Miami, FL — Dream in Green (DIG) proudly hosted its Annual Awards Ceremony at the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center on May 28, 2025, welcoming educators, students, school administrators, sponsors, and community members for an inspiring evening honoring the accomplishments of DIG’s schools, partners, and the broader green schools movement.
Founded with a vision of fostering a cleaner, greener future, Dream in Green continues to make a measurable impact through its award-winning environmental education programs. Since its inception, the Green Schools Challenge (GSC) has helped schools offset more than 81 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and achieve nearly $4.8 million in energy cost savings for the Miami-Dade County Public School District. In parallel, the Water and Energy Learning and Behavior (WE-LAB) program has conducted over 140 workshops, providing essential water and energy conservation resources to more than 3,500 households.
Dream in Green is honored to collaborate with a diverse range of local, national, and international partners and municipalities. As an official partner of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, DIG has expanded the Green Schools Challenge from a three-school pilot program to one that now reaches over 155 schools each year. We have also developed partnerships with neighboring school districts of Broward County and Palm Beach County expanding our reach across South Florida. Other valued partnerships include those with the Everglades Foundation, Miami-Dade County, Live Arts Miami, and Solar United Neighbors.
The evening commenced with remarks from Nick Gunia, founder and current Board Member of Dream in Green, who reflected on the organization’s origins and acknowledged the critical work of educators and students driving sustainability in schools. Mr. Gunia then introduced keynote speaker School Board Member Luisa Santos of District 9. Ms. Santos delivered an inspiring address on advancing school sustainability through clean energy initiatives and electric transportation, encouraging continued leadership and advocacy from all attendees. Through our partnership with Live Arts Miami, Inez Barlatier led the audience in a sing a long of a song written by elementary students through an artist workshop provided by DIG.
Members of the DIG staff and Board of Directors recognized and celebrated the outstanding contributions of teachers, students, administrators, and schools participating in the Green Schools Challenge. The event served as a testament to the collective efforts of the Dream in Green community in building more environmentally responsible school environments. Our winners went above and beyond what was expected and inspired others to be environmental stewards. Below are our top winners at all three levels of our program (elementary, middle and high):
Elementary Schools Middle Schools High Schools
1st Ludlam ES Conniston MS Robert Morgan Educational Center
2nd Gloria Floyd ES Kinloch Park MS Dorothy M. Wallace C.O.P.E. Center
3rd Pinecrest ES Richmond Heights MS Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy
4th Ernest R. Graham K-8 GW Carver MS Palmer Trinity
5th Twin Lakes ES Nautilus MS Miami Palmetto SHS
6th Hialeah Gardens ES Rockway MS Felix Varela SHS
7th Coral Park ES Aventura Waterways K-8 BioTECH @ Richmond Heights
8th Dante B. Fascell ES New River MS International Studies Preparatory Acad.
Dream in Green would like to thank all of our donors and sponsors that allow us to offer our programs to pre K-12 schools of South Florida for the past 18 years and for years to come. For photos of the event, click here.
To help support Dream in Green and our efforts in South Florida please contact Barbara Martinez- Guerrero, Dream in Green’s Executive Director at ba*****@**********en.org or visit our website.
