Green Award Doled Out To San Mateo Co. Education Office

REDWOOD CITY, CA -- The California Department of Education is awarding the San Mateo County Office of Education a Green Ribbon Award for its efforts to promote resource efficiency, health and wellness as well as environmental and sustainability education.

SMCOE was the only county office in the state to receive recognition as part of the Green Ribbon Awards program. Award recipients will be recognized at the California School Recognition Program Awards Ceremony in Anaheim on April 5.

The county office of education received the Bronze or “Entry Level” award for its Environmental Literacy Initiative, which embraces a whole-school approach to integrate sustainability within a school campus including operations, curriculum and instruction, community programs as well as partnerships and overall school culture.

The initiative engages students, educators, and community partners with teachers at the core of the effort. For example, the San Mateo Environmental Learning Collaborative Teacher Fellowship Program has supported more than 250 teachers to develop solutions-focused units of study.

Green Ribbon Award applicants receive one of four levels of achievement.

“We are honored to receive the Green Ribbon Award for the second year in a row,” San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Magee said. “The award recognizes our commitment to sustainability, both within the county Office of Education and in schools and districts across San Mateo County. We will continue to deepen our programs and efforts.”

For more information on SMCOE’s Environmental Literacy Initiative, contact Andra Yeghoian at ayeghoian@smcoe.org or by calling 650-802-5406.