Center for Instructional Support

Green Ribbon Schools

The Green Ribbon Schools recognition program honors exemplary schools and districts that reduce environmental impact and costs, improve health and wellness, and deliver effective environmental and sustainability education that incorporates STEM, civics, and green career pathways. Each year, Massachusetts selects one or more schools or districts to honor at the state level.

The 2026 Green Ribbon Schools program online application is now open and will close on December 19, 2025. Applicants are encouraged to use the MA Green Ribbon Schools Rubric as a guide to aligning their evidence and examples for their application.

Optional office hours will be held on the following dates:

  • October 29, 2025, 10 am to 11 am — Register
  • December 2, 2025, 11 am to 12 pm — Register

Application Instructions

Before you submit your completed online application , please ensure you have filled out and uploaded all documents and pictures. Please note all applications must be submitted through the online application.

The application includes the following parts:

  • School/District contact and information.
  • Narrative section. The application requires a narrative that provides a "snapshot" of the school/district's efforts to address the three Pillars (upload as a Word document in the application). Follow the instructions on the Application Template .
  • Overall Summary. The paragraph summary should highlight the district/school's efforts on the three pillars of the award. The summary should be included as part of the narrative document.
  • Pictures of students in action (upload in the application) and photo description.
    • Please submit 5–10 high-resolution photographs with a brief description including who, what, when, and where for each photograph.
    • Photos should be candid action shots, not posed nor collaged.
    • The photo descriptions should be included as part of the narrative document.

Applicants may find helpful the rubric we use to score submissions, samples of winning submissions, and other useful information below.

Resources

2025 Massachusetts State Nominees

Note: The Department identified Cohasset and Spencer-East Brookfield in anticipation of submitting them for the U.S. Education Department's Green Ribbon Schools 2025 program, but that program is not accepting submissions this year.

  • Cohasset High School, School Nominee
    Cohasset High School (CHS), has made significant strides in environmentalism and sustainability. The school has formed strong partnerships with local organizations and transformed its 1950s building into an eco-friendly space. Their Green Team grew from 12 members in 2012 to over 100 in recent years, representing a quarter of the student body. Students actively participate in discussions about food literacy, climate change, and sustainability within courses, as well as engage in initiatives like recycled art displays, composting, collecting used footwear, and repurposing Halloween costumes. CHS's commitment to environmentalism extends beyond the school, with students advocating for eco-friendly practices throughout the community, including the implementation of electric vehicle charging stations and enhanced recycling efforts. CHS students' dedication to environmental stewardship embodies the motto "Think Globally,Act Locally," and their efforts to make the school and town more sustainable set them apart as leaders in sustainability.

  • Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District, District Nominee
    Over the past several years, the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District (SEBRSD) has made a strong, concerted effort to reduce its environmental impact and reduce costs. This has been achieved through the launch of a Master Energy Plan aimed at enhancing resource efficiency in key areas such as lighting, controls, building envelope, and energy management systems. SEBRSD promotes and supports environmental education through STEAM initiatives for students in Grades 2–8, as well as through community events, and local partnerships within their Environmental Sciences and Technology Career Technical Education (CTE) program for Grades 9–12.

These schools and districts have demonstrated their achievements in three essential areas of school sustainability, known as the three Pillars of ED-GRS: 1) reduced environmental impact and costs; 2) improved health and wellness; and 3) effective environmental and sustainability education.

Past Winners from Massachusetts

2024

Highlights of all the 2024 Green Ribbon honorees are included in this report .

2023

2022

  • None — paused due to COVID

2021

  • None — paused due to COVID

2020

  • None — paused due to COVID

2019

2018

2017

  • None

2016

  • Littleton Public Schools (District Award)

2015

  • Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School
  • Hingham Public School District, Hingham High School
  • Cambridge Public Schools (District Award)

2014

  • Boston Public Schools, Boston Latin School

2013

  • Manchester-Essex Regional School District, Manchester-Essex Regional Middle High School
  • Quincy School District, Quincy High School
  • Acton-Boxborough Regional School District (District Award)
  • The Berkshire School in Sheffield, MA (private)

For more information, please contact: Nicole Scola .

Last Updated: September 10, 2025

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