The Corvallis Public Schools Foundation is proud to announce the launch of the Green Apple Award, a new honor recognizing educators who champion sustainability within the Corvallis School District. The first Green Apple Award will be presented in 2026 during the annual Golden Apple Award season.
The award was created by John Swanson and Jeanne Holmes, long-time community leaders and active members of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition. Motivated by a deep personal commitment to environmental stewardship, and inspired by their three grandchildren, including one currently attending a Corvallis school, Swanson and Holmes envisioned a way to celebrate the District’s growing focus on sustainability.
An endowed fund, The Corvallis Green Fund, has been created to ensure the Green Apple Award will be granted in perpetuity for years to come. Fundraising for the Green Apple Award endowment began in fall 2024 with a $5,000 matching gift challenge. Thanks to broad community support, including significant support from the Unitarian Fellowship of Corvallis and John’s famous homemade apple pies offered to major donors, the $20,000 goal was reached by spring 2025.
John Swanson, a retired mental health counselor and author of Communing with Nature, and Jeanne Holmes, a former educator, are both passionate about empowering young people to care for the environment. “It’s important to give kids a pathway to make a difference,”
Holmes said. They also praised the Corvallis School Board’s five-year sustainability goals, recognizing the district’s integration of environmental curriculum into its science programs as a major achievement.
The Green Apple Award would not have been possible without the inspiration of the Pastega Family, whose Golden Apple Award set the standard for recognizing excellence in education.
The Foundation looks forward to celebrating this new milestone in 2026 and honoring those who are helping to build a more sustainable future.
Contributions to the Corvallis Green Fund can be made here.
