Columbia Crest A-STEM Academy in the Eatonville School District has been nominated for a national award for its recycling and waste-reduction efforts. The school, located in the Ashford area, was nominated by the state superintendent of public instruction for the U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools Award. The federal agency is assessing Columbia Crest's practices as part of a review of all the nominations that will determine award recipients. Winners will be announced April 22 in conjunction with Earth Day. Four Washington schools won the award in 2015. School district officials said Columbia Crest's staff and students "have worked diligently to reduce, reuse and recycle, as well as compost. They have a variety of practices that have changed over the past two years, including terra-cycling, composting and sustainable practices like switching to metal utensils and washable lunch trays in favor of disposable trays and plastic utensils." According to the Department of Education, the award has two goals: Encouraging resource-efficient schools and districts that can dedicate more resources to instruction rather than operational costs, and helping students engage in hands-on learning, hone critical thinking and collaboration skills, and develop a solid foundation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects.
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