We are mindful of the many national organizations that are working in this field. Here
we list a small sample of programs we have had experience working with. The number
of state and local organizations are many and can often be identified through the
Departments of Education and Google searches of city and state sustainability
programs.

The Green Schools National Network began in 2007 and has been involved in over 300
schools nationwide. They offer a GreenPrint™ as a framework for whole school
transformation that promotes best practices in leadership, curriculum and instruction,
culture and climate, and facilities and operations.

About that same time, the Green Schools Alliance was formed and reports several
thousand member schools and districts across the country and around the world. The
GSA developed a START (Sustainability Tracking, Analytics & Roadmap Tool) tool to
help measure and manage their impact. GSA also supports student organizations.
In 2009 the National Wildlife Federation launched its Eco Schools program that offers its
own certification to provide independent recognition for K-12 schools. Redesigned in
2023, the program has reached thousands of schools across the country and around
the world by providing guidance on how to address the three pillars of a green school.
In 2010 the US Green Building Council, which runs the LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) program, launched the Center for Green Schools, which has
become a leading force behind the green schools movement through advocacy,
network-building, and professional development. They run a major annual conference
of practitioners with the Green Schools National Network.

In 2011 the Green Ribbon Schools program with the US Department of Education was
launched and focused on encouraging schools to reduce their footprint, develop healthy
operations, and create an ecological curriculum. While the USDOE program has
ended, fortunately several state programs will continue, including the nationally-
recognized California Department of Education program that is thriving, and is
supported by the California Environmental Literacy Initiative.

Launched in 2022, the Green Schoolyards Alliance offers an innovative approach to
bring nature to every school in America, principally by helping them transform their
grounds “from asphalt to ecosystems.” While their programs are mainly in the West,
they are available to advise schools on the steps needed to literally green their school
campuses.

For colleges and universities, AASHE has been since it was founded in 2005 the
leading association for the advancement of sustainability in higher education. They
have over 900 institutional members across U.S. states and around the world. AASHE
developed STARS (The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System)
instrument that Yale’s Office of Sustainability uses to benchmark the University’s Gold
rated performance among the top 50 colleges and universities.