SAN BERNARDINO, CA— San Bernardino City Unified School District’s (SBCUSD’s) Captain Leland F. Norton Elementary School was honored by the California Department of Education (CDE) on April 9 as a 2026 Green Achiever School, the highest distinction possible under the California Green Ribbon Schools Award program.
“I’m so proud of how Norton SHINES by following through on the Vision 2030 pillars of high expectations for academics through its environmentally friendly STEM program and promoting nutrition, health and wellness through its school gardens,” said SBCUSD Superintendent Maurcio Arellano. “And I’m especially proud that now everyone in California will see why I am so proud to serve the students and families of not just Norton Elementary, but all of San Bernardino City Unified.”
The California Green Ribbon Schools (CA-GRS) Award recognizes California K–12 public and private schools and local educational agencies that have demonstrated progress in reaching the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools Pillars, which include:
- Reducing environmental impact and costs
- Improving the health and wellness of schools, students and staff
- Providing effective environmental education that incorporates STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), civic skills and green career pathways
Schools that earn a California Green Ribbon School Award are recognized in one of four categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold or Green Achiever. Only the top five performers in all categories combined are named California Green Achievers and are nominated for the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools Award.
Norton Elementary is one of only two public schools in the state to be named a 2026 Green Achiever and the only Green Achiever in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. This is Norton’s fifth California Green Ribbon School Award, including earning a Gold Award in 2025 and a Silver Award in 2024.
According to the CDE website, Norton was honored in part for instilling a culture of responsibility, health and environmental awareness through project-based learning, energy conservation initiatives, recycling, water-saving practices and wellness-focused programs.
“Serving a student population that is nearly 100% economically disadvantaged, Norton ES stands out not for wealth but for its innovative, hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum and its commitment to fostering environmentally literate, community-minded leaders from preschool through sixth grade,” the CDE wrote in its official announcement of the 2026 California Green Ribbon Schools.
“The Green Achiever award is about so much more than just good environmental stewardship,” said Norton Principal Elizabeth Cochrane-Benoit. “It’s about integrating environmental responsibility in every lesson and developing the leadership skills of our students so they can take those lessons out into the community and the world to create long-lasting, positive change that will benefit our planet and humankind.”
