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Green Schools Recognition Program

Green Schools logo with a green leaf sprout and the text 'Orange County Public Schools'.

  • The Green Schools Recognition Program honors and rewards schools for their sustainability efforts to conserve energy and water, reduce waste, improve health and well-being, enhance the school grounds with gardens and outdoor learning areas while incorporating sustainability in the curriculum and developing community partnerships.

    APPLY NOW! 

    Email amy.shova@ocps.net to obtain access to your school's copy of the 2024-2025 Green Schools Recognition Program Application. We are very excited to help you start your school's sustainability journey today!

    Green School Application due date is the last day of post-planning.

    TOP GREEN SCHOOL AWARDS
    1st Place $5,000.00
    2nd Place $3,000.00
    3rd Place $1,500.00

  • Judge's Choice Awards are selected by judges to recognize excelled in a specific category. Awards are $750.00 each, with one special award of $1,000 for the "Rising Star" Judge's Choice Award. These awards are part of the main application.

  • Conservation Incentive Awards are $100.00 - $1,000.00 for energy and water conservation efforts. These awards are part of a separate (optional) application after the main Green Schools Application is submitted in May. The deadline to submit the Conservation Incentive Awards is the third Friday in August of following school year. 

    Email sustainability@ocps.net for the latest application.

  • Previous 1st Place Green Schools and National US DOE Green Ribbon winners qualify as "mentor schools", to help others in their Green Schools adventure through the Continued Excellence Award (CEA) program. Past winners can continue their sustainability journey in meaningful ways through maintaining their own sustainable activities and mentoring other schools on their sustainability journeys.

    Up to two mentor schools may be selected to be awarded the $5,000 Continued Excellence Award (CEA). Additional awards are also available to schools participating in the CEA program, including the Conservation Incentive Awards. Award funds help support existing and new green initiatives at mentoring schools to help them continue to be a leader in the Green Schools Recognition Program.

    Email amy.shova@ocps.net to obtain access to your school's copy of the 2024-2025 GSRP Continued Excellence Application. We are very excited to help you start your school's sustainability journey today!

  • Every school that submits a completed application are invited to attend the banquet with District leadership and sustainability leaders in the community. At this banquet, the winning schools will be announced, prizes will be awarded, and all participants will be recognized for their sustainability efforts. 

  • Every school that applies will receive media recognition broadcast across the County.

    The Sustainability Department will submit the application for the FL Department of Environmental Protection's Green School Designation Program, and the U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools Program (not currently available) for the top three winners of the GSRP.

     

    GUIDELINES

    Click here to review the guidelines of this program.

    Please also see the Green Schools Recognition Program Information and Training Video.mp4 to assist you on growing your Green Team and completing the application.

  • Sustainability Programs at OCPS!

    View our YouTube video series:

A green globe with a QR code is held in two hands, with the text 'Want to be added to the GreenSchools Canvas Course?' above it.

 

Celebrate our high achieving Green Schools! Click on below links to see where your school may have achieved in the past and where they may go in the future in continuing efforts towards growing green cultures in our schools.

2022-2023 Green School Winners
GSRP Awards Summary YTD (as of 2024-01).pdf

 

Unsure if your school may apply for the Continued Excellence Award? See list below:

Year to Date Continued Excellence Eligible Schools 

Click on the Annual Awards Presentations to see the inspiring Sustainability Initiatives achieved by Green School applicants over the years: 

  GSRP STEERING COMMITTEE:

  • Michael Armbruster, Deputy Superintendent, Executive Committee Chair
  • Jennifer Fowler, Environmental Compliance & Sustainability, Senior Director, Committee Vice Chair
  • David Klawitter, Sustainability Manager, Committee Member
  • Amy Shova, Sustainability Coordinator, Committee Member
  • Kellie Antonowicz, Sustainability Coordinator, Committee Member

 

  • Email Sustainability@ocps.net to express interest.  You will be provided all the support you need to get started and on-going help throughout the application period. 

    Speak to former winning schools.  Find out what they have done to achieve success.  Most schools already have many green projects and activities, but maybe don't realize it! The first step is to compile and document what you're already doing.  

  • The Green Schools Recognition Program is an incentivized program to cultivate environmental stewardship in OCPS schools.  It recognizes schools that encourage cultures of sustainability within their schools environments. The program recognizes schools that have made strides in:

    Enhancing school sustainability through the conservation of energy and water and the reduction of solid wastes.

    Enhancing school grounds to encourage use as a learning environment and improve ecologic integrity.

    Integrating curriculum to prepare students to understand and act upon environmental challenges.

    Fostering relationships between the community and school in an effort to create an awareness of environmental issues.  

    Creating a school philosophy and culture that embraces sustainability as a result of administrative support and active professional development.

  • All OCPS schools are welcome to apply to this program, and join the growing Green Schools community.

  • The Green Team consists of a committed group of students, teachers, administrators, and community members to coordinate planning and implementation of new sustainability projects and activities and to document the current and ongoing sustainability efforts at the school.

  • This program is a great opportunity to share your school's sustainability efforts and get recognized for all your hard work.  

    The top three green schools win cash awards. Additional cash awards are awarded to schools based on Judge's Choices in seven categories.  Energy and Water Incentive Awards are also given to schools based on their energy and water consumption over the previous year.  In addition, schools are acknowledged at the banquet in front of District leaders and sustainability leaders in the community.

  • Applications are reviewed by a panel of independent judges from local community organizations according to the scoring criteria in the rubric. 

    All schools that submit a complete application will receive recognition and be honored at the banquet, where all awards will be announced.

  • There are three (4) levels of recognition:

    Great Start School - Application scores up to 39 points: School is just starting to incorporate sustainability on campus.

    School of Promise  - Application scores 40-59 points; School is taking beginning steps to improve sustainability

    School of Quality - Application scores 60-79 points; School is actively taking strides to improve and maintain sustainability

    School of Excellence - Application scores 80-100 points and shows the highest level of commitment to sustainability

    "Mentor Schools" - Schools eligible for the Continued Excellence Award (CEA) program still earn the levels of recognition shown above but have additional recognition opportunities. 

  • Green means many things to many people. At OCPS it is creating a school community that values resource conservation, health and wellness, community relationships, & innovation, and incorporating these values into student experiences and the curriculum.
     

  • Sustainability embodies environmental stewardship, economic responsibility and making a positive social impact.

    How do we ensure our actions result in healthful and plentiful natural resources now and for future generations; how do we save money and increase revenue through efficient operations; and how do we make a positive, equitable impact in our community?