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If you’ve recently completed a great project at your school, show it off to your school community in an open house. And if you’ve already taken huge strides toward becoming a green school, apply to be recognized as a Green Ribbon School!
Invite the community to come by and see the green features you’ve worked so hard to implement and maintain. Train students and staff ahead of time to lead building tours for parents, elected officials, and local media. Work with students to create a video that shows off the green features and put it on the school’s website.
Get Started
- Invite students and staff to learn about the school's green features and encourage them to lead tours for visitors.
- Talk with the principal and facilities staff about a strategy for recognizing the school’s progress in implementing green school strategies.
- If a community tour is the right option for your school, chart a course through your building that highlights all the school’s green features.
- If your school is a new building, work with the design team to brainstorm talking points for each feature.
- Promote the event through community bulletin boards at the grocery store, library, and community center.
- Invite a local leader such as the school’s principal or a supportive school board member to serve as grand marshal for a celebratory event.
- Don’t forget to invite local dignitaries – and the media!
- Look through the guidance for schools to apply for the Green Ribbon Schools Award, and decide if your school is ready to fill out an application.
- Find nearby schools that have achieved recognition and learn their strategies and tips.
Additional Resources
- The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools ED-GRS) recognition award honors the highest achieving healthy, sustainable schools each year, highlighting their exemplary practices to other schools.
- Learn how previous award-winning Green Ribbon Schools achieved high standards of excellence with examples on the Department of Education’s website.
- Sign up for a Green Strides Webinar to learn more about federal agencies' free programs available to all schools.
- Apply for the Best of Green Schools Awards presented at the annual Green Schools Conference.