Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and School Principals:

California Green Ribbon Schools Recognition Program Request for Applications 2020–21

The California Department of Education (CDE) is pleased to announce application availability for the eighth cycle of our California Green Ribbon Schools (CA-GRS) recognition program. The purpose of this program is to honor excellence in whole-school sustainability while spotlighting replicable best practices.

Green schools facilitate environmental stewardship and provide students with high-quality learning environments that support the whole child and encourage students to work together with their peers and teachers as a team. The impacts from schools like these include reduced student illness and absenteeism; industry exposure; and opportunities for students to build job-related skillsets, lower utility consumption and costs, and improve academic outcomes—especially in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields—as students build their environmental literacy.

Since the CA-GRS recognition program began in 2014, the CDE has recognized 77 public schools and 29 school districts across the state for helping California to lead the way in whole-school sustainability. Join these leaders by pursuing recognition for your school or district this school year.

Eligible award recipients include school districts, county offices of education, kindergarten through grade twelve public and private schools, and early education centers. Interested parties may request an electronic application and review program information on the Green Ribbon Schools Award Program web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/fa/sf/greenribbonprog.asp. While CA-GRS awards are not limited in number, five honorees will earn a nomination for additional recognition by the Secretary of Education as U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools and District Sustainability Award winners.

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact the California Green Ribbon Schools team by e-mail at greenribbonschools@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction

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2020-05376