Earth day was last Wednesday and although green is normally a color associated with some of Tahoma School District’s rivals, it was definitely the cause for celebration last week.

Tahoma received a Green Ribbon School award from the U.S. Department of Education and King County’s 2015 Green Globe Award last week.

Three other education institutions in Washington were awarded the same Green Ribbon award and Tahoma was the only district.

This award is given annually to schools and districts that reduce environmental impact and costs of their day-to-day operations; improve the health and wellness of the schools, students and staff; and implement environmental education.

Four schools within the district have received Green Ribbons awards before, but this is the first for the district as a whole.

Tahoma was also the only school district to receive the county’s Green Globe Award. The county gave out 14 awards to businesses, cities, organizations and people for their efforts in protecting and improving the environment.

In its description of Tahoma’s award, “Leader in Sustainable Schools,” it reads, “No school district in the county has done more than the Tahoma School District to improve their conservation practices or involve students in conservation and outreach efforts.”

Practicing and teaching sustainability is one of the efforts encompassed in the district’s Future Ready initiative, said Dawn Wakeley, director of teaching and learning for Tahoma.

“Future Ready is focused on preparing students for life after high school by ensuring they have the knowledge, skill and attitude that will help them find success,” she said. “By integrating sustainability in their everyday learning, students think about how they can contribute but also what career and social opportunities exist within the context of sustainability.”

The district’s first implementation of sustainability started in 2007 with their Green Teams. These groups of students, along with a faculty advisor, monitor energy usage and help with lunchroom recycling and composting, among other projects throughout the district.

And like any good educational program, the students are taking their knowledge about sustainability home with them.

“We have heard from many students and their parents about how our sustainability emphasis has also changed how things are done at home,” Wakeley said in an email. “Students are helping their families learn about reducing energy usage and increasing recycling and composting to reduce the family’s carbon footprint.”

Two of the schools within the district, the high school and Glacier Park Elementary, also have vegetable gardens as well. Wakeley said the food produced from the gardens is not only offered to students and staff and put into the school lunch program, but contributions are also made to the food bank during the peak of the growing season.