Two of Georgia’s public schools and one public university have been named 2019 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools.

The schools selected are:

• Robert W. Gadsden Elementary School – Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools

• Sharon Elementary School – Forsyth County Schools

• Georgia College & State University

The Green Ribbon designation recognizes schools and districts that exercise a comprehensive approach to creating “green” environments by reducing environmental impact, promoting health, and ensuring a high-quality environmental and outdoor education for students.

“On behalf of the Georgia Department of Education, I congratulate each of these schools for their excellent, innovative work,” said Keisha Ford-Jenrette, GaDOE Recognitions Program Manager. “From Gadsden Elementary’s partnership with Savannah State, which exposes students to agricultural sciences and careers, to the outdoor classroom at Sharon Elementary, to the campus community garden at GCSU – all of these schools are truly thinking outside the box, to the benefit of their students.”

In Georgia, a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education, the Captain Planet Foundation, the Turner Foundation, the U.S. Green Building Council of Georgia, and the University System of Georgia helps schools compete for the national award.

The Captain Planet Foundation and Turner Foundation serve as the title sponsors for the program in Georgia, providing $5,000 to support each school’s innovative initiatives.

“The Captain Planet Foundation and Turner Foundation congratulate all the Georgia schools who have made sustainability and high-performance, healthy schools a priority in their capital improvements planning and operations,” said Captain Planet Foundation Executive Director Leesa Carter-Jones. “This commitment demonstrates to Georgia students how highly we value their futures.”

The honorees were named from a pool of candidates nominated by 28 states. Nationally, just 45 schools were selected.