Apply for the 2018 Best of Green Schools and Green Apple Day of Service awards

Published on: 
March 01, 2018
Author: 
Carolyn Yi

Awards season is here, and we have a lot to celebrate! The Center for Green Schools at USGBC is excited to announce that nominations are open for two award opportunities:

  • The 2018 Best of Green Schools Awards, which are co-presented with the Green Schools National Network, celebrate the hard work being done by individuals, schools, campuses and organizations to push the green schools movement forward. Last year’s honorees included a school with student-led waste and energy reduction initiatives and an organization enhancing K–12 instruction for environmental literacy throughout their state. Submit your nomination for the 2018 awards.

The call for nominations for both awards closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on Fri., March 23, 2018.

If you or someone you know is making significant strides toward creating more sustainable schools, we want to hear from you. The categories, criteria and application links for both awards are below. You are welcome to submit nominations for yourself and others.

Winners will be announced and awarded at the 2018 Green Schools Conference and Expo in Denver, Colorado, May 3–4. This annual gathering of the leaders and innovators is the perfect moment to celebrate the leadership embodied by awardees. After submitting your nomination, register to attend the conference so you’ll be on hand in Denver to see (or receive!) the awards during the closing plenary.

2018 Best of Green Schools categories and criteria

  • K–12 School: Recognizing schools that have consistently modeled exemplary green school practices and share what they have learned with external communities.
  • School System: Recognizing school systems and districts that have created long-term partnerships, demonstrated a commitment to systemic change and shared best practices with external communities.
  • Higher Ed Institution: Recognizing higher education institutions or faculty members who have made a significant contribution to the K–12 green schools movement through partnership, research and/or scholarship.
  • Policy Maker: Recognizing individuals who have demonstrated exemplary efforts in promoting policies at the local, state or federal level that support the necessary systemic change to ensure that all children can attend a green school.
  • Ambassador: Recognizing individuals who have demonstrated exemplary efforts in promoting green schools in K–12 classroom settings, and have engaged community organizations to create systemic change to strengthen the green schools movement and create a more sustainable future.
  • Collaborator: Recognizing organizations and governmental agencies that have made substantial contributions in advancing the green schools movement.
  • Student Leader: Recognizing K–12 students who have demonstrated exemplary efforts in promoting improvements to their schools and communities.
  • Business Leader: Recognizing private-sector organizations and individuals who have made substantial contributions in advancing the green schools movement.
  • Transformation: Recognizing investments of time, energy and resources to transform a school, school community, event or policy into an exemplary model for the green schools movement.
  • Moment for the Movement: Recognizing events, initiatives or happenings that significantly advanced the green schools movement.

Submit your nomination for the 2018 Best of Green Schools Awards.

2018 Green Apple Day of Service categories and criteria

  • Standout Project: Recognizing exemplary projects that successfully address a critical sustainability issue for their school and effectively engage volunteers and students. Please tell us why the project you are putting forward is a standout.
  • Standout Leader: Recognizing project leaders who have gone above and beyond for Green Apple Day of Service. They may stand out for building on their efforts year after year, or for initiating a particularly creative project idea. The individual may be a student, parent, teacher, school staff member or community volunteer.

Projects must be registered on greenapple.org and must have concluded by the time the nomination or application is submitted.

Submit your nomination for a standout Green Apple Day of Service project or project leader.