Three of nine school buildings that have won the latest Educational Facility Design Awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education stand out from the crowd of other school buildings because they are sustainable and are connected to the nature that surrounds them. They are: (1) Thurston Elementary School in Springfield, Oregon; (2) The Cathcart Site, which covers Glacier Peak High School and Little Cedars Elementary School in Snohomish, Washington; and (3) Manassas Park Elementary School in Manassas Park, Virginia. The awards program is designed to identify trends and emerging ideas, honor excellence in planning and design, and disseminate knowledge about best practices in educational and community facilities, according to the AIA.