step process. The first step is to complete and submit this form to be selected as a nominee by an eligible nominating authority. Once selected as a nominee by your state or eligible nominating authority, the second step of the process requires signatures for the Nomination Presentation Form that will be sent to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) along with your application.

ED selects honorees from those presented by eligible nominating authorities nationwide. Selection will be based on documentation of the applicant's high achievement in the three ED-GRS Pillars:

Pillar I: Reduce environmental impact and costs.

Pillar II: Improve the health and wellness of students and staff.

Pillar III: Provide effective environmental and sustainability education, incorporating STEM, civic skills and green career pathways.

Districts demonstrating exemplary achievement in all three Pillars will receive highest rankings. It is important to document concrete achievement. 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, teachers and students. You should consult the Green Strides Resources Page and Webinar Series for standards, programs and grants related to each Pillar, Element and question. This is an excellent clearinghouse of information for all districts, not just those who apply.

The questions in this application will help you demonstrate your high achievement in these Pillars as well as provide space for you to include pertinent documentation. Applications are due by (xx) to xyz. State agency xyz will then send nominations to the U.S. Department of Education by February 1, 2015.

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.

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: ____________________________________________

Street Address: ____________________________________________

City: ___________________________________________State: _______ Zip: _______________

Website: _______________________________Facebook page: ____________________________________________

Superintendent Name: ____________________________________________

Superintendent Email Address: _______________________________ Phone Number:___________________________

Lead Applicant Name (if different): ____________________________________________

Lead Applicant Email: __________________________________ Phone Number:________________________________

Number of schools at each Level [ ] Elementary (PK - 5 or 6) ___ [ ] K – 8 ___ [ ] Middle (6 - 8 or 9) ___ [ ] High (9 or 10 - 12) ____	Other data you wish to collect:	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 ( ) No	% receiving FRPL________________ % limited English proficient__________ Other measures__________________		Graduation rate:_____ Attendance rate: ____

Application Outline: State may wish to insert its scoring rubric here. This is but one sample rubric.

ED-GRS Pillars and Elements	Points
Cross-Cutting Question: Participation in green school programs	5 points
Pillar I: Reduce environmental impact and costs:  30%
Element 1A: Reduced or eliminated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions                 Energy                 Buildings	15 points
Element 1B: Improved water quality, efficiency, and conservation                Water                Grounds	5 points
Element 1C: Reduced waste production                          Waste                Hazardous waste	5 points
Element 1D: Use of alternative transportation	5 points
Pillar II: Improve the health and wellness of students and staff: 30%
Element 2A: Integrated school environmental health program                 Integrated Pest Management                 Contaminant controls and Ventilation                 Asthma control                 Indoor air quality                 Moisture control                Chemical management	15 points
Element 2B: Health and Wellness Coordinated School Health Fitness and outdoor time Food and Nutrition	15 points
Pillar III: Provide effective environmental and sustainability education, incorporating STEM, civic skills and green career pathways: 35%
Element 3A: Interdisciplinary learning about the key relationships between dynamic environmental, energy and human systems	20 points
Element 3B: Use of the environment and sustainability to develop STEM content, knowledge, and thinking skills	5 points
Element 3C: Development and application of civic knowledge and skills	10 points
Total	100 points

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) ____________________________________________

Summary Narrative: 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. Focus on unique and innovative, yet replicable, practices and partnerships. Be sure to cover every ED-GRS Pillar and Element.

Pillar I: Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs

Narrative: Describe how your district is reducing environmental impact and costs by reducing or eliminating greenhouse gas emissions; improving water quality, efficiency, and conservation; reducing waste production; and using alternative transportation. Identify your district’s energy-efficient facilities and practices, ecologically beneficial uses of grounds, and methods of disposal for solid and hazardous wastes.

Pillar 2: Improve the health and wellness of students and staff

Narrative: Describe how your district improves the health and wellness of students and staff by integrating a school environmental health program and promoting sound health and wellness practices. You should discuss integrated pest management, contaminant controls and ventilation, asthma controls, indoor air quality, moisture control, and chemical management. Address the amount and type of outdoor time that your students and staff have, as well as the types of fresh, local, and organic food that they eat. Other components you may want to include are: health education, health services, counseling, psychological and social services, staff health promotion and family and community involvement.

Pillar 3: Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education

Narrative: Describe how your district provides effective environmental and sustainability education by incorporating STEM, civic skills, and green career pathways. Provide examples of interdisciplinary learning about the key relationships between dynamic environmental, energy, and human systems. Demonstrate how your district uses the environment and sustainability to develop STEM content, knowledge, and thinking skills. You should also discuss how your district develops and applies civic knowledge and skills to environmental and sustainability education.

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