Officials from the U.S. Department of Education and Alabama State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey will be on hand to present the federal Green Ribbon Award to Gulf Shores City Schools.

The presentation will take place in the STEAM Collaborative Learning Center at Gulf Shores Elementary School on Tuesday, May 23, at 10:30 a.m. The public and media are invited and parking is available in the bus loop behind Gulf Shores Middle School.

Gulf Shores City Schools was one of eleven school districts in the nation to be recognized as a Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The award focuses on the following pillars:

• Pillar I: Reducing environmental impact and costs

• Pillar II: Improving the health and wellness of students and staff

• Pillar III: Providing effective environmental and sustainability education, incorporating STEM, civic skills, and green career pathways

• The following is a list of notable environmental sustainability education projects completed by GSCS:

• Schneider Electric partnership to replace lighting and air conditioning systems, improved air quality, and installed solar features that are tied into the power grid to help reduce energy use.

• New STEAM building at Gulf Shores Elementary School

• Gulf Shores High School Farm-to-Table Program

• Upgraded transportation program at GSCS with half of the fleet of buses replaced with ultra-low sulfur, clean diesel engine models, reducing carbon emissions by 89.5 percent

• Science by the Shore outdoor, place-based science education program

• All students have access to bicycles throughout the day to support outdoor learning and physical activity.

• Comprehensive recycling efforts, composting, and water conservation

• Partnership with Center for Ecotourism including a school visit from Jean-Michel Cousteau

• Active health and wellness committee to support physical and mental health of students and staff

The other districts honored were in Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Washington and California. Other individual schools received green ribbons but these 11 were only ones honored systemwide.