USDE Names Spring Ford Area SD and Shippensburg University Green Ribbon School
Harrisburg, PA — The Wolf Administration today announced that Spring-Ford Area School District and Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania have been named Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) by the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of their environmental sustainability efforts.
Secretary of Education Dr. Noe Ortagega stated that Pennsylvania’s schools play an important role in helping to preserve and sustain the world around them by encouraging students to learn about and actively engage with environmental sustainability practices. Green Ribbon Schools are a great example of this mission, and they demonstrate a commitment towards environmental awareness in the classroom.
Spring-Ford Area School District received the School District Sustainability award, and Shippensburg University received the Postsecondary Sustainability award. Nationally, 27 schools and five districts were honored. Four postsecondary institutions also received the honor. You can find the complete list of honorees on the U.S. Department of Education website.
Both schools will be recognized by the commonwealths. Pathways to Green Schools program.
Patrick McDonnell, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary, stated that our future depends on understanding and protecting the environment. These schools have shown that reducing our environmental impact, educating the next generation about how to be good stewards for our natural resources, as well as saving money, are all interconnected.
Since 2011, the ED–GRS program nominated schools, districts and institutions of higher learning across the country for their commitment towards reducing environmental impact and costs, improving health, wellness, and providing environmental education to the students.
Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), commended these schools for their commitments to sustainability and positive environmental Stewardship. Schools are where the next generation of conservationists will learn and grow. It is why it is important to have green schools in Pennsylvania.
Each spring, the U.S. Department of Education (PDE) selects and announces awardees. The awardees demonstrate progress in the following areas.
Visit the for more information about U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools U.S. Department of Education website.
CONTACT MEDIA:
Kendall Alexander, PDE, 717-439-2973
Wesley Robinson, DCNR, 717-877-6315
Jamar Thrasher, DEP, 717-319-1758