The Secretary of Education  invites Chief State  School Officers (CSSOs) and state higher education executive officers (SHEEOs)  from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin  Islands, as well as the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and  the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) ("Nominating Authorities"), to  nominate schools, districts, and IHEs that they have determined as meeting the  criteria to be an ED-GRS.

Participating  states have considerable autonomy on how they select their nominees to ED.  For instance, they may designate a lead who  forms a committee. These committees might include representatives from state  education agencies, including facilities, health, and curriculum personnel; natural  resources, energy, or agriculture agencies; and non-profits working with school  sustainability in the state, such as state affiliates of North American  Association for Environmental Education, U.S. Green Building Council, Project  Learning Tree, and National Wildlife Federation Eco-Schools USA. These partners  can help to identify candidates to nominate. 

For postsecondary nominees, state selection committees may include input from the governor's office, postsecondary offices, and/or associations of higher education, as appropriate.

**ED Green Ribbon Schools and District  Sustainability Awardees.**Each authority is permitted as many as  five pre-K–12 school or district nominations. For nomination as a district, the administrative unit must be comprised of multiple schools. If a state or comparable authority wishes to nominate more than two schools or districts, at least one  must serve at least 40 percent of students from a disadvantaged  background.1, 2 No more than one of the five nominees  in this pre-K–12 category may be a private school. A school or district may be  selected as an honoree only once. School nominees from previous district  awardees must document achievements that differentiate the school's work from  that already honored districtwide. Authorities are encouraged to consider a  school’s or district's academic achievement, success in closing achievement  gaps, and diversity when selecting school nominees. Early learning institutions are eligible in this category.

**Postsecondary Sustainability Award.** In addition to a total of five school and district nominees, each state may nominate one IHE 3 for progress in all three Pillars. For this award, state selection committees are encouraged to consider diverse types of institutions. An IHE may be selected as an honoree only once. While ED is not bound to selecting particular numbers of honorees, the final national cohort will be reflective of the full range of types of IHEs, including two- and four-year institutions and public and private institutions.

Program Requirements

State education authorities,  including both CSSOs and SHEEOs, working with governor's  offices, higher education officials, and other partners, as appropriate in each  state, must submit documentation of school, district, and postsecondary  nominees' progress under the Pillars and Elements, listed below. They are  encouraged to reference a variety of widely accepted sustainability standards,  certifications, ratings, and programs. Nominating authorities, district  officials, and principals (where applicable) must certify compliance with all  applicable civil rights, student aid, health, environment, and safety statutory  and regulatory requirements.

Nominating authorities are  encouraged to engage state health, environmental, and safety authorities;  nonprofit experts in these areas; and federal agency field offices with  appropriate technical expertise. In addition to providing valuable subject  matter expertise, these partners can make the task of recruiting applicants and  selecting nominees to the Department less cumbersome.

Review Criteria Used by the Authorities to Select Nominees 

Each authority is invited to nominate  up to five schools or school districts and a single IHE that it assesses to be  the highest performing in their jurisdiction, based on the authorities' evaluation of applicants' progress in all Pillars and every Element.

Authorities should take into account  demographic and geographic diversity and success in closing achievement gaps in  their selections. ED will do the same in the federal review, aiming for a  diverse cohort, representative of the full spectrum of schools, school  districts, and IHEs across the nation.

The Three Pillars of the Award

 It is important to note that, to be selected  for the federal award, states’ ED-GRS nominees must show progress in ALL  the following areas, not merely some. These are minimum requirements for the  federal award.  Different states may have  more specific requirements in any of the following areas.

-  Reduced Environmental Impact and  Costs
Reduced       or eliminated greenhouse gas emissions, using an energy audit or emissions       inventory and reduction plan, cost-effective energy efficiency       improvements, conservation measures, and/or on-site renewable energy       and/or purchase of green power; 
Improved       water quality, efficiency, and conservation; 
Reduced       solid and hazardous waste production through increased recycling, reduced       consumption, and improved management, reduction, or elimination of       hazardous waste; and 
Expanded       use of alternative transportation, through active promotion of       locally-available, energy-efficient and renewable energy options and       implementation of alternative transportation supportive projects and       policies. 

- Improved Health and  Wellness
High  standards of 
Whole School Whole  Community, Whole Child health,
 including health, nutrition, and  outdoor physical education; health, counseling, and psychological services for  both students and staff; family community involvement; and 
An 
integrated school environmental health program
 that considers  occupant health and safety in all design, construction, renovation, operations,  and maintenance of facilities and grounds. 

- Effective Environmental  and Sustainability Education
Interdisciplinary       learning about the key relationships between dynamic environmental,       energy, and human systems; 
Use       of the environment and sustainability to develop STEM content knowledge       and thinking skills to prepare graduates for the 21st century       technology-driven economy; and 
Development       of civic engagement knowledge and skills and students’ application of such       knowledge and skills to address sustainability and environmental issues in       their community. 

State nominating officials are asked to show ED how  their nominees are progressing in all three of the above Pillars and  encouraged to work with partners to develop their selection process.  How  each state does that is entirely up to the individual state. There is no  required federal application. 

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1 A student from a "disadvantaged background" is defined for this program by the CSSO of each state.  The definition *must* include students who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals and *may* include students with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient, migrant, or receiving services under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  Nominating Authorities must indicate the definition used and the percent disadvantaged for each school nominated.

2 If a state receives four or fewer applicants and none can be classified as disadvantaged, this provision will not be used to limit the state's nominations to two.

3 An IHE is defined in Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act as public and private non-profit institutions.