The Center for Green Schools and Green Schools National Network are excited to partner again to copresent the Best of Green Schools Awards.

The Best of Green Schools Awards celebrate the hard work being done—by people, schools, campuses and organizations—to advance the schools movement. Nominations are welcome from diverse communities and educational settings worldwide. If you or someone you know has made an impact in advancing green schools during the 2023–2024 school year, submit an award nomination by 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov. 18.

The winners of the 2025 awards will be celebrated at the in-person 2025 Green Schools Conference. This conference unites all stakeholders in the movement for green schools, particularly those at the forefront of advancing whole-school sustainability within their institutions and systems. It serves as the ideal venue to honor our awardees.

You can learn more about the 2024 finalists to get inspired for this year’s award ceremony. After you submit your nomination, sign up to receive email updates about the conference so that you can see (or receive!) an award at the ceremony.

Categories and criteria

Individual awards include:

Ambassador: Recognizing individuals who have demonstrated exemplary efforts in partnering with schools to promote sustainability in K–12 classroom settings and who have engaged community organizations to create systemic change to strengthen the green schools movement and create a more sustainable future.
K–12 Educator: Recognizing K–12 educators who have demonstrated a commitment to imparting sustainability knowledge, skills and values to their students.
Policy Maker: Recognizing individuals who have demonstrated exemplary efforts in promoting policies at the local, state or federal level that support the necessary systemic change to ensure that all children can attend a green school.
School District Champion: Recognizing school staff working at the district level who have demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting greener and healthier K–12 schools and who are leaders in their communities.
Student Leader: Recognizing K–12 students who have demonstrated exemplary efforts in promoting improvements to their schools and communities.

Organizational awards include:

Business Leader: Recognizing private sector organizations and individuals who have made substantial contributions in advancing the green schools movement.
K–12 School: Recognizing schools that have consistently modeled exemplary green school practices and shared what they have learned with external communities.
Michelle Curreri Collaborator Award: Recognizing organizations and governmental agencies that have made substantial contributions in advancing the green schools movement.
School System: Recognizing school systems and districts that have created long-term partnerships, demonstrated a commitment to systemic change and shared best practices with external communities.

Awards for initiatives/events include:

Moment for the Movement: Recognizing events, initiatives or happenings that significantly advance the green schools movement nationally or internationally.

Submit your nomination for the 2025 Best of Green Schools Awards

Call for nominations for the 2025 Best of Green Schools Awards