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Green Flag Award Criteria

To be eligible for the prestigious Green Flag Award, a school must accomplish the criteria under each of the Seven Steps below, and must download the application (Word document, 172 Kb) for this top level award. This comprehensive application must be completed by the school, and uploaded to the Eco-Schools USA website along with all supporting documents. For instructions on how to do this, click here (PDF, 24 Kb).

Once the application is successfully uploaded, the school will receive email confirmation that Eco-Schools USA has received all Green Flag application materials. An integral part of this process requires a site visit by Eco-Schools USA staff, partners, or volunteers. Green Flag applicants will be sent a site visit request form which will need to be completed and returned to Eco-Schools USA.

The school will be notified that an Eco-Schools USA assessor will schedule a visit with the school to review their Green Flag application.

>> Download a Green Flag Award checklist. This checklist will help you track your school's progress through the Eco-Schools USA program and confirm that you are meeting criteria to apply for a Green Flag Award.

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The actions noted below must be taken for each of the Seven Steps:

Eco-Action Committee

1. The school has identified an Eco-Action Team which has strong representation from students (at least 50%), and also includes teachers, other school staff and community members.
2. Students take significant responsibility for conducting the Eco-Action Team meetings and the team's decision-making process.
3. The group meets a minimum of 8 times a year.
4. Students share responsibility for keeping minutes for each meeting, and communicating information to the whole school.
5. Student representatives actively engage other students and collect suggestions from the greater student body.

Environmental Audit

1. A formal and comprehensive Environmental Audit of the school is completed (utilizing the Eco-Schools USA checklist), and findings are documented.
2. Students play an active role in conducting the Environmental Audit and engage resource specialists from their community.
3. Results of the audit are shared with the whole school and greater school community.
4. An environmental audit is conducted every year to evaluate overall progress.

Action Plan

1. The Eco-Action Team uses results from the formal comprehensive Environmental Audit to develop a detailed Eco-Action Plan (including time frame and quantifiable targets).
2. The Eco-Action Plan consists of a range of actions covering at least three Eco-Schools pathways. NOTE: You must focus on the energy pathway as one of your pathways.
3. The Eco-Action Plan prioritizes targets.
4. The Eco-Action Plan provides cost-benefit information for each action.

Monitoring and Evaluation

1. The Eco-Action Team monitors and reviews progress against the Eco-Action Plan's set timeframe and targets.
2. Students are engaged in portions of monitoring and evaluation and data is used in some curriculum work.
3. The school shows significant progress (i.e., school understands issue, recognizes value to sustainable development and has implemented change) on several large-scale projects addressing at least three Eco-Schools pathways.
4. Progress and challenges are communicated to the whole school and wider community.

Linking to the Curriculum

1. Students have an opportunity at all grade levels and across disciplines to address environmental issues in the classroom, on the school site and in the greater local community.
2. Students' experiences are integrated into the curriculum and are inquiry-based.
3. School staff are provided with professional development and training on best practices, knowledge and skills for environmental education.

Involving the Whole or Wider Community

1. The school has a prominent, designated way to communicate with the whole school and greater community such as a bulletin board, website or newsletter which details Eco-Schools activities. 
2. The whole school, along with volunteers from throughout the community, engage in a number of Eco-Schools activities.
3. The school develops a day of action or other event that engages the greater community in learning about and helping with Eco-Schools projects.
4. Students write about Eco-Schools projects for local papers and magazines.
5. The school shares its Eco-School projects with other schools in the U.S. and with the global community through the Eco-Schools USA website and other communication tools.

Eco-Code

1. The whole school and greater school community is given the opportunity to make suggestions on developing (or refining or enhancing) the Eco-Code.
2. The Eco-Action team takes suggestions, refines the Eco-Code and takes it to the full school for adoption.
3. The Eco-Code is prominently displayed for all to read as they enter the school.
4. The Eco-Code is reviewed every year as part of review process to ensure that it is still relevant.