The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has been hard at work developing criteria and award infrastructure for U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS), the first comprehensive and coordinated federal policy in the three institutional roles of schools related to environment, health and education. The ground-breaking award acknowledges the work of schools in reaching high levels of achievement under three areas: (1) Environmental impact and energy efficiency; (2) Healthy environment; and (3) Environmental literacy. Put another way, ED-GRS considers: (1) Schools' and their occupants' impact on the environment; (2) Schools' environmental and behavioral impact on occupants; and (3) How schools teach students about the environment and sustainability to prepare them for citizenship and employment in the 21st century. ED-GRS is a recognition award, not a grant. Recognition awards incent change by communicating high standards and recognizing the most exemplary schools or individuals according to specified criteria.