WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education today announced the 2020 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees, who have been selected for special recognition based on their commitment to healthy, safe, and sustainable learning environments.

Across the country, 39 schools, 11 districts, and five postsecondary institutions are being honored for their innovative efforts to address the three "Pillars" of the program: reducing environmental impact and utility costs, improving health and wellness, and ensuring effective sustainability education. A state education official, Elizabeth Schmitz, Environmental and Sustainability Education Program Supervisor at the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, is also being recognized for her efforts to advance school sustainability.

"I want to congratulate this year's U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School honorees for a job well done," said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. "During this unprecedented time, it's a pleasure to celebrate these bright spots of creativity and to applaud the teachers and local education leaders who have worked to create healthy, sustainable, and innovative learning environments for their students."

The honorees were named from a pool of candidates nominated by 27 states. The selectees include 28 public schools – among them, three magnet schools and four charter schools – as well as 11 nonpublic schools. Forty-five percent of the 2020 honorees serve a disadvantaged student body.

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 55 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.

Following is the list of 2020 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability Award, and Postsecondary Sustainability Award honorees.

Alabama

Magnolia Nature School at Camp McDowell, Nauvoo, AL

California

Creston Elementary School, Creston, CA

Edison Elementary School, Alameda, CA

Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School, La Crescenta, CA

Woodside Priory School, Portola Valley, CA

Carmel Unified School District, Carmel, CA

Colorado

Aspen Prep Academy, Greenwood Village, CO

Connecticut

Middlebrook Middle School, Wilton, CT

Delaware

Odyssey Charter School, Wilmington, DE

Ursuline Academy, Wilmington, DE

Florida

Highland Elementary School, Lake Worth, FL

Martin County School District, Stuart, FL

Georgia

Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA

Hawaii

SEEQS: The School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability, Honolulu, HI

Illinois

Joseph Sears School, Kenilworth, IL

College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL

Indiana

Hamilton Southeastern School Corporation, Fishers, IN

Kentucky

Redwood Cooperative School, Lexington, KY

Fayette County Public Schools, Lexington, KY

Maine

Mount Desert Island High School, Bar Harbor, ME

Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport, ME

Maryland

Oakland Terrace Elementary School, Silver Spring, MD

Wellwood International School, Baltimore, MD

Minnesota

School of Engineering and Arts, Golden Valley, MN

Missouri

Sunrise School, DeSoto, MO

Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School, St. Louis, MO

Parkway School District, Chesterfield, MO

Nebraska

Mickle Middle School, Lincoln, NE

Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, Omaha, NE

Bayard Public Schools, Bayard, NE

Nevada

Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno, NV

New Jersey

Cape May City Elementary School, Cape May, NJ

Readington Middle School, Whitehouse Station, NJ

New Mexico

Coyote Willow Family School, Albuquerque, NM

North Carolina

Lincoln Heights Environmental Connections Magnet Elementary School, Fuquay-Varina, NC

Millbrook Environmental Connections Magnet Elementary School, Raleigh, NC

Walker-Spivey Elementary School, Fayetteville, NC

Pennsylvania

Gwynedd-Mercy Academy Elementary School, Spring House, PA

Rhode Island

The Grace School at Meeting Street, Providence, RI

South Carolina

Cape Romain Environmental Education Charter School, McClellanville, SC

Furman University, Greenville, SC

Utah

Bonneville Elementary School, Salt Lake City, UT

Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, UT

Virginia

Ocean View Elementary School, Norfolk, VA

Rappahannock County Public Schools, Washington, VA

Washington

Carl Sandburg Elementary/Discovery Community School, Kirkland, WA

Montessori Children's House, Redmond, WA

Pullman Public Schools, Pullman, WA

Seattle Public Schools, Seattle, WA

Wahluke Public Schools, Mattawa, WA

(Director's Award) Elizabeth Schmitz, Environmental and Sustainability Program Director, OSPI

Wisconsin