A Northern Kentucky school has become the first ever in the region to win a federal Green Ribbon Schools award for school sustainability efforts.
Robert D. Johnson Elementary in Fort Thomas last month became the only education institution in NKY and one of only 24 institutions statewide to ever receive the U.S. Department of Education recognition award. Arlington Elementary in Fayette County was the only other Kentucky institution recognized as a Green Ribbon School this year. Awards were announced on April 26.
Johnson Elementary principal Ashley Dikeos told LINK nky she credits the school’s Eco Club – established in 2021 – for keeping students and staff focused on the Green Ribbon School’s three sustainability “pillars”: reducing environmental impact and cost, improving student and staff health and wellness and environmental education. Institutions must show progress in all three areas to successfully compete for the award.
Schoolwide programs like Lights-out Friday (electricity conservation), a school-based outdoor classroom, a recycling program and other initiatives contributed to the NKY school earning federal Green Ribbon Schools status, said Dikeos.
Lights-out Friday saved 3,000 kilowatts of electricity in February alone, she said.
Inside the outdoor classroom, students are responsible for caring for planting beds and more. A Monarch waystation provides a habitat for migrating Monarch butterflies, declining in numbers in recent decades. There is also composting, which the school started up this year, and instruction in water conservation.
“We have markings for our sewer drains which is part of the fifth grade curriculum this year,” Dikeos told LINK. “Students have been looking at how a water droplet travels, where it goes. There are a lot of different pieces we’ve put together that the kids are excited about.”
As for health and wellness, Dikeos said the school’s commitment goes beyond the classroom.
“We also look at what we’re serving in our lunch line. We have a phenomenal cafeteria staff who help us with the composting – what can be composted, what can’t. And then we look at better items for us to have on our food line as well,” she told LINK.
Alyssa Brown is a fifth-grade science teacher and co-Eco Club sponsor at the school. She said watching students dedicate themselves to conservation initiatives like composting, water conservation, and recycling is among the most rewarding aspects of reaching Green Ribbon School status.
“They actively engage in this environmental stewardship and seek out new ways to encourage and increase our program,” Brown told LINK. “What truly stands out is the ripple effect beyond the school grounds. Students have not only educated their families but also inspired significant changes at home, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of our entire town.”
Fourth-grade science teacher Jillian Booth is the school’s Eco Club sponsor. She says the Green Ribbon Schools award “is just the beginning.”
“One of our upcoming projects involves improving a trail behind our school. This trail will not only showcase many native species of plants but also help to limit soil erosion in the area. Additionally, it will provide a safe and unique learning space for our students to explore and enjoy,” Booth told LINK.
Rain barrels and herb and vegetable gardens are also on the club’s to-do list, she said.
“We aim to create shared environmental experiences and promote hands-on learning opportunities that will leave a lasting impact on our students,” said Booth. “Our journey towards a greener future has just begun, and we can’t wait to see what lies ahead for our JES community!”
Kentucky education institutions – not just schools, by definition – are nominated for the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award by the state Kentucky Environmental Education Council. The program is open to early learning centers, schools, districts, and colleges and universities focused on the Green Ribbon Schools’ three pillars.
Nationally, only 41 schools, 10 school districts, three postsecondary schools and one day care center were named Green Ribbon Schools for 2024. Approximately 760 institutions have been named Green Ribbon Schools since 2012.
Kentucky Interim Education Commissioner Robin Fields Kinney congratulated Johnson Elementary and Arlington for winning Green Ribbon Schools awards in an April 26 release.
“Moving to more sustainable practices and improving the overall health and wellness of the people within our buildings is always a priority,” said Kinney. “The work that both Arlington Elementary and Robert D. Johnson Elementary have done to become Green Ribbon Schools is truly remarkable.”
Johnson Elementary is also a two-time winner of the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools award for academic achievement. The school earned that recognition in 1997 and 2014.
This year’s award is different: an institution can only receive the Green Ribbon Schools award once.