ECS IS RECOGNIZED AS EXEMPLARY K-12 SCHOOL FOR GREEN PRACTICES
Environmental champions from across the country – including individuals, schools, programs and events – have been named the first-ever recipients of the inaugural Best of Green Schools awards. The Green Schools National Network, in partnership with The Center for Green Schools and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), announced the 2016 winners at the Green Schools Conference and Expo, the largest gathering of its kind in the nation. The awards recognize the best environmental efforts in schools across the country and spotlight national leaders and innovators in school sustainability during the past year.
Environmental Charter Schools received the Best of Green Schools award for K- 12 School, recognized as a school that has consistently modeled exemplary green school practices and shares these best practices with external communities.
“It is an honor to be included as one of the winners of the ‘Best of Green Schools’ awards with a group of many other outstanding leaders in environmental stewardship. Our partnership with this network creates opportunities for learning, enriches the work that we do, and challenges us to become even more green. We look forward to our continuing partnership. Go Green Schools!”
– Alison Diaz, ECS Founder & Executive Director
Each of the Best of Green Schools honorees plays an essential role in propelling the green schools movement forward and setting excellent examples of how to transform schools into healthy learning environments,” says Jennifer Seydel, Executive Director, Green Schools National Network. “As our movement advances, having such exemplary mentors and role models across the country will help us improve our work and drive our mission.”
“This year’s honorees are making huge strides in their schools and communities,” adds Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools. “Each ‘Best of’ designee is an inspiring example of innovation and passion in pursuit of schools that educate a generation of sustainability natives, students prepared to take the lead in the 21st century.”
Congratulations to the other “Best of Green Schools” Awards Recipients:
- Best School System – Fayette County Public Schools (Lexington, Ky)
- Best Higher Education Institution – Wings of Hope Environmental Education Program at Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Myers, Fla.)
- Best Policy Maker – Representative Chris Lee (House District 51, Hawaii.)
- Best Collaboration – Space to Grow: Greening Chicago Schoolyards (Chicago, Ill.)
- Best Transformation – USGBC Louisiana Green Schools Initiative (Baton Rouge, La.)
- Best Student Leadership – Hammond Junior High Magnet School (Hammond, La.)
- Best Ambassador – Deborah Moore, Green Schools Initiative (Berkeley, Calif.)
- Best Business Leadership – Pauline Souza, WRNS Studio Partner and Director of Sustainability (San Francisco, Calif.)
- Best Moment for the Movement – Research Summit on Childhood Health and School Buildings (Washington, D.C.) and the Green Schools Alliance District Collaborative (Washington, D.C.)
