Environmental unpredictability has become a crisis for the 21st century. In response, organizations from the local to international level are addressing the issues by creating, supporting, and promoting initiatives. Schools and school leaders play an important role in this work. An example of a multi-scaled initiative is the U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) which recognizes local academic institutions, upon state recommendation, that have implemented three pillars of sustainability: (a) reduce environmental impacts and costs; (b) improve the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff; and (c) provide effective environmental and sustainability education. This evaluation analyzed ED-GRS pillars implementation and program sustainability in North Carolina. The results of this evaluation culminated in the development of the USED-Green Ribbon Schools Program Sustainability Model (Figure 1), which at its core represents the school community that embodied the ED-GRS initiative and developed capacity for sustained environmental education and stewardship outcomes.