Hawaii Preparatory Academy is one of 78 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools announced during Earth Week and recognized at a national ceremony in Washington, D.C. on June 4.
Hawaii Preparatory Academy is one of 78 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools announced during Earth Week and recognized at a national ceremony in Washington, D.C. on June 4.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined other administration officials to address the honorees and congratulate them for their exemplary practices. Hawaii Preparatory Academy was among 78 inaugural honorees that represent 29 states and the District of Columbia.
The program was developed by the department with support from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), several other agencies and dozens of nonprofit stakeholders. Representatives from winning schools received plaques and banners in recognition of their high achievement in saving energy, reducing costs, providing healthy learning spaces, and offering education geared toward the challenges of the 21st century.
Bill Wiecking, director of the Energy Lab at HPA, accepted the award for the school.
“These schools represent a broad portfolio of urban, suburban, and rural communities, working to provide students with a high-quality, well-rounded education, healthy living, clean environments and best practices for reducing our environmental impact,” said secretary Duncan. “Green Ribbon Schools are an inspiration and deserve the spotlight for embodying strong examples of innovative learning and civic engagement.”
By embracing “green,” these schools have demonstrated their commitment to incorporating environmental practices in education, and were honored for taking bold steps to increase environmental awareness that will have an impact on the health of America’s students and create the next generation of environmental stewards, officials said.
Along with the awards, Duncan also announced the first installment of the Green Strides Webinar Series to help all schools move toward reduced environmental impact, improved health and effective sustainability literacy — the three ‘Pillars’ of the Green Ribbon award.
It’s important that every child have a safe and healthy place to learn, and every parent should have confidence that sending their child to school in the morning doesn’t mean exposing them to environmental threats, officials stressed.