Introducing the Green Apple Day of Service

Rachel Gutter
Director, Center for Green Schools

Last week, I was able to visit one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to make an exciting announcement, recognizing the Green School in Bali as the Center for Green School’s “2012 Greenest School on Earth.” The school has some incredible features, such as structures made from environmentally friendly bamboo, solar energy and vortex hydro technology projects to remove the school entirely off the grid, bio-intensive farming around campus to raise organic food and so much more. The Green School is a reflection of the values of the Balinese people, an inextricable tie to nature, a true appreciation of the earth’s beauty and a fertile environment for most anything (and in this case children) to grow.

One of the things that most impressed us about the Green School was its commitment to giving back to the local Balinese community – the school offers an Indonesian Scholarship Program, which provides almost 100 percent financial support for local children to attend. The school is the way that famous jeweler John Hardy elected to give back to a country that had made his business so successful. The school is in and of itself an act of service.

This, and so many other actions by parents, teachers and students around the world have become inspiration for us. We wanted to find a way to bring together the people who care about our schools and making them healthier, more sustainable learning environments. So we are calling on volunteers to come together for one day to participate in the first ever Green Apple Day of Service.

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.

Americans Care About Green Schools

Rachel Gutter
Director, Center for Green Schools
U.S. Green Building Council

As a former teacher, I’ve seen first-hand the transformative effect that great educational environments can have on teacher motivation, student performance and community engagement. I also know that parents are unfailingly dedicated to their children’s education and will do just about anything to give their kids an advantage in life.

Over the past year, we at the Center for Green Schools have witnessed thousands of volunteers, educators, school administrators and policy makers transforming our nation’s schools into inspiring places where children learn and thrive. 2011 was a landmark year for the green schools movement, so you can imagine that it was tough to whittle down the long list of accomplishments to 10 big wins. But we did.

Today the Center, along with its founding sponsor, United Technologies Corp., released its “Best of Green Schools 2011” list, highlighting these 10 leading states, cities, districts and decision makers that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to ensure every student has the opportunity to learn in a healthy, safe environment. With the Best Of list, we celebrate schools and regions from across the nation – from K-12 to higher education – for their commitments to measurable and innovative sustainability initiatives and their contributions to the Center’s mission to green every school in America. This year’s recipients ranged from federal collaborations to individual school victories. Here’s a taste of trailblazers who rose to the top of our list:

Best Moment for the Movement, U.S. Department of Education, Green Ribbon Schools
Green Ribbon is the first comprehensive and coordinated federal initiative to focus on the intersection of environment, health and education.  In my mind, this program is the biggest thing to happen to the green schools movement, ever. To date, 33 states and the District of Columbia have signed on to participate.

Best City, Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia School District and its community partners have made amazing progress in 2011 toward the greening of their 291 public schools. The district has a commitment that all new schools certify to LEED Silver and has been rolling out a plan to address the city’s existing schools. This year, Kensington Creative and Performing Arts High School – a Title 1 school where 90 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch – made AYP for the first time after moving into the district’s first LEED Platinum facility.

Best Collaborators, Kentucky
State Representatives Jim Decesare (R) and Mary Lou Marzian (D) led their colleagues in the Kentucky General Assembly to unanimously adopt a series of resolutions in support of green schools and have encouraged their legislator peers in other states to replicate their efforts to work across party lines. Last month, Jim and Mary Lou invited bipartisan group of decision makers from six states around the region to visit the nation’s first net-zero school and discover common ground on the topic of green schools. I was there to see that common ground wasn’t hard to find – who doesn’t support healthy, high-performing schools that educate healthy, high performing students?

The Best of 2011 list comes on the heels of a third party, nationwide survey we commissioned earlier this year, which revealed that one third of Americans think that the majority of U.S. schools are in “poor shape.”  Moreover, 90 percent of respondents indicated that the condition of our nation’s schools is no better than adequate. The same survey revealed that Americans see school modernization as a high-priority investment. And despite what Congress would have us believe, nearly three out of four Americans support federal investment in school building improvements focused on creating healthier learning environments, saving tax dollars or lowering carbon emissions.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office reports that at least 25,000 U.S. schools are in need of extensive repairs and more than 10,000 of those schools have air that is unfit to breath.  On the flip side, research has shown that, on average, green schools save $100,000 per year on operating costs. Greening our schools just makes sense and our hats go off to this year’s designees for their practical and forward thinking.

At the Center for Green Schools, we view the greening of America’s schools as an imperative, and think that no elementary, middle, high school or higher education institution should be left behind. Whether it’s finding out if your state is participating in Green Ribbon, convincing your school board to implement sustainable practices or teaching your kids to turn off lights and recycle, join parents around the country who are getting engaged and working to transform the way we design, build, operate and maintain our schools.

For more information on each of this year’s recipients, please visit: centerforgreenschools.org/bestof2011 or read the press release.

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.

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

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.