Hoosier schools land ‘Green Ribbon’ designation
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Inside INdiana Business) — Two Indiana schools have received the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools designation. According to the DOE’s website, the designation is awarded to schools that reduce environmental impact and costs, improve the health and wellness of schools, students and staff and provide effective environmental and sustainability education.
Discovery Charter School in Porter County and Paramount Brookside School in Indianapolis are the Indiana recipients. The Indiana Department of Education says the schools are two of just 27 K-12 schools nationally to receive the honor.
The IDOE says Discovery Charter School integrates interactive environmental lessons into its curriculum while “positively supporting students’ mental, physical and emotional health.”
“Our school’s mission includes our commitment to sustainable practices – our students will become stewards of their environment and community,” said Principal Pamela Moore. “We want to serve as examples for others and encourage sustainability within our community. The partnerships we build, which includes the Indiana Dunes National Park, allow us to be active caretakers of the environment for present and future generations.”
Paramount Brookside School operates a small park and 3.5-acre working farm and the department says the school integrates those resources into curriculum and extracurricular activities.
“By bringing together community partners and leveraging the environment around them, Discovery Charter School and Paramount Brookside School are providing an innovative approach to learning that promotes student creativity and inquiry,” Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner said in a news release. “These schools are fostering a unique hands-on environment that takes learning well beyond the classroom and is helping to develop Indiana’s critical-thinkers and problem-solvers of tomorrow.”
The designation was also awarded to three early learning centers, five school districts, and five higher education institutions.
You can view the full list of recipients by clicking here.