The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced several top schools, school districts, lawmakers and others as recipients of the 2024 Best of Green Schools Awards, an annual recognition in collaboration with the Green Schools National Network. Among this year’s recipients are Boston Public Schools, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Amanda Talantis, a school teacher in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
The awards, announced at the 2024 Green Schools Conference in Santa Fe, honor and recognize individuals, schools, campuses and organizations active in advancing green schools nationwide. The Green Schools Conference is the only event to bring together everyone involved in creating and advocating for green schools.
“The individuals and organizations we honor and recognize today have made outstanding progress in advancing green schools. They have empowered and inspired students, teachers and communities to create and foster greener, more sustainable learning environments,” said Anisa Heming, director at the Center for Green Schools. “Whether it’s a reduction in emissions or waste, the installation of a new garden or solar panels, or drastic improvements in air quality, the accomplishments made in our schools would not be possible without the steadfast dedication and collective action of those we celebrate today.”
“This year’s awardees represent thought leaders and practitioners who are at the forefront of creating sustainable learning environments and opportunities for children across this nation,” said Jennifer Seydel, executive director at the Green Schools National Network. “Their commitment to educating for sustainability is reflected in their commitment to what children learn, where children learn, and how children learn matters in our efforts to create a sustainable and just future for all.”
The awards were presented to organizations or individuals that have worked to move green schools forward in ten categories. This year’s recipients are:
K–12 School: St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Mass., adopted a sustainability strategic plan in 2015. The school’s efforts include reducing waste and water consumption by a significant margin, eliminating its carbon emissions from electricity consumption by entering into a green power contract and divesting from fossil fuels. In 2020, St. Mark’s created a climate action plan to reduce carbon emissions even further by 2025 and achieved those goals two years early.
School System: Boston Public Schools has invested in numerous sustainability practices and programs that have created healthier learning environments and equipped its students with the knowledge and tools to create more sustainable, environmentally conscious communities. The district is led by the sustainability, energy, and environment program and has improved numerous areas, including indoor air quality, drinking water access and significant efficiency upgrades.
School District Champion: Now retired, Lisa Randall served as sustainability program coordinator for Santa Fe Public Schools for 13 years and was the founding coordinator of the school district’s sustainability program. She led the district to generate 22% of its electricity from solar power and reduce water use by 52%, electricity use by 11% and natural gas use by 15%.
Policy Maker: U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) introduced the Green Ribbon Act, which will strengthen and expand the Green Ribbon Schools program at the U.S. Department of Education. If passed, the program will provide resources to states so that they can encourage more schools to strive for and achieve the award.
Ambassador: Director of Equitable Initiatives for Earth Charter Indiana and ECI’s Indiana Thriving Schools Challenge (ITSC) Tatjana Rebelle empowers K–12 schools to adopt dynamic sustainability practices in Indiana through numerous funding initiatives. These grants have allowed schools to add greener features to the physical environment as well as sustainability lessons to the curriculums for their students.
Michelle Curreri Collaborator Award: California’s Climate Ready Schools Coalition ensures that the buildings and sites of public schools are developed with sustainability and resilience to protect students as the climate continues to change rapidly. The statewide coalition includes leaders in education, climate, health, youth, labor, civil rights, business and other organizations.
Student Leader: Alex Wagonfeld from Nueva School in the Bay Area leads both the environmental club and the Nueva Fossil Fuel Divestment Team, motivating and inspiring fellow students to engage in environmental and sustainability initiatives. He researched and proposed alternative investment strategies and collaborated with the schools’ endowment committee and other leaders to secure a successful commitment to divest from fossil fuels over a five-year period. He also engages and encourages other California and national high school communities to divest from oil and adopt more environmentally conscious practices.
K–12 Educator: Amanda Talantis teaches sustainability and hospitality and tourism academies at Gulf Shores High School, and was recently named the Alabama District 1 Secondary Teacher of the Year and empowers her students and colleagues to create more sustainable and green environments through her courses on ecotourism and sustainability
Business Leader: Arrowstreet designs PK-12 schools that advance sustainability, equity and wellness. Its portfolio includes over 3 million square feet of net zero buildings, including the largest net zero and first LEEDv4 Platinum school in the United States.
Moment for the Movement: The U.S. Department of Energy’s new school-focused programs, like the Healthy and Efficient Schools program and the Renew America’s Schools grants, have given renewed visibility to the role that schools play in ensuring a clean energy future and promoting healthy communities. In the past year, the advocates that have driven progress with schools on these topics for years have felt the momentum shift, signaling an inflection point in the green schools movement.
