In celebration of Earth Day, Managing Director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Christy Goldfuss joined U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to announce that City of Lakes Waldorf School, in Minneapolis, Minnesota is among the 2015 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award honorees.

This award acknowledges our school’s commitment to sustainable practices. The areas encompassed by the award include reduced environmental impact and costs, improved health and wellness, and effective environmental education. It commends our school for its leadership in environmental stewardship, health, and sustainability. Only six private schools nationwide received this award.

Secretary Duncan praised the honorees, “They demonstrate how sustainability concepts allow students to expand their traditional learning into the real world and to create change for the betterment of communities. This authentic learning engages students in all subjects, and bolsters their critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving capacities.”

Read about City of Lakes Waldorf School’s Green Ribbon Schools qualifications here.

Earth Day

BY JANE YOLEN

I am the Earth

And the Earth is me.

Each blade of grass,

Each honey tree,

Each bit of mud,

And stick and stone

Is blood and muscle,

Skin and bone.

And just as I

Need every bit

Of me to make

My body fit,

So Earth needs

Grass and stone and tree

And things that grow here

Naturally.

That’s why we

Celebrate this day.

That’s why across

The world we say:

As long as life,

As dear, as free,

I am the Earth

And the Earth is me.