Certification FAQ

The EcoSchools program is built on two foundational tools, the EcoSchools Framework, used globally by over 70 participating countries, and the EcoSchools U.S. themes, wildlife and biodiversity, climate, and healthy and resilient communities. A successful EcoSchools program utilizes both tools when working toward or maintaining excellence in environment and nature-based educational experiences and practices at the intersections of the environment, economy, and society.

Each year, you collaborate with key members of your school community, including students, teachers, principals, other school staff, district administrators, families, and community members and partners, to create an action plan and apply for certification by completing the actions outlined in the plan. Schools build an Action Team to accomplish each action, and the results of each action are recorded in the online EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA) to earn points. At the end of the school year, your certification application is assessed, and a certification level ranging from Bronze to Green Flag is awarded.

For more information, check out the Certification Guide and the What is Certification? page.

First, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the program: What is Certification?

Once you’re familiar with the program, the next step will be to register on the EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA) platform. See: New users – How to register

Then, you will be able to review the various EcoSchools actions and start curating your plan for the year.

Throughout the school year, schools complete actions in their online application (ECA) and earn points towards their certification. The depth and extent of these completed environmental and nature-based actions will determine the school’s final certification level.

There are four levels of certification a school can achieve: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Green Flag. Any school that creates a plan on the EcoSchools Certification Application but is unable to submit for certification (a minimum of 50 points) will be recognized as a Participant school if they have earned at least 35 points and submit their plan for approval.

When a school becomes a certified EcoSchool, they receive a digital certification seal that reflects their certification level. This seal can be displayed on a school’s website and social media accounts, in newsletters, in email signatures, and more.

Before you begin implementing any action, make sure to review the following criteria:

Do no harm. Consider if this action may unintentionally hurt other people, animals, or environments. Research best practices and exercises to do with your students that are helpful in determining the root of a problem.

Leave it better than how you found it. For example: pick-up litter, remove invasive species, plant native, pollinator-friendly flowers, and consider consumption behaviors to reduce waste. 

Environmental connection. Ensure there is a clear connection to the environment and community. This may include one or more of the following:

• Maintaining social and ecological integrity
• Ensuring resource efficiency and maintenance
• Pursuing equity within, and between, generations
• Mitigating and preventing environmental issues

Adapted from: Robert B. Gibson (2005) Sustainability assessment: Criteria and process. Earthscan.

Intersectionality, equity, and inclusion. Does this action respect the diverse experiences and identities of people within your school community?  In the global community? Would anybody be left behind or be marginalized by this action? Does the action provide dignity and solidarity? Does the action provide for free, prior, and informed consent and respect the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples. 

Aligned with EcoSchools U.S.’ organizational values. See here for more information on our mission and values.

• Registration for EcoSchools certification opens on August, 10th each school year.  Registration is open to all schools in the U.S.
• The submission period for certification begins the first Friday in April and ends the first Friday in June. This means dates will be updated yearly to reflect the calendar and to keep opening and closing dates from occurring over the weekend.
• NOTE: Schools aiming for Green Flag certification must complete the Green Flag Eligibility Questionnaire by the last Friday in February. The questionnaire is aimed at assessing readiness, not completeness. 
• Schools aiming for Participant, Bronze, Silver, or Gold recognition can register with the program at any time before the final deadline—though we suggest starting earlier in the school year to ensure there’s enough time to create and implement your action plan, and update your online application.
  
  

When you log in to the EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA), you will be able to explore the action library. Each action is connected to relevant worksheets and resources that can be used to support your EcoSchools program. 

Consider connecting with local experts including Indigenous elders and community leaders, environmental organizations, businesses, and your municipality.

Members of your school community may have specialized expertise to support your program; try to connect to families and community members to see how they can assist with different parts of your program.

To engage more teachers and students, consider all the ways the program can be connected to classroom lessons, extra-curricular activities, or individual interests.

Some examples:

• Have different classrooms complete actions connected to a unit of study (i.e., science, civics, and language arts classes).
• Think of how you can turn a common school event waste-free like a staff meeting or school dance. 
• Engage people based on their strengths. For example, have an art teacher help with poster designs, or an administrator to approve field experiences.
• Connect to regional priorities and community needs.

Within each EcoSchools action on the ECA, there is an “Curriculum Connections” section. It includes suggestions on how to connect your EcoSchools actions beyond a specific environmental issue to broader topics, questions, or causes (e.g., a community issue, the climate justice movement, reconciliation, etc.). Below, we have provided some additional guidance and resources for extending the learning in your EcoSchools program.

The EcoSchools program is structured around individual actions such as planting a pollinator garden or encouraging active and sustainable transportation to and from school. While each action can be completed on its own, the greatest impact comes from a holistic and equitable approach to learning and action on environmental issues that are relevant to your school and community. EcoSchools encourages all participants to extend the learning of each action by exploring how it might connect to other actions, fulfill community needs, relate to deeper themes of social justice, or otherwise support broader causes. Choosing to connect environment-based learning with state-based required content may be a powerful way to spark student inquiry, encourage personal growth, and foster a sense of stewardship for your school’s social and ecological communities.

Curriculum connections can happen before, during, and after an action. As part of the EcoSchools U.S. Framework, curriculum suggestions will be provided in every action in the ECA.

As an organization, EcoSchools U.S. is constantly striving to learn and unlearn by connecting our work to broader projects of  environmental justice, inclusion, and reconciliation – we are with you in the learning journey!

Have a resource or idea that you think we should know about? Please send it our way: ecoschoolsus@nwf.org. 

The EcoSchools program is free. All schools are encouraged to implement the program at their own pace. Resources are available to registered schools only. Certification is highly encouraged. EcoSchools not meeting certification requirements will be recognized as Participant schools. 

Certification is free for all schools in the U.S. 

School applications are assessed based on the information provided through the EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA). To certify, schools must submit a completed application by the final EcoSchools deadline (the first Friday of June). 

When a school submits their application, they submit at a particular level (based on the total number of points accumulated).The application is then verified by EcoSchools Assessors based on the data, documentation, and descriptions provided in the application. EcoSchools Assessors may contact applicants directly to verify values. Assessment may also include virtual school visits (see the FAQ for details). Should a school application exceed or not meet the criteria of their submitted certification level, their final certification level may be changed during the assessment process. 

During the assessment period, submitted action plans will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Once assessed, schools will be notified by email to view their certification results and any available feedback by logging into the ECA. If schools disagree with their certification results, they may engage in an Appeals process. 

Participant, Bronze, Silver, and Gold Assessment

• Assessments will take place between mid-April and mid-June. 
• EcoSchools Assessors review each application to understand the extent of environmental learning and action that the school has completed. Assessors may adjust point allocations based on the provided information. The final point value of an application will determine the school’s final level of achievement. For guidance on what assessment criteria EcoSchools Assessors use, please see the Certification Rubric.
• Please see the Participant School FAQ to learn more about Participant assessment and recognition.

Green Flag Assessment

Please see the “What is required for Green Flag Certification?” FAQ for full details. 

The Certification Rubric provides additional guidance on the assessment process. 

A Green Flag represents the highest level of EcoSchools certification. For schools to certify at the Green Flag level, they must illustrate that their environmental program is well-established and that environmental learning and action is a defining element of school culture. As such, there are additional application criteria for schools to achieve this level of recognition.  

1. Accumulation of 100 or more points through completion of actions in the EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA). A school’s final points are also dependent on a full assessment of the school’s application by an EcoSchools Assessor. Points may be adjusted (added or removed) based on verification against the Certification Rubric.
2. Satisfactory completion of the Green Flag Eligibility Questionnaire. The Questionnaire will automatically pop-up in the ECA starting in early December. The deadline for Questionnaire completion is the last Friday in January. Satisfactory completion of the Questionnaire will direct schools toward Green Flag eligibility, whereas unsatisfactory completion will direct schools towards Gold eligibility (please see the FAQ below for more on the Green Flag questionnaire). 
3. Participation in a 30 minute school visit with an EcoSchools Assessor between mid-May and early June, if required. Note that only a portion of Green Flag-eligible schools will be required to do a school visit each year. However, if a Green School-eligible school is contacted for a visit, participation is required to certify at the Green Flag level (see the school visits FAQ for more information). 
4. Fulfillment of the Program Elements as described in the Certification Rubric (Rigor; Collaboration and Reach; Student Leadership; Extensions and Reflections). Green Flag certification is awarded to schools that demonstrate a well-established, outstanding program where environmental learning and action is a defining element of school culture and extends beyond the school walls. 
   
   Please refer to the Certification Rubric for a breakdown of how the Green Flag level is assessed.

The Green Flag Eligibility Questionnaire is one of the additional criteria required for schools to certify at the Green Flag level. For full details on Green Flag certification expectations and criteria, please see the FAQ directly above this one.

Specifically, schools must satisfactorily complete the Green Flag Eligibility Questionnaire before the last Friday in January. The goal of this questionnaire is to ensure that schools are planning ahead, aware of the expectations of Green Flag schools, and ready to take on this exciting challenge. 

• The Questionnaire is built into the EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA). Starting in early December, the Questionnaire will automatically pop-up in the ECA for any school whose Plan includes enough actions to potentially accumulate 100 or more points. Only Staff Member users will see the pop-up. Student users will not see the Questionnaire.
• If your school is aiming for a Green Flag, please ensure you have enough actions in your plan to be eligible for a Green Flag ahead of the Questionnaire deadline (if not, the Questionnaire will not appear). Click here to review how to add actions to your plan.
• Schools are encouraged to complete the Questionnaire at their convenience. The survey will reappear at every login until it is submitted or the Questionnaire deadline passes. Once submitted, responses to the Questionnaire cannot be changed. 
• The Questionnaire reflects assessment criteria as described in the Certification Rubric. Satisfactory completion of the Questionnaire before the last Friday in January will direct schools toward Green Flag eligibility, whereas unsatisfactory completion will direct schools towards Gold eligibility.  

Please contact ecoschoolsUS@nwf.org if:

• Your school does not satisfactorily complete the Questionnaire before its deadline but still believe you should be considered for Green Flag certification.
• Your school is aiming for Green Flag but cannot access the Questionnaire for any reason. 

The Green Flag Eligibility Questionnaire includes the following questions: 

1. Is your school planning to pursue Green Flag certification this year? [Y/N]
2. Rigor: Do  you have well-established processes in place to plan for action and measure environmental impact?  [Y/N]
3. Collaboration and Reach: Is your environment-based work visible throughout the school and communicated to the broader school community?  [Y/N]
4. Student leadership: Is student voice, inquiry, and leadership integrated into all, or most, aspects of your environment-based work?  [Y/N]
5. Extensions and reflection: Does your school explore and connect environment-based action to broader topics, issues, or movements (e.g., a local cause or the climate justice movement)?  [Y/N]
6. If contacted, do representatives of your Action Team agree to participate in a 30 minute virtual visit with EcoSchools Assessors in the spring?  [Y/N]
7. Please briefly describe the role of EcoSchools and/or environmental learning and action within your school culture.

School visits are required for a portion of certifying EcoSchools each year. School visits are approximately 30 minutes in length and held virtually, unless otherwise stated. Any school may be requested for a visit. However, because the Green Flag is the highest level of certification, Green Flag schools are more regularly visited each year. School visits help EcoSchools assessors verify application details and maintain a rigorous program. They are also an opportunity for schools to get support and ask questions of EcoSchools staff. Selected schools will be contacted in late winter to early spring to schedule a visit and visits take place between May and early June. Please note that if a Green Flag school is contacted for a visit, participation is required to certify at the Green Flag level. Below are a few important notes about visits:

• Visits are usually virtual and will be hosted via Zoom. In-person visits may only happen in rare circumstances. 
• Visits are approximately 30 minutes long.
• The EcoSchools assessor will ask a set of standardized questions, and may ask questions to clarify specific details from the school’s application.
• The attendance of at least one staff member is required. However, staff and student presence during the school visit is preferred.
• Information collected during the school visit will be used in tandem with the school’s application for assessment purposes and to determine a school’s final certification level. Please see the Certification Rubric to understand how schools are assessed.
• Final certification levels will be assigned after a school visit. The assessor cannot provide any information about certification achievement during the visit.

Any school that creates and submits a plan on the EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA), but does not reach a designated certification level (Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Green Flag), will automatically be recognized as a Participant School.

Participant recognition celebrates a school’s effort in taking environmental action and acknowledges a school’s attempt in becoming EcoSchools certified. Schools that are recognized as Participants will be awarded with a digital Participant seal and are valuable members of the EcoSchools U.S. network, but are not considered certified EcoSchools.

EcoSchools U.S. strives to ensure that school applications are assessed based on comparable standards and we work hard to apply the certification requirements and deadlines equitably across the country.

If you would like to appeal the final standing that your school received this year, please fill out the Appeal Request Form. An EcoSchools staff member will contact you within two weeks of receipt, at which time you may be requested to provide further clarification or evidence to support your appeal.

Appeals will be accepted after certification results are released between May and June until the last Friday in October.

When you submit your certification application (between the first Friday in April and the first Friday in June), expect to receive your certification level and results within a few weeks. All schools will be notified directly by EcoSchools via email.

You can download and share a digital certification seal for each year you have been certified as an EcoSchool.

For more information on how to download past digital seals please see: Downloading seals.

The EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA) platform is where all schools start their EcoSchools applications each year. The application houses environmental, nature-based, and climate change actions with corresponding resources, and provides you the opportunity to curate a unique action plan that can be updated and revised throughout the year.

Key features of the ECA:

• There is no limit on the number of members that can be added to a school’s application, making collaboration between students, teachers, and other school community members easier than ever.
• Schools can develop their own yearly plan to meet the unique needs, interests, and priorities of their school and community.
• Schools can select from, and engage in a variety of environmental and nature-based actions like pollinator gardens, reducing harmful single-use plastics; active and sustainable school travel, and creating your own action. 
• All actions include curriculum suggestions, links to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and relevant worksheets and resources.
• The platform tracks tailored and shareable metrics (such as waste diversion and habitat created) through a distinct Impact page.
• Schools track their impact over time on the platform and can compare their journey to the cumulative impact of schools across the country.

My school has never registered for the EcoSchools program. How do we get started?

Go to app.ecoschools.us and click “Register.”

• When prompted, enter your role at the school, name, email and create a password. Please note that you should use your school district email address, if possible. Any student or volunteer will need to contact the EcoSchools program lead at the school before completing registration. 
• Enter your school’s address in order to find and select your school, or enter your address and school’s name if your school is not already in  our system. Schools outside of the public school system will need to click on “Can’t find your school?” and follow the prompts.
• If trouble arises, please contact ecoschoolsUS@nwf.org to register.

My school has participated in the EcoSchools program in the past but we haven't registered with the new platform yet, how do we get started?

If your school has been active in the program since August 1, 2021, or has ever received a Green Flag, please note that you will have to register in the EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA) platform as a new user.

The registration process will prompt you to select your role, then follow the prompts to continue creating your profile. Please email us at ecoschoolsUS@nwf.org if you need to update any details about your school.

• Once you have registered (you have a username and password) you can log in to your account at any time. 
• Go to app.ecoschools.us.
• Enter your email or username and your password.
• Click “Log in.”

How do I create a plan for my school?

• When you register or log in for the first time in a given school year, you will be prompted to create your plan.
• Suggested plans can be changed throughout the year, so don’t worry if you have selected a suggested plan and then decide you would like to add or remove actions 
  later.

Why are some actions locked in my plan?

There are three locked actions that appear in every school’s plan and will help to form the foundation of a strong EcoSchool. Locked actions have a small orange lock icon in the top right corner.

These actions cannot be removed from your plan. While it is recommended and encouraged that you try to fully implement these actions, you may complete as much, or little, of each of these actions as you choose.

The locked actions include:

• About the Action Team
• Tell Your EcoSchools U.S. Story
• Create an EcoCode

How do I add actions to my school's plan?

• Select “Action Library” from the main menu on the left of your screen.
• Search by keyword, theme, or browse the complete list of actions. 
• From the list of actions shown, identify the action(s) you wish to add to your plan. This is a great activity to complete with your entire Action Team.
• Click on the “+” button at the top right corner of the action(s) to add them to your plan.
• Adding actions to your plan will increase the number of potential certification points your school can achieve.

How do I remove actions from my school's plan? 

• Select “Our Plan” from the main menu.
• From the “Open Actions” list, hover over an action that you wish to remove.
• Click on the red “x” button that appears at the top right corner of the action to remove it from your plan.
• Removing actions from your plan will decrease the number of potential certification points your school can achieve.

How can I tell how many points we’ve earned so far?

• Select “Dashboard” from the main menu on the left of your screen.
• Navigate to the “Plan Progress” section and find the number of points your school has earned so far in the blue box labeled “Points.”

How do I know what level my school’s plan is eligible for?

Insert screenshot of plan progress

• Select “Dashboard” from the main menu on the left of your screen.
• Under “Eligible for” you will see the number of points and the level that your school’s plan can achieve, based on the total points available in the actions currently in your plan.
• If your school does not have enough points in its plan to be eligible for Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Green Flag level certification, you will be recognized  as a Participant. For about how schools are recognized, click here.

How do I claim points for completing an action?

• Select“Our Plan” from the main menu on the left of your screen.
• From the list of actions shown under “Open Actions,” identify the action you want to claim points for and open it.
• After reviewing the action guide, and all other tabs on the action, navigate to the “Certification Questions” section.
• Accurately answer the applicable certification questions to ensure that you claim points for all questions that apply to you. You are not required to answer every question in order to claim points and complete an action, although the Start Date and Action Description questions are required.
• If you need to come back later to finish answering the questions, click “Come back later” at the bottom of the “Certification Questions” section.
• When you are finished answering the certification questions and are ready to claim points for the action, click the “Done” button at the bottom of the “Certification Questions” section.
• Completed actions can be reopened to make any edits before submitting for certification. 

How do I find out how many points each action is worth?

• Open an action from either the library or your plan.
• Click on “Certification Questions” and find the point value at the bottom left corner of the action. Actions are typically worth 5, 10 or 20 points.

How do I create a .pdf or print out an action?

• Open an action from your plan.
• In the top right corner, you will see a printer icon. Click here to print, or save as a .pdf file.
• Consider using scrap or double-sided paper if you are printing out actions!

• Select “Our Plan” from the main menu on the left of your screen.
• Ensure that your plan has no actions under the “Open Actions” section (actions which are either “In Progress” or “Not Started”). If there are, you must complete them to the best of your ability or remove them from your plan. Please note that you do not need to answer every certification question in order to complete an action. 
• Check the progress bar located within the “Plan Progress” section to determine what level of certification your school will be submitting at. Note that you may submit as a Participant if your school has not earned enough points for Bronze.
• Double-check your plan! Ensure it is complete and you are ready to submit. You will not be able to undo your submission.
• Navigate to the “Plan Progress” section near the top of the page and click on the “Submit for [certification level]” button.

How can I see a snapshot of my school's impact?

• Select “Impact” from the main menu.
• To view your school’s impact metrics for the current school year, ensure that “I want to see the impact of My EcoSchool” is selected and view the numbers on the colored tiles for each impact category.
• To view metrics for all EcoSchools in the U.S. for the current school year, ensure that “I want to see the impact of EcoSchools in the U.S”  is selected and view the numbers on the colored tiles for each impact category.
• To view your school’s impact benchmarks, ensure that “I want to see the impact of My EcoSchool” is selected and navigate to the “Impact Benchmarks” section. For each impact category, there is a graph that compares your school’s impact metrics for this year to the previous year and to the U.S. average.
• For a more detailed look at your school’s environmental impact, review the certification questions section of actions that your school has completed. Consider using your answers for class-based inquiry projects.
  
   

• The data on the impact page is drawn directly from your EcoSchools application and the applications submitted by thousands of EcoSchools across the country. These metrics are based on data from schools that answered specific certification questions related to each metric and do not reflect all EcoSchools in the program. 

• The best way to populate your school’s impact metrics is to complete a wide variety of actions and to accurately answer all data-related certification questions. It is not expected that schools complete all actions that are reflected on the impact page every year.

• We have selected 9 areas of impact to highlight. See below to find out what actions relate to the impact metrics. Data for the metrics will come from a variety of action cards depending on the action plan that is developed. 
  • Energy Conservation actions implemented
  • Hours of Community Service
  • Hours of Outdoor Learning
  • Native flowers, grasses, and shrubs planted
  • Native trees planted
  • Square feet of habitat created
  • Waste in pounds diverted from the landfill
  • Water conservation actions implemented
  • Youth engaged in solutions for the planet

How do I become an Administrator for my school's account?

• All educators who sign up with the role of "Staff Member" will become an Administrator of their school. This role should not be used for students or volunteers.
• As an Administrator, use the steps below to add/manage users.
• For other questions about managing your school account, reach out to ecoschoolsUS@nwf.org. Use "Administrator" in the subject line.

What is the difference between staff and student user accounts?

• Staff, student, and volunteer users can help create their school’s plan, and contribute to and complete actions within their school’s plan.
• Student and volunteer users cannot submit the final application. Applications (i.e., Plans) must be submitted by a staff user.
• Student and volunteer users do not have access to the “Administration” menu.
• Student and volunteer users cannot register for their school account on their own. A staff member who is already a member of the school’s account must create a username and password for the student. See below for how to add users to a school account.

How do I add more staff members to my school account?

• Click “Administration” on the main menu to open the administration menu, then select “Users.”
• At the top right corner of the data table, click the “+” button.
• In the popup that appears, fill out the information fields. Select “Staff Member” for role.
• Click the “Save” button and send the login information to the new members.
• There is no limit to the number of staff and students you can add to your school account but we encourage Action Team leads to keep this number at a manageable size. To maintain an accurate record, plan to “clean up” the Action Team each year by deleting staff and students who no longer require access.

How do I add student members to my school account?

• Click “Administration” on the main menu to uncollapse the administration menu, then select “Users.”
• At the top right corner of the data table, click the “+” button.
• In the popup that appears, fill out the information fields. Select “Student” for role. For the “School” field, ensure that your school is selected.
  When selecting a username and password for students, please ensure that there is no identifying information in the username, such as the student’s email address, initials, first name, last name, etc. We suggest assigning students a number as a username.
• Click the “Save” button and send the login information to the new student members.

How do I manage existing staff and student users on my school account?

• Click “Administration” on the main menu to uncollapse the administration menu, then select “Users.”
• In the data table, find the user you wish to manage. Use the filter functions or page controls to navigate the table.
• Once you have found the user, click on the row that corresponds to them. 
• In the “User Details” box that appears on the right, update the fields you wish to change. Click the “Apply” button.
• To update a user’s password, use the “Change Password” box that appears on the right or below the table. Click the “Apply” button.

• To edit information including your school’s phone number and enrollment number, navigate to “My School” on the main menu and click the pencil icon.
• In the popup that appears, edit the fields you wish to update.
• Click the “Save” button.

• While logged in to your ECA account, click your name or avatar/profile photo at the top right corner of any page.
• On the blue dropdown that appears, click “My Account.”
• To update account information such as your position at your school, edit fields on the “Account Information” tab and then click the “Save” button.
• To update your avatar/profile photo, select the “Profile Photo” tab and pick an avatar from the existing ones or upload your own by clicking the “Select a file” button.

Note that to update your role (Staff or Student) or your school details, you must contact EcoSchools staff at EcoSchoolsUS@nwf.org.

• Go to app.ecoschools.ca and click “Forgot your password” below the login fields.
• Enter your account email address when prompted and click “Send Me Instructions.”
• In your inbox, open the email you received from EcoSchools U.S. and follow the instructions to reset your password. If it is not in your inbox, remember to check your junk and spam folders.
• If you did not receive the password reset email, this may be due to your school district’s email filters. In this case:
  • If there is another adult on your account, this person can reset your password for you, by going to Administration>>Users, then clicking on the user to change the password.
  • If you are the only adult on your school account, contact EcoSchoolsUS@nwf.org.

• To reset your password when you are logged in to your account, click your avatar/profile photo in the right-hand corner and then select “Change Password.”

The EcoSchools logo and its variations can be downloaded below or found in our Logo Guide. 

Logos can only be used by participating schools and approved partners.

As a certified or participating school, you can download and use digital EcoSchools logos on websites and social media to showcase your participation in the EcoSchools program.

• Select “Our Plan” from the main menu.
• Navigate to the bottom of the page to find the “Assessed Plans” section, where you will find your school’s plan history.
• For more detailed information on your past plans, click on “Administration” on the main menu on the left of your screen, and navigate through “Plans,” “Actions,” and “Certification Questions.” Click the “Help” button in the upper right corner for more information on each section. 
• For schools that have certified with EcoSchools prior to the 2023-2024 school year, note that you will be able to view your past certification levels and download past seals for all Green Flag schools and for all registered schools between August 1, 2020 and June 16, 2023. Because the certification program is now delivered through a new format, you will not be able to view previously uploaded documents, photographs, and videos for years prior to the 2023-2024 school year.  

 Contact eco-schoolsus@nwf.org for further details, if required.

• Click “Administration” on the main menu to open the administration menu, then select “Plans,” “Actions,” or “Certification Questions.”
• At the top right corner of the data table, click “Download CSV.”
• Click the “Help” button in the right-hand corner for more instructions.

Certified EcoSchools can download a digital seal for each year they have been certified: 

• Login to your school’s online application.
• Navigate to the “Achievements” page from the main menu.
• Under the “Your Past Certifications” section, you will see certification seals for all of the years your school has been certified. 
• Click the “Download Seal” link located under the seal. 
• You will be directed to  a new webpage—follow instructions to download your seal.