Columbus School Honored For Being Green

The U.S. Department of Education has named Columbus North High School a Green Ribbon School. The award honors schools for reducing environmental impact and costs, improving health and offering environmental education.

WASHINGTON D.C. – (April 22, 2015) U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was joined by Managing Director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Christy Goldfuss today to announce the 2015 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award honorees. Fifty-eight schools, 14 districts, and nine postsecondary institutions were honored for their promising efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, promote better health, and ensure effective environmental education, including civics and green career pathways. In addition, nine colleges and universities were honored with the Postsecondary Sustainability Award, in the first year of that award category.

“These honorees are compelling examples of the ways schools can help children build real-world skillsets, cut school costs, and provide healthy learning environments,” Duncan said. “U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools are an inspiration and deserve the spotlight for embodying strong examples of innovative learning and civic engagement. We also are thrilled to add institutions of higher education to the list of honorees this year for the first time in the award's history.”

“With so many tough challenges facing our planet, it is more important than ever to inspire and prepare the next generation of environmental stewards,” said Goldfuss. “By creating healthier learning environments, reducing their carbon footprints, and teaching students lasting lessons about innovation and sustainability, today's honorees are leading the way for schools and districts across the country.”

The schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions were confirmed from a pool of candidates voluntarily nominated by 30 state education agencies, with honorees selected from 28 jurisdictions. The list of 81 total selectees includes 52 public schools and six private schools. The public schools include two charter and three magnet schools. The schools serve various grade levels, including 35 elementary, 19 middle and 17 high schools are among them, with several schools having various K-12 configurations, from 28 of the nominating authorities. Forty-seven percent of the 2015 honorees serve a disadvantaged student body, 22 percent are rural, and one-third of the postsecondary institutions are community colleges. The list of all selected schools, districts, colleges, and universities, as well as their nomination packages, can be found here. A report with highlights on the 81 honorees can be found here.

More information on the federal recognition award can be found here. Resources for all schools to move toward the three Pillars can be found here.

Alabama

•Bluff Park Elementary School

Hoover, AL

•Lincoln Elementary School

Lincoln, AL

•Lincoln High School

Lincoln, AL

•Auburn University

Auburn, AL

California

•Los Cerritos Elementary School

Long Beach, CA

•Carmel Middle School

Carmel, CA

•Susan Miller Dorsey Senior High

Los Angeles, CA

•Marin Country Day School

Corte Madera, CA

•El Monte Union High School District

El Monte, CA

Colorado

•Red Hawk Elementary School

Erie, CO

•Colorado State University

Fort Collins, CO

Connecticut

•Parkway School

Greenwich, CT

•Academy of Engineering and Green Technology

Hartford, CT

•Rogers International School

Stamford, CT

•Greens Farms Academy

Greens Farms, CT

•Stamford School District

Stamford, CT

Delaware

•Linden Hill Elementary School

Wilmington, DE

•Mt. Pleasant Elementary School

Wilmington, DE

•Kirk Middle School

Newark, DE

Department of Defense Education Activity

•Charles P. Murray Elementary School

Fort Stewart, GA

•Wiesbaden Middle School

Wiesbaden, Hainerberg, Germany

District of Columbia

•The George Washington University

Washington, DC

Florida

•Manatee Elementary School

Viera, FL

•Pine View School for the Gifted

Osprey, FL

•Odyssey Charter School

Palm Bay, FL

Georgia

•Dr. M.H. Mason Jr. Elementary School

Duluth, GA

•Big Shanty Intermediate School

Kennesaw, GA

•Cherokee County School District

Canton, GA

•Cobb County School District

Marietta, GA

Illinois

•River Trails Middle School

Mt. Prospect, IL

Indiana

•Columbus North High School

Columbus, IN

Iowa

•Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA

Kentucky

•Bryan Station Middle School

Lexington, KY

•Royal Spring Middle School

Georgetown, KY

•Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY

Maryland

•J. C. Parks Elementary School

Indian Head, MD

•Northwest High School

Germantown, MD

•Howard County Public School System

Ellicott City, MD

Massachusetts

•Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School

Upton, MA

•Hingham High School

Hingham, MA

•Cambridge Public Schools

Cambridge, MA

Minnesota

•Redtail Ridge Elementary School

Savage, MN

•Harambee Community Cultures/Environmental Science School

Maplewood, MN

•Rockford Middle School-Center for Environmental Studies

Rockford, MN

•City of Lakes Waldorf School

Minneapolis, MN

•West St Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan School District 197

Mendota Heights, MN

•University of Minnesota, Morris

Morris, MN

Mississippi

•Oxford School District

Oxford, MS

Montana

•Rattlesnake Elementary School

Missoula, MT

•Seeley Lake Elementary School

Seeley Lake, MT

•Seeley-Swan High School

Seeley Lake, MT

Nebraska

•Edward Babe Gomez Heritage Elementary School

Omaha, NE

•Wilson Focus School

Omaha, NE

•Lincoln Public Schools

Lincoln, NE

New Jersey

•William Davies Middle School

Mays Landing, NJ

•East Brunswick Vocational and Technical High School

East Brunswick, NJ

•Timber Creek Regional High School

Erial, NJ

•Princeton Day School

Princeton, NJ

North Carolina

•Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

Chapel Hill, NC

•Cherokee County Schools

Murphy, NC

Ohio

•Old Trail School

Bath, OH

•Berea City School District

Berea, OH

Pennsylvania

•Charles F. Patton Middle School

Kennett Square, PA

•Northampton Community College

Bethlehem, PA

Rhode Island

•Paul W. Crowley East Bay Met School

Newport, RI

•Ponaganset High School

North Scituate, RI

Virginia

•Coles Elementary School

Manassas, VA

•Crozet Elementary School

Crozet, VA

•Bassett High School

Bassett, VA

•The Steward School

Richmond, VA

•University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

Washington

•Discovery Elementary School

Everett, WA

•Hillcrest Elementary School

Oak Harbor, WA

•Image Elementary School

Vancouver, WA

•Tahoma School District

Maple Valley, WA

West Virginia

•North Elementary School

Morgantown, WV

Wisconsin

•Colby Elementary School

Colby, WI

•Lake Mills Elementary School

Lake Mills, WI

•Columbus Elementary-Discovery Charter School

Columbus, WI

•Middleton—Cross Plains Area Schools

Middleton, WI

•Western Technical College

La Crosse, WI

Columbus North High School, Columbus, Ind.

Building, selling, and sharing to benefit the community

Columbus North High School (CNHS), serving 2,023 students –32 percent of whom are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, and 12 percent of whom are limited English proficient — has a tradition of excellence that has focused on meeting and exceeding the needs of the community. Students are required to complete a senior service project to the community as a final step toward graduation. Each year, many of these projects focus on improving the physical environment of the school, and include recycling and energy reduction efforts. Public service announcements are made during lunch and at sporting events encouraging students and spectators to place their recyclable in the receptacles provided.

During the most rec