May 9, 2019
For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Office of Communications
301-952-6001
communications@pgcps.org
UPPER MARLBORO, MD – Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) continues to lead the state with the most number of schools earning new Maryland Green Schools certifications.
This year, 11 schools earned certification and 22 schools were recertified, raising the total number of PGCPS Green Schools to 121 – 58 percent of all county public schools and approximately 20 percent of the 614 active Maryland Green Schools.
“Our Green Schools serve as models for environmental awareness, management and education in our communities,” said Dr. Monica Goldson, Interim Chief Executive Officer. “They encourage students to be lifelong environmental stewards.”
Central and Frederick Douglass high schools and Hyattsville Middle School joined eight elementary schools in earning first-time certification: Carrollton, CMIT North, Concord, Highland Park, John H. Bayne, Longfields, Samuel P. Massie Academy and Thomas Stone.
Berwyn Heights Elementary, Dora Kennedy French Immersion and Robert Goddard Montessori achieved “model school” status this year for having three consecutive recertifications.
Schools earning recertification included four high schools (DuVal, Eleanor Roosevelt, Parkdale, Tall Oaks), six middle schools (Buck Lodge, Kenmoor, Nicholas Orem, Samuel Ogle) and nine elementary schools (Beacon Heights, César Chávez, Cora L. Rice, Francis Scott Key, High Bridge, Langley Park-McCormick, Magnolia, Riverdale, Vansville).
All newly-certified and recertified schools and centers will be honored during the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education’s (MAEOE) Annual Maryland Green School Youth Summit on May 30 at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis. Schools will receive a Maryland Green School or Center flag, statewide and local recognition, and special gifts.
The Maryland Green Schools program, sponsored by MAEOE, is one of the most rigorous and comprehensive Green School certification programs in the nation. It encourages educational opportunities, increases environmental awareness, and promotes environmental stewardship practices for students at all grade levels. Through a non-competitive application process, schools must demonstrate their green activities and culture in eight criteria areas.
The William S. Schmidt Outdoor Education Center provides an overnight outdoor education program to all fifth-graders annually. The Schmidt Center has played a key role in growing the number of certifications by assisting schools with achieving and maintaining Green School status through modeling, educational programs, application guidance and support.
For more information about the Green School Program, visit the MAEOE website.
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