Green SchoolsSo you have decided that your school wants to become green or just improve its education about global warming. To get you started we have collected a list of helpful links and sites of all things school related. We are eager to learn about your green school story !
Why green schools?
Generation G: What students have to say about learning in a green school
High performance buildings such as schools play a vital role when tracing our environmental impact. The US Green Building Council has developed a benchmark tool, called LEED that helps to support and certify green building design, construction and operations.
20 percent of Americans are spending their days in schools. If all new school construction and renovations were to go green, the energy savings alone would total more than $20 billion over the next 10 years.
Studies of students, who learn in natural lit spaces of such buildings have shown a consistently higher score performance on tests than students in schools using conventional lighting fixtures.
As an added benefit, productivity due to improved air quality has increased and reduced absenteeism in some cases by 50%! Energy efficiency measures in green schools will help save operating costs in declined expenses for water and electricity and will have a positive impact for students when they see and feel the changes.
"But what really counts the most is that we are always watched by our students. Do we then have the courage to put our words into action and model for our children that sustainability is the future or do we wait for other schools to do the first step?"
The way we can influence a generation for sustainability is not merely measured by the monies we save. It is through setting an example for our children by providing the best possible learning environment and by laying a foundation for green thinking as a way of life.
Checkpoint: Green Schools
- Students perform higher on tests.
- Air quality is improved. This is good news for allergy prone children and adults alike. Some children have been reported to 'toss' their inhalers after spending time in the new green environment.
- Reduced absenteeism.
- Increased productivity.
- Savings in operating costs.
- Great environmental benefits.
- Attraction of interested teacher and student pool.
"Green schools on average save $100.000 per year! Enough to hire 2 additional teachers or purchase 5000 textbooks or lower tuition at private schools!"
Find Green School Links Here:
Building Green Schools
The U.S. Green Building Council has a wonderful web site called ‘Building Green Schools’. It is the best start for your endeavor to educate the new generation of ‘green’ students at your school.
U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Smart Schools
Their Building Technologies Program consists of helpful links to getting your school ready to operate as an EnergySmart School. They offer tools for planning, financing, designing, building and operating your school with great guidelines in all the above mentioned areas.
Go Green Initiative
is a simple, comprehensive program designed to create a culture of environmental responsibility on school campuses across the nation. They created a planning guide that has a step-by-step overview and suggestions about how to tackle the ‘green giant’. The site includes tips for teachers, parents and students alike. They even include a sample letter to the School Board and parents to announce the program after you have decided to go green. Cool!
Harvard Green Campus Initiative
is the ‘mother’ of all green schools. They were really serious about sustainability when others where still trying to figure out if their school should be even talking about becoming green. The site is full of hands on advice about their environmental programs and services.
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