Center for Instructional Support

Massachusetts Green Ribbon Schools

The Massachusetts 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 has closed for this year. Applications for the 2026-27 school year will open in the Fall.

2026 Massachusetts Awardees

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.

Bedford Public Schools — District Awardee
Bedford Public Schools advances all three Green Ribbon pillars through measurable leadership, comprehensive wellness, and integrated sustainability education. The district has significantly reduced its footprint through 100% clean renewable electricity participation, building decarbonization, and district-wide waste diversion including cafeteria composting and reuse initiatives. They also prioritize student and staff well-being through strong indoor air quality, green cleaning policies, and farm-to-school programming. Sustainability is embedded across grade levels through interdisciplinary climate and environmental curriculum, experiential outdoor learning, student-led environmental initiatives, and partnerships that connect students to STEM and green career pathways.

Warwick Community School — School Awardee
Warwick Community School has prioritized the environment and sustainability as part of their school's vision and have enacted it through strong, community-driven initiatives and a focus on nature and project-based learning. The school has worked collaboratively with the town to meet ambitious sustainability goals and have achieved many of them including the purchase of a fully electric minibus and a shift to electric energy powered by off-site solar. Warwick fosters a healthy school environment by offering students with locally sourced meals, outdoor education, and social-emotional learning programs. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on, place-based learning that incorporates environ across all subjects, connects students with real-world experiences, and promotes civic engagement through partnerships with local scientists, artists, and farms.

Resources

Past Winners from Massachusetts

2025

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.

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: March 24, 2026

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