Hoke County Public Schools recently received the Green Ribbon School District Award from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Safe and Healthy Schools Support Division and will now represent the state in national competition.
The U.S. Department of Education initiated the Green Ribbon Schools Award program in 2011 to honor schools and school districts that “exercise a comprehensive approach to creating ‘green’ environments through reducing environmental impact, promoting health, and ensuring a high-quality environmental and outdoor education to prepare students with the 21st century skills and sustainability concepts needed in the growing global economy.”
NCDPI Chief Financial Officer for Operations Ben Matthews congratulated district staff for being selected to represent North Carolina and wished them well in the national competition. “Hoke County schools’ staff and students are doing an exemplary job of reducing their environmental impact by providing green learning environments and showing students how to minimize their ecological footprints. These are lessons that will definitely pay forward,” he said.
The Green Ribbon Schools Award is the first comprehensive federal policy for schools related to environment, health and education. It describes a thoughtful vision for the nation’s schools, sets a high bar for success, and raises the profile of individual green schools and the states that encourage them.
National award recipients will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in July. Visit the Green Ribbon Schools Award program website for more information.
About the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provides leadership to 115 local public school districts and 160 charter schools serving over 1.5 million students in kindergarten through high school graduation. The agency is responsible for all aspects of the state's public school system and works under the direction of the North Carolina State Board of Education.