SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) today named two schools and one school district as the state’s 2025 Green Ribbon Schools honorees. ISBE recognized the Avery Coonley School in Downers Grove, John M. Palmer Elementary School in Chicago, and Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated District 96 in Buffalo Grove for their outstanding commitment to environmental impact, wellness, and sustainability. The Illinois Green Ribbon Schools program honors schools that have excelled in reducing environmental impact and costs, promoting health and wellness, and providing comprehensive environmental education.
Representatives from each of the three honorees will participate in the Illinois Green Alliance’s Illinois Green Schools Celebration at 3:30 p.m. May 22. The free virtual event celebrates schools across Illinois that are finding creative and impactful ways to prioritize sustainability across their school cultures, educational programming, and physical space.
“Illinois’ Green Ribbon Schools honorees are proving that sustainability and education go hand in hand,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “They exemplify what it means to be environmental stewards — reducing environmental impact and utility costs, improving health and wellness, and delivering hands-on sustainability education that equips students to be leaders in a changing world. We commend these schools for leading by example and inspiring their students and communities to build a cleaner, greener future.”
“This year's Illinois honorees show a wide range of the different type of initiatives schools can take on their journey of sustainability,” said Miranda Wright, education and engagement manager at Illinois Green Alliance. “I hope all schools are able to get inspiration from these three honorees and show the passion, dedication, and follow-through it takes to truly transform your school or district into a positive example for your students, staff, and wider community.”
The Avery Coonley School, a preK–8 school, integrates sustainability into every aspect of student life and learning. Student-led clubs use AI-powered vertical gardens to grow produce for smoothies, connecting health and energy conservation. The school engages students in real-world environmental research. A research permit partnership with the Maple Grove Forest Preserve has enabled eighth graders to study the effects of climate change on local ecosystems. The school’s TEDx event elevated young voices in environmental advocacy — featuring a pre-K student as one of the world’s youngest TEDx speakers.
John M. Palmer Elementary School, which is in Chicago Public Schools District 299, has implemented a comprehensive, schoolwide approach to sustainability that integrates environmental practices and education into daily operations and instruction. The school, located in Chicago’s North Mayfair neighborhood, has increasingly focused on its sustainability efforts starting with the construction of a LEED Silver-certified annex in 2020. Three outdoor classrooms, native landscaping that requires no additional watering, outdoor composting, and both indoor and outdoor gardens have been added since then. The school promotes sustainability education through community partnerships, enabling students to engage in food education, waste reduction, and career exploration in sustainability fields. Notably, the school reduced its cafeteria waste from 15 bags per day to just one, thanks to student-led composting and recycling efforts.
Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated District 96 has embedded sustainability throughout all seven of its schools, which are named after native landscapes and surrounded by the wetlands and forests of Lake County. The district powers its buildings with up to 85% solar energy and incorporates real-time solar tracking into student learning. Beyond energy, CCD 96 promotes sustainability through water conservation, paperless operations, pesticide-free groundskeeping, and native landscaping. Its focus on wellness includes daily physical education, eco-conscious school meals, and staff well-being programs. Students engage in cross-disciplinary lessons — from analyzing solar data in STEM classes to creating nature-inspired art on solar panels — demonstrating the district’s commitment to experiential learning.
The Illinois State Board of Education, in partnership with the Illinois Green Alliance, conducts a state-level awards process to select honorees as Green Ribbon Schools. ISBE evaluates applicants based on their progress in each of the program’s three key pillars:
- Reducing environmental impact and costs;
- Improving health and wellness of schools, students, and staff; and
- Providing environmental education, which incorporates STEM, civic skills, and pathways to green careers.
Since the program was founded in 2011, state honorees have gone on to represent Illinois in a national award competition run by the U.S. Department of Education. The future of the federal program is uncertain due to the administrative transition, but ISBE remains committed to recognizing and celebrating Illinois schools and districts that demonstrate excellence in environmental sustainability and education. Learn more about Green Ribbon Schools and other recognition programs on the ISBE Educator Recognition Opportunities webpage.
