Think and Be Greener: A Visit to Woodland Hill Montessori School

Jodi Smits Anderson
Chair
USGBC NY Upstate Chapter

What would you do if you found yourself in front of an audience of 20 kids, all convinced they know it all, yet totally open to new thoughts and ideas? If you were bold and a bit naïve, you might try to teach them about the triple bottom line, only to be blown away by their reception of the concept.

I had the opportunity to teach the middle school kids of Woodland Hill Montessori School about sustainability after complaining one too many times about the Styrofoam cups at their monthly coffeehouse fundraiser. Rather than accepting my offer to donate paper cups, one teacher conceived a greener, more dynamic alternative, and I was fully game to partake.

I began with Annie Leonard’s appropriately inflammatory short film about our consumer culture, “The Story of Stuff,” which prompted an engaging discussion about what the students’ families purchase and how those choices affect our world—including other people and the built environment, as mankind and nature are not independent.

Greening your computer: The students suggested that old computers could always benefit from redecoration with stickers. (Source: Phil Hawksworth, Flickr)

We then considered an example: How can you be a little greener in buying a new computer? Ideas flooded the discussion as if we were deciding where to eat ice cream. Laptops take less energy and are smaller! Buy one with a take-back policy! Be sure to clean out and maintain your computer! Buy from a local company! Buy a refurbished one! When it seems old, decorate it with stickers instead of buying a newer, prettier one that works the same way! I need to learn the last one.

The point was made. The only wrong answer is: Don’t ask any questions! If you want to be greener, all it takes is training yourself to think—about the purchases you make; about the spaces you are designing; about how you are doing something and if its working for you, your wallet (long-term) and the planet. “Think and be greener” is the motto I tried to teach.

Watch my recent TEDxTalk for the whole story, including how the students applied what they learned to their coffeehouse fundraiser.

Greener every day.

Common Ground on Green Schools

Matt Pearce
Campaign Specialist
U.S. Green Building Council

Earlier this year, USGBC launched seven new advocacy campaigns designed to highlight our organization’s public policy priorities. And local advocates sure have responded. Most recently, USGBC South Carolina hosted a day-long summit inspired by USGBC’s Common Ground on Green Schools Campaign which brought together Palmetto state educators, government officials and legislators to discuss ways to put every South Carolinian child in a green school within a generation. Nate Allen, advocacy lead at the Center for Green Schools, wrote up a blog recapping this event. You can read the original post at centerforgreenschools.org

Campaign Advocacy Offers a Menu of Policy Options for Chapters and Legislatures

Matt Pearce
Campaign Specialist
U.S. Green Building Council

USGBC’s 2012 advocacy campaign agenda is designed to empower local advocates to advance USGBC public policy priorities in their state capitols and city halls. Each campaign was launched with a suite of supporting resources to make it easier for advocates and includes a campaign brief and draft legislative text.

Now we want to hear from you. Please click here to fill out a short survey by March 31 on which campaigns you and your chapter will be undertaking in 2012. This information is extremely valuable in helping us create follow up material and additional resources to ensure the success of your campaigns. This survey will better enable us to support your efforts.

USGBC’s 2012 Advocacy campaigns are:

• Leadership with LEED
• Highlight Green Homes
• Improve Data Access
• Mainstream Building Benchmarking
• Build Better Codes
• Value Healthy and Efficient Affordable Housing
• Establish Common Ground Around Green Schools 

Now that all of the campaigns have been introduced, we will be moving to the next phase of developing additional resources, and providing staff and strategic support for the individual campaigns. Be on the lookout for information on follow-up events and strategy sessions, and in the meantime, all of the recorded calls and accompanying resources are available at www.usgbc.org/campaigns. The site is be continually updated, so check back often. We look forward to hearing from you!

Creating Healthier Classrooms Through Practical Solutions

Rachel Gutter
Director, Center for Green Schools

Today, the Center for Green Schools at USGBC launched the Green Classroom Professional Certificate, an online course and evaluation designed to educate teachers, principals, administrators and other school staff – like nurses and custodians – on what they themselves can do to improve their current instructional environments. This is the first professional designation USGBC has ever offered to non-green building practitioners, making the basic principles of healthy, high performance operations and maintenance accessible to school building occupants.

The course is packed with practical suggestions and solutions like “what are the three questions you should ask your custodian or building manager about where fresh air comes in and stale air goes out of the classroom,” or why it may not be a good idea to purchase an air freshener to cover up that funky mold smell (because that can actually keep us from identifying the problem). And this course focuses heavily on small steps that classroom leaders can take, rather than technical green building information, making it applicable to virtually anyone interested in improving their educational environment.

A Year of Chapter Advocacy Efforts: Part Two - Green Schools

Emily Knupp
K-12 Associate, Center for Green Schools
U.S. Green Building Council

As we at USGBC wind down 2011 – and gear up for a promising 2012 I am pleased to have the opportunity to reflect on what an incredible year it’s been for green schools. With the help of our seemingly tireless volunteer and chapter network, the Center for Green Schools at USGBC has had a first year that has exceeded many expectations. Even heading into a time of year when things typically seem to slow down, USGBC’s volunteers continue to be hard at work on behalf of green schools. To learn more about the recent goings-on of Green Schools Committees from coast-to-coast, read on, and be sure to check out this video from the 2011 Green Schools Committee Symposium held this past summer. To get in on the action, find a committee near you.

I had a few opportunities to see these volunteers in action throughout the year, and started things off in San Francisco back in April. USGBC Colorado and Northern California Green Schools Committee leaders Peggy Kinsey and Pauline Souza joined me at the National School Boards Association’s 71st Annual Conference, where we met with school board members from around the country to work toward our country-wide green schools goals, and they shared their stories of building grassroots green schools movements in their own backyard.

In May, the Detroit Regional Chapter participated in the local Green Living Festival. On the eve of the festival, the chapter’s green schools committee was joined by dignitaries, community leaders and media for an evening of celebration, featuring a fashion show, live music, networking and organic treats. The evening was capped off with an awards ceremony to recognize the dedication and achievement of several Michigan green leaders. Proceeds from the event went to the Chapter’s Green Schools Committee’s Green School in a Lunch Box project -- their 2010 USGBC Green Schools Innovation grant winning initiative!

Montana Chapter Green Schools Committee members Wendy Weaver and Dawn Smith co-authored a piece for Montana Parent Magazine, introducing their state to Center for Green Schools initiatives and how they’re being implemented in the Treasure State.

Just in time for the new school year, Mississippi Chapter Green Schools Committee Chair Sally Zahner and her committee were involved in the groundbreaking for what could be Mississippi's first LEED certified school, Hancock North Central Elementary. The school in coastal Mississippi is being built with a combination of funds from the district and FEMA, and in addition to being green, a portion of the new structure will be able to withstand 200 mile per hour winds.

In October, USGBC Orange County (California) kicked off their Adopt-a-School project, which will connect volunteers with nearby Davis Magnet School in Costa Mesa. GSC members will work to promote the school as a teaching tool, while actively providing a school with a classroom makeover. Congrats to Green Schools Committee Chair Wendy Rogers for securing some major local partners.

The USGBC Arkansas Chapter launched the Arkansas Green Schools Challenge just before Thanksgiving. Green Schools Committee Chair Dustin Davis reports that 41 schools across Arkansas have already signed on to participate in the competition that will “empower students and communities to be good stewards of their own environments.” Dustin partnered with Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators (AAEA) to kick this off. Just up north, the USGBC South West Virginia Chapter’s GSC Chair Steve Sunderman is busy preparing for his chapter’s second year of the VA Green Schools Challenge, coming in 2012.

To close out the year and open up a newer side of the green schools conversation, Chris Tyler and the Kentucky Chapter helped bring together a bipartisan team of state legislators at Richardsville Elementary in Bowling Green, Ky., to discuss political common ground around the topic of green schools. Richardsville is the nation’s first net-zero energy school, and serves a 78% free and reduced lunch population. The school was constructed without spending any additional money than the conventionally built schools in the Warren County School District. Lawmakers from six states around the region discussed ways to work together to advance the green schools movement in their communities. You can read more about the day’s events and the incredible story in Warren County.

It’s been another incredible year for the green schools movement, and with this many advocates and champions out there, I know that we have all the more to look forward to in 2012.

This is part two in our blog series on USGBC chapter advocacy efforts. Also see part one in the series.

From Red to Blue, States Across the Country Adopt the Green Ribbon Schools Program

Nathaniel Allen
Advocacy Lead, Center for Green Schools
U.S. Green Building Council

Just weeks after the Department of Education released the framework for the Green Ribbon Schools award, 22 states have announced their participation in this voluntary program. From Pennsylvania to California, red to blue, states are realizing the Green Ribbon Schools program is a way to achieve current goals around the improvement of their education systems. In case you’ve missed the buzz, the Green Ribbon Schools program is an initiative from the U.S. Department of Education, in collaboration with other federal agencies, to recognize and award schools demonstrating excellence across three categories: healthy learning environments, building efficiency and environmental education.

The Center has been supportive of Green Ribbon Schools since the concept was introduced, in large part because the program provides a clear connection point for the many federal programs and initiatives relating to healthy, high performing schools, as well as the many non-governmental organizations working to advance the green schools movement. And since the launch of this program, there has been a tremendous outpouring of support from the NGO community to assist schools and states interested in pursuing the Green Ribbon Award.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan commended the Center’s work with Green Ribbon at the Sustainability Summit saying, “the U.S. Green Building Council is working with school districts and universities to incorporate green technology into schools. These schools not only are good for the environment, they provide a better learning environment for students—and they are cost efficient. The council is bringing together the nation's strongest advocates for education—representing more than 10 million members across the country to build a national infrastructure of healthy, high-performance schools that are conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money.”

States are viewing their participation in Green Ribbon as a way to use their existing standards, resources and grants to achieve sustainable goals – reduce operational costs, increase STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) learning, and improve student and staff health. Moreover, state departments of education are realizing they’re not alone in these efforts – there is a host of existing federal resources to help ensure schools can be high performing in the standards that Green Ribbon sets out.

The progress of the Green Ribbon Schools program to date has been nothing short of extraordinary. Rarely do multi-agency initiatives come together with the speed – and careful quality – demonstrated by the launch of Green Ribbon. And with this week’s release of the Proceedings Report from the 2010 Sustainability in Education Summit, we’re reminded that the Department of Education is also following through on one of the summit’s key recommendations: demonstrating their strong commitment to improving sustainability in education, and ultimately ensuring the vision of every child in a green school.

For more information, and to view the proceedings report, visit:

http://www2.ed.gov/about/reports/strat/sustainability/summit-2010.doc

Q&A with Congressional Green Schools Caucus Co-Chair Robert J. Dold: Adlai E. Stevenson High School’s Energy Reduction Efforts

Last week, Congressman Robert J. Dold (IL-10) visited Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL to recognize the school’s LEED Gold for Existing Buildings certification and energy-reduction efforts. The 833,000 square foot campus was able to achieve a 7 percent reduction in energy usage and an increase in indoor environmental quality. The school’s sustainability efforts led to integration of sustainable teachings within the school curriculum, including a recycling program that has increased waste stream management and reduced paper usage.

Congressman Dold is a long-time supporter of green schools efforts, and is a co-chair of the Congressional Green Schools Caucus. He joined the Center for Green School’s staff for a Q&A on Stevenson High School’s achievements:

How did you first become interested with efficiency in schools?

With my interest in protecting the environment and providing the best possible atmosphere at school for our students to succeed- it has been a natural fit. Furthermore, the long-term cost savings to schools will benefit our children as budgets continue to be stretched. This will allow school administrators to spend less on overhead and more on education for our students.

Can you describe your involvement with the Congressional Green Schools Caucus?

As co-chair of the Green Schools Caucus I work closely with our other co-chairs, Representatives Chandler and Matheson, to educate other Members of Congress and develop policies that benefit our communities, promote learning, and save the taxpayer money. The Caucus has already hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill given by education experts and green school industry leaders to provide background and real world success stories. We are currently working on setting up a tour of a local green school near the Capitol in the near future for staff and Members.

Congressman Dold and Stevenson staff with LEED plaque

Can you talk about your impressions of Stevenson after visiting this week?

I have to commend Stevenson High School for all their hard work in achieving the first LEED gold-level certification for an existing public high school building in the nation. This clearly is a team effort- every student, every teacher and every person associated with the school has come together to make Stevenson a green school. Whether students are participating in recycling programs or classes are planting a garden or school administrators are adjusting the lighting and temperature- everyone who utilizes this facility is aware and actively engaged in making sure that they do their part to help clean up the environment.

How has the high school used sustainability initiatives to reduce their overall operating costs and reduce energy consumption?

Right now Stevenson High School is saving approximately $100,000 a year because of their LEED initiatives. From regulating the temperature when the school is closed, to adjusting the lighting and planting a garden on the roof- all of these efforts have cooperatively led to more cost efficiency at the school.

How can other schools use Adlai E. Stevenson as a role model for adopting environmental and sustainable practices?

Other schools can get everyone involved. The reason Stevenson High School is so effective is because everyone has a stake in the success of this project. By encouraging one another to participate, it not only helps the school save costs, it will also have an impact in student’s home and the way they view the environment from here on forward.

This is a great example of how a school has recognized the importance of environmentally-friendly practices by achieving LEED certification. What advice would you give students or parents looking to also go for LEED certification in their school?

Going for an LEED certification is unique endeavor that involves the entire community. It requires active participation from the school board, teachers, students, and parents. Making certain the community is participating makes a big difference because when everyone has a vested interest in success, the results are better and everyone feels a sense of accomplishment.

Make going for a certification a learning experience and teaching tool for the students. Stevenson actively engaged their science classes in the process by incorporating their analysis of flow rates of sinks and showers in their plans. Students can then take this knowledge and appreciation for sustainability practices and use it in the future.

Why should the issue of green schools matter to students, faculty and parents across the country?

Students deserve an environment that is healthy and promotes learning. Study after study has shown the positive educational benefits that are associated with schools going green. The other side is that sustainability and efficiency practices save school districts money by decreasing energy bills and operating costs. Those saved resources can be used to make additional investments in our children’s education.

Department of Education launches Green Ribbon Schools Program

Nathaniel Allen
Associate, Schools Advocacy
U.S. Green Building Council

With today’s announcement from Secretary Arne Duncan, the Department of Education has finalized the criteria for the Green Ribbon Schools program and is inviting schools to participate in this landmark initiative. This program is truly the biggest thing to happen to the green schools movement, and the opening of this voluntary recognition program creates a new center of gravity for the many organizations, associations, coalitions and individuals working to advance and the Center’s mission to put every child in a green school within this generation.

I strongly encourage all local schools to visit the Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools website to review the criteria, which is divided into three pillars – (1) healthy learning environments, (2) environmental impact and energy efficiency and (3) environmental literacy – and work with their state education authority to submit their application.

The speed and efficiency with which the Department of Education has been able to develop and launch this program, collaborating closely with EPA and other federal agencies, is incredibly noteworthy, and shows that there is a clear national priority for green schools. Further, when this initiative is considered alongside the implications for green schools currently contained within the American Jobs Act, it’s clear the green schools movement has reached a tipping point.

Since the announcement to launch this program last April, we’ve been proud to express our excitement around this initiative and work collaboratively with leaders from the public sector and NGO community to promote the success of this program. This is a proud moment for everyone working to advance the green schools movement, but I’d to personally congratulate our friend Jim Elder, Director of the Campaign for Environmental Literacy, who originally conceived the idea for this program and has worked tirelessly to build a nationwide network of make Green Ribbon Schools a reality.

Making Charter Schools More Efficient Garners Bi-Partisan Support but Suffers Setback

Bryan Howard
Legislative Director
U.S. Green Building Council

While many in the green schools movement have been focusing on President Obama’s “American Jobs Act” that would allocate $25 billion for school modernization, Tuesday brought a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives to improve the resource efficiency of America’s charters schools.

As part of the debate on H.R. 2118: Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act, which reauthorizes and modifies federal charter programs, Congressman Rush Holt of New Jersey offered a common sense amendment, to give priority to facility grant recipients that utilize green building rating systems and certifications.



Congressman Holt’s amendment received the support of a bipartisan group of legislators from all across the country but did not have the votes needed to be adopted. To see how your member of Congress voted click here.

It can be discouraging that some members of Congress are still not translating the benefits of reduced operating expenses, enhanced learning environments and increased accountability of taxpayers’ dollars that green schools offer. However it is encouraging that some members continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to solve problems.

The effort by Congressman Holt and others is only one bite of the apple, in the effort to improve charter schools programs as the Senate has yet to consider these programs.

The President, the Packers, and Winning One for the American People

Rick Fedrizzi
President, CEO & Founding Chairman
U.S. Green Building Council

I found myself sitting at the kitchen table last night, long after the President and the Packers were done.

The Packers won. What was keeping me up was the thought that the country might actually be able to pull our own victory out of what has been increasingly feeling like an end-of-the-fourth-quarter goal-line stand.

Clearly the President was channeling Knute Rockne, Joe Paterno, Bear Bryant and every other great coach out there. Focus on the fundamentals. Block, tackle and don’t get distracted. Want it more than anything you’ve ever wanted in your life. That’s how you win.

And we need a win. WE. The American people. We need a game plan that’s clear, straightforward and no-nonsense. And fewer are better at delivering on the fundamentals than our USGBC members and the green building movement. I say, “Put us in, Coach.”

Despite all the technology enablers that we’ve dreamed up, and all the fantastic advances in materials science and the awe-inspiring design innovations that have been conceived, what we do in our industry is as straightforward and as people-centric as it gets: Our industry puts shovels in people’s hands and foundations get poured. It puts wrenches in people’s hands and steel rises. It puts hammers in people’s hands and homes get built. It puts the controls of massive bulldozers in people’s hands and roads and bridges get shored up.

Building is a noble act and building sustainably is an act of nation-building that in 10 short years has created a $60 billion industry that never existed before. Our hard-won environmental efforts have spawned jobs and unleashed innovation, and unlocking the massive fuel source of energy efficiency creates jobs that can’t be exported.

Nowhere is that more important than in our homes, our neighborhoods and our schools. In fact, our schools have long been ringing the alarm, and there are thousands of projects out there that are ready to go the minute the funding is available. On average, our schools are more than 40 years old. Nearly a quarter of them require extensive repair just to meet basic health and safety standards, and 15,000 schools have air that had been deemed unfit to breathe. Our kids deserve school buildings that enhance their learning and their health, not compromise it, and this is a way to deliver on that promise.

Our workplaces are no less in need of improvement. The green building industry has suggested a fix to an existing tax incentive, Section 179D, that would put 77,000 people to work improving offices, malls, and supermarkets immediately. There is no downside for the Administration or any member of Congress to picking up this suggestion and running with it.

It’s baffled me that we let ourselves get to this fourth and inches situation on the jobs front. But we’re here. So I say, let’s get on with it. It’s time we won one for the American people.

Access the press release »
Read the blog post: President Obama Announces $25 Billion For Improving Schools »
Browse the fact sheet on the American Jobs Act »

Introducing: Rachel on the Road

Rachel Gutter, the director of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, has taken her flip cam on the road to speak with everyone from teachers, parents and students to policy makers and leaders in sustainability, green building and education.

In the first of many interviews, Rachel speaks with Congressman John Sarbanes of Maryland. Rep. Sarbanes is a longstanding supporter of green schools efforts, and vocal about the connection between academic success and environmental awareness. Rachel discusses the bi-partisan No Child Left Inside Act introduced by Rep. Sarbanes, and the support it is gaining.



About Rachel on the Road:
With regular video posts, Rachel will take us on green school and campus tours, tackle important topics and continue the mission of creating green schools for everyone within this generation. Join Rachel as she speaks with the folks who are helping to make our schools and colleges safer, healthier and more conducive to learning.

States Powering New, Innovative Green Building Policy: A Review of This Year's State Activity

Jeremy Sigmon, LEED® AP BD+C
Manager, Building Codes Advocacy
U.S. Green Building Council

Despite a struggling economy that’s putting tough budget constraints on states across the nation, the green building marketplace is driving innovation and competition, creating opportunity for savings and new jobs, and – bold though it may sound – our states are working overtime to help win the future.

In a year of what feels like an unyielding stream of at least underwhelming news, there is still much to celebrate in the world of green building policymaking (note: last week’s celebration of green schools by state lawmakers). Today USGBC released a report that highlights that market-transforming policy activity, “Advancing Green Building Policy in the States: 2011 Victories from Alabama to Wyoming.” With positive policy activity in all 50 states, and countable wins in 25, here are some of this year’s superlatives:

Friend to All: Florida HB 639 and HB 7003, which add another state to the list of state housing authorities that are increasingly rewarding green building practices as part of the scoring system for competitive loans offered to affordable housing developers.

Most Popular: Oregon HB 3672, which creates tax credits for commercial construction or retrofit projects that achieve high standards for building energy efficiency and offers LEED Platinum certification as a compliance pathway.

Most School Spirit: Kansas Senate Resolution 1856. Cheer for the first LEED Gold school in the state!

Most Athletic: Oregon HB 2960, the “cool schools” bill, which will allow the state to repair and retrofit aging schools to help create jobs while enhancing student learning, reducing operational costs, and building healthy learning environments. Might the Oregon Ducks be inspiring legislators like Rep. Jules Bailey to lay up such a slam dunk?

Craziest Driver: New Mexico’s 2009 Energy Conservation Code, which, after securing top spot in 2010 as the strongest building energy code in the nation, and after thousands of dollars of code books and training, succumbed to a full-stop by Executive Order in January, a subsequent lawsuit. An apparent deal to move forward produced a series of public hearings, a June repeal of the original 2009 ECC and a then a replacement with a building energy code that’s simply par-for-the-course that will take effect in February of next year… we think.

Most Original: Connecticut HB 1243, which establishes the nation’s first state-managed “green bank” – now known as the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority – that will leverage government dollars to provide financing for clean energy and efficiency projects all across the state.

Most Dependable: Texas HB 51, a tried and true leadership-by-example policy that requires that public buildings and public-funded buildings or renovations of a certain size or scale (including universities) achieve certification under a high performance “building evaluation system.” The State Energy Conservation Office and the Boards of Regents of state universities will identify the systems that will satisfy compliance with the law.

Trend-Setter: California’s Green Building Standards Code, the subject of both excitement and confusion since its 2010 adoption, became effective as a mandatory minimum code for all local jurisdictions on January 1. Which state will be next to integrate green building provisions into mandatory statewide minimum codes?

Most Likely to Succeed: A 2011 report in Illinois, Moving Toward a Sustainable Future for Illinois Schools, which was developed in response to HJR 45 (2009). The 2009 legislation and the effort to develop the report was championed by the Illinois Working Group on Green Schools, and effectively establishes a plan to green every school in the state. The report details findings from the USGBC Illinois Chapter’s pilot program to support the greening of three underserved schools since 2009. Bravo!

Best Looking: New York AB 8510, which creates an on‐bill financing program that will enable property owners to access safe loans for retrofits and energy efficiency upgrades by repaying the loan with savings earned on utility bills. Utility bills never looked so nice.

Most Likely to be Published: Maryland HB 972, which enables the adoption of the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) by all local governments across the state. Which local government will be first to upgrade their base codes? With the proliferation of green building codes, where do we go next?

Most Talkative: California State Legislature, which – surprise, surprise – introduced more than 30 bills on which USGBC’s California Advocacy Committee has been active. Adding to the state’s long list of green building accomplishments, the state continues to discuss ways to break new ground.

Most Dreamy: Michigan HB 4286, a bill that has not yet passed, proposing wonderfully attractive incentives for new commercial construction or renovations that earn LEED certification.

For more information on USGBC’s advocacy and public policy work, visit www.usgbc.org/government.

State Lawmakers Convene in Celebration of Green Schools

Nathaniel Allen
Associate, Schools Advocacy
U.S. Green Building Council

Green schools were the focus of a reception with more than 60 attendees – mostly state lawmakers – at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) this past Tuesday, August 9. Co-hosted with the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, leading legislators from the 50 for 50 Green Schools Caucus Initiative convened with their colleagues from other states to discuss some of the recent updates in the national green schools movement and opportunities to stay engaged in the coming months.

Illinois State Representative Karen May, Chair of the Illinois Working Group on Green Schools and the 50 for 50 National Advisory Council, set the stage by providing an overview of recent progress and achievements that are facilitating the uptake of green schools. Noting the opportunity around greening existing schools, Rep. May discussed the replicability of HJR 45 and Illinois’ intention to green every school in the state, and she announced the release of an updated Green Schools Menu of Options for State Legislators published by the Center for Green Schools at USGBC.

The Representative also expressed her excitement about the Department of Education’s pending Green Ribbon Schools program . Given that the nomination process for Green Ribbon will likely come through the states, Rep. May encouraged her colleagues to connect their local schools with the program when the criteria become available in the coming weeks.

Texas Rep. Eddie Lucio III., Chair of the Texas Green Schools Caucus, welcomed everyone to Texas and spoke about how green schools are striking an important chord with Texans – particularly in his part of South Texas.

"How do you change the mindset of a society,” Rep. Lucio asked. “It starts with our children. We can have a tremendous impact on our future energy use, our national health, and even our purchasing habits simply by promoting the right values in our kids -- values championed by the green schools movement."

Washington Sen. Maralyn Chase said, "I'm here tonight because of my 11-year-old grandson. I'm working so he can have a healthier school, free of harmful pollutants, with ample natural lighting and where he has the best opportunities to learn. Why else would we spend our time working so hard on this? We need to ask ourselves what kind of world we're turning over to our grandchildren, and then we need to have a razor sharp focus as we work for them. Coming here tonight has recharged my batteries."

Florida Rep. Alan Williams concurred. "I’m always enthusiastic about legislators getting together to talk about policy ideas that we’re passionate about. Given that green schools embrace core values that transcend political boundaries and that they make sense for the future of our country, I look forward to working with my colleagues in Florida and from across the nation to make green schools a reality."

Congressional Green Schools Caucus Hosts Green Schools Leaders

Nathaniel Allen
Associate, Schools Advocacy
U.S. Green Building Council

Representatives Ben Chandler (KY-6), Robert Dold (IL-10) and Jim Matheson (UT-2), the co-chairs of the bi-partisan Congressional Green Schools Caucus, sponsored a briefing on Monday, July 11, to educate their colleagues on the significant financial savings greening our nation’s schools can have for school district budgets and the taxpayers who fund them. (Read Congressman Dold’s press release on the briefing.) With presentations from a panel of industry experts, attendees heard first-hand about how the green schools movement has become mainstream in construction and renovation practices, and moreover, how energy efficient technologies can save schools money and improve learning conditions.

• Judy Marks, Executive Director, National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF), introduced the components of a green school, and provided an overview of the current federal and state landscape for healthy, high-performing educational facilities. Marks also discussed NCEF’s involvement in the Coalition for Green Schools Executive Committee, and the power of uniting organizations to advance this movement together.
• Andy Olivastro, Manager, Community Affairs, United Technologies Corp (UTC), highlighted the leadership role of the private sector, and specifically how UTC is furthering its longstanding commitment to sustainable practices and education with its sponsorship of the Center for Green Schools at USGBC. Olivastro also provided examples from UTC companies of energy efficient technologies saving schools money on operation costs, as well as improving learning environments, including Okeechobee High School in Okeechobee, FL, which is saving 40 percent on its energy costs after installing a quieter, high efficiency rooftop air conditioning unit from Carrier, among other upgrades.
• Susan Castellan, Sr. Project Manager, Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., described the changes she has witnessed during her twenty-plus year career in the construction industry, and how green practices have shifted from being foreign to common on construction sites. Castellan connected these new practices with the current green jobs movement, and then provided a detailed overview of the cost-savings technologies installed at the LEED Gold Stoddert Elementary in Washington, D.C.

Andy Olivastro, UTC Community Affairs, speaks with Kris Denzel from Congressman Dold’s staff.

Meanwhile, one member of the Congressional Green Schools Caucus spent time today seeing green building technology in action --Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD-8), visited the LEED Gold Camille Kendall Academic Center at the Universities of Shady Grove.

left to right: Stewart Edelstein (Executive Director), Congressman Van Hollen, Mary Lang (Director of Planning) and Bill Schlossenberg (Director of Development and Community Partnerships).

Members of Congress Weigh In On Green Schools

Earlier this week, Representatives Jim Matheson (UT-2) and Ben Chandler (KY-6), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Green Schools Caucus, shared a letter with their colleagues in support of green schools. Representative Matheson noted, “As we debate the budget and seek fiscal reform at the local, state, and federal levels, we want to highlight one area where taxpayers are seeing a significant return on their investment: green building, particularly green schools.”

Read the full letter below.

Learn more about the Congressional Green Schools Caucus »

Visit the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council »

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Green Schools Save Money and Help Kids
From: The Honorable Jim Matheson

“Green schools are about saving money and doing better with the money you have.

It's about finally starting to think about things in terms of ROI [return on investment]. ... Schools could save 25 percent off the bat with some basic efficiency measures, occupant education, and engagement programs. I've seen it happen.”

- Rachel Gutter, Director of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council

Dear Colleague:

As we debate the budget and seek fiscal reform at the local, state, and federal levels, we want to highlight one area where taxpayers are seeing a significant return on their investment: green building, particularly green schools.

Because it uses substantially less energy and water, the average green school saves $100,000 per year – enough to pay two teachers, purchase 200 computers or buy 5,000 new text books. And going green doesn’t have to cost more up front. Studies have demonstrated that green schools can be designed and built at or below regional K-12 construction costs and operated within existing facilities budgets.

But decreasing operational costs isn’t the only benefit to green schools. Green schools also have a lasting impact on student health, academic performance, and teacher retention - daylight boosts concentra¬tion; comfortable temperatures increase focus; good acoustics enable communication; and air that is fresh and clean improves health.

We encourage you to learn more about the cost savings and other benefits associated with green schools by visiting www.centerforgreenschools.org. If you are interested in joining the bipartisan Green Schools Caucus please contact Jan Beukelman in Rep. Matheson's office or Bethany Williams in Rep. Chandler's office.

Sincerely,

Jim Matheson
Co-Chair, Congressional Green Schools Caucus

Ben Chandler
Co-Chair, Congressional Green Schools Caucus

A Plan to Green Every School in Illinois: LEED Task Force Report

Nathaniel Allen
Associate, Schools Advocacy
U.S. Green Building Council

The U.S. Green Building Council-Illinois Chapter held a reception this past week in Springfield, Ill. to mark the release of a comprehensive report identifying opportunities to green all schools in Illinois. The report was the result of more than two years of collaboration between the USGBC-Illinois Chapter, civic and corporate partners, and was commissioned as a result of the October 2009 adoption of House Joint Resolution 45 by the Illinois General Assembly.

Introduced by State Representative Karen May (who has since become Chair of the National Advisory Council of the 50 for 50 Green Schools Caucus Initiative - See my previous blog entry to read about how other state legislators are advancing green schools), HJR 45 was adopted to pursue a statewide campaign to transform existing Illinois public schools and meet the goal of every student attending a green school within a generation.

To achieve this goal, HJR 45 created the HJR 45 LEED Task Force, with the following responsibilities: 1) Advise USGBC-Illinois on a pilot program to assist three underserved Illinois schools in achieving LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance certification, 2) assess how this pilot program can influence broader policies on greening existing schools in Illinois, and 3) author a report on the state of sustainability in Illinois schools that includes recommendations for programs and financial mechanisms that can foster sustainability on a larger scale in schools across the state.

The reception was held in conjunction with a USGBC-Illinois Chapter event in which green building advocates from the Chapter participated in two days of sessions at the state Capitol. During this time they met with approximately 50 Illinois Lawmakers or their aides and provided the report to help guide future activity. After the reception Doug Widener, Executive Director of the USGBC–Illinois Chapter, met with Representative May and a select group of state lawmakers about plans to accelerate the work of the already active Illinois Working Group on Green Schools.

“We’re so proud of the collaboration that took place in order to make this report a reality,” Doug reported after the reception. “I’m confident Illinois students will benefit from our work, and our hope is that these findings can be replicated in other states.”

Click here for more information and to view the report.

Inviting your Organization to Join the Coalition for Green Schools

Charles J. Saylors
President
National PTA

I’m asking you to join the Coalition for Green Schools not just as the President of the National PTA, but also as a parent, school board trustee and construction professional. In each of these roles I continue to see all sides of the ongoing debate about the need for better school buildings. Our children deserve a safe, secure, healthy and technologically equal learning environment.

When the National PTA joined the Executive Committee of the Coalition for Green Schools, I was excited to join a forum with some of the leading national educational and environmental organizations around such an important topic. In the year and a half since the Coalition first convened, I’ve worked alongside leaders from teachers’ unions, school boards, administrators and experts in design and education, and I’ve confirmed that while we all have much at stake on this critical issue, we also all have much to add. In order for all of our children to experience the benefits of green schools, all of our organizations must work together.

And that’s why I’m writing today. I’m pleased to invite your organization to join the general membership of the Coalition for Green Schools. Right now, the Coalition Executive Committee collectively represents more than 10 million members. By opening general membership we hope this new pathway for engagement will increase this number and collectively bring our important message to every American. Membership is free, and open to any organization, company or school. In joining, your group will receive regular updates about the national green schools movement, as well as information about networking opportunities and ways to collaborate to advance the vision of green schools for everyone within this generation.

For more information, and to fill out an application online, visit www.centerforgreenschools.org/coalition.

The Coalition for Green Schools
The Center for Green Schools at USGBC works with an alliance of the nation’s leading educational and environmental associations, including the American Architectural Foundation, American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, National PTA, National School Boards Association and many others to convene the Coalition for Green Schools. The coalition is in pursuit of a common mission: provide every child in America with a green school.

Across the Country, Legislators and Their Constituents Actively Support Green Schools

Nathaniel Allen
Associate, Schools Advocacy
U.S. Green Building Council

Since the start of the new year, legislators at all levels of government from across the country have been busy attending and hosting big events to advance green schools. State legislators in the 50 for 50 Green Schools Caucus Initiative have been particularly active. Here are the highlights:

• In South Carolina, State Senators John Courson and Phil Leventis worked with the Conservation Voters of South Carolina and their local USGBC Chapter to host a briefing titled “Creating Jobs through Conservation,” featuring testimony about the success of green school initiatives in the Palmetto State and nationwide as an agenda item for the year ahead. Senator Leventis, a member of the bipartisan National Advisory Council for the 50 for 50 Green Schools Caucus Initiative, spoke about the importance of green schools to the health and productivity of our students and ultimately our nation’s economic prosperity. After the briefing, the Senator commented: “We have an opportunity right now to promote jobs in South Carolina by retrofitting and building green schools that will save our taxpayers money and ultimately help improve our education system.”


• Meanwhile, the Kentucky USGBC Chapter Advocacy Committee spent a day meeting with more than 30 legislators, laying the groundwork and establishing connections to support and enhance the Commonwealth’s existing leadership around green schools. As the House of Representatives was called into session last Tuesday afternoon, Representative Mary Lou Marzian, co-chair of the Kentucky Green Schools Caucus, arranged for the entire team of USGBC advocates to be recognized on the House floor. Later that evening, six legislators joined the chapter volunteers on a hybrid bus tour to visit a local high-performing school.


• In North Carolina, over 30 USGBC Chapter volunteers had a full day of meetings with members of the North Carolina legislature, using the opportunity to promote dialogue between legislators in the Tar Heel State about power of green schools.


• Following the success of a green schools summit held in the state this past fall, Nebraska State Senator Ken Haar hosted a green schools curriculum summit, convening education stakeholders to discuss a plan to incorporate environmental literacy into the education of all children in Nebraska.


• Approximately 40 USGBC Chapter volunteers in Texas convened at the Capitol for a day of advocacy, meeting with approximately 100 different members of the legislature. In an evening reception, Rep. Eddie Lucio III, Chair of the Texas Green Schools Caucus, highlighted the many green schools efforts in the Lone Star State and outlined the importance of increasing dialogue among his colleagues in the legislature.

The personal and professional connections made by these leading lawmakers and USGBC chapter volunteers in support of green schools exemplify the growing success of one of USGBC’s most treasured goals: Green schools for all children within this generation. In many ways, the most effective advocacy for this key issue is about facilitating connections – between lawmakers, their constituents, and the many resources that can aid them in advancing green schools.

Across the country, the success of these groups can be seen at all levels of government. On the same day as the “Creating Jobs through Conservation” briefing in South Carolina, Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor toured a green school in his home state with constituents after being invited as follow up from USGBC’s Congressional Advocacy Day in Washington. On the federal stage, the bipartisan Congressional Green Schools Caucus will continue its momentum into the 112th Congress to educate and inform federal lawmakers about the enormous impact of greening our nation’s schools.

At the local level, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a member of the Mayors’ Alliance for Green Schools, prioritized green schools as a key strategy to move Sacramento forward in his State of the City Address. Mayor Johnson remarked, “Second, we want to “green” our schools. Over the next 10 years we’ll retrofit 15 million square feet of school facilities to meet LEED standards for green buildings. We can pay for it by raising $100M from the County treasuries across the region. Schools will spend less money on energy costs. This savings will potentially free up dollars to pay off the loan and protect teacher positions.” Mayor Johnson welcomed USGBC’s Center for Green Schools Director Rachel Gutter to speak at Greenwise Sacramento, an event highlighting an ongoing initiative to transform Sacramento into the greenest city in the country. During her address, Rachel Gutter announced the Sacramento City Unified School District as a recipient of a 2011 Center for Green Schools Fellowship.

To get involved in the national green schools movement, and for additional information and resources, visit www.centerforgreenschools.org.

Rick Fedrizzi on Winning the Future

Read USGBC Founding Chairman Rick Fedrizzi's piece on President Obama's Better Buildings Initiative in the The Huffington Post:

In his State of the Union address, President Obama boldly proclaimed that our nation has reached a "Sputnik moment" -- a point in time that will be characterized by our ability (or inability) to respond to an era as ripe for innovation as any that has presented itself in more than a generation. Seizing this moment, he said, is our opportunity to win the future.

Of course, a huge part of winning the future is to reduce our reliance on the fuels of the past. And last week, the president showed exactly the kind of leadership we will need to when he unveiled his Better Buildings Initiative.

Click here to read the rest of the Huffington Post article.