Green schools cost less to operate, freeing up resources to truly improve students’ education. Their carefully planned acoustics and abundant daylight make it easier and more comfortable for students to learn. Their clean indoor air cuts down sick days and gives our children a head start for a healthy, prosperous future. And their innovative design provides a wealth of hands-on learning opportunities.
Across the United States, school districts large and small are realizing the benefits of building with LEED for Schools. Students, parents, teachers and community members are making the difference, by letting elected officials know they want their schools built green.
green school /grEn skül / n. a school building or facility that creates a healthy environment that is conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money
Why green schools?
20% of America goes to school every day. Too many of these students and teachers attend schools that are inefficient and miss important opportunities to reduce operational costs, foster learning and protect student health.
Public and private schools alike are realizing that going green is a no-brainer. If a green school saved $100,000 per year in operational costs, that's roughly enough to hire two new teachers, buy 200 new computers or purchase 5,000 new textbooks.
By promoting the design and construction of green schools, we can make a tremendous impact on student health, test scores, teacher retention, school operational costs and the environment.
Benefits of green schools
- A healthy, productive learning environment
- Improved teacher retention
- Financial savings
- Hands-on learning
- Environmentally friendly
Take the Pledge
Take the Green Schools Pledge to commit to doing what you can to help make the goal of green schools a reality.
Build Green Schools is the place to start making a change in your community.
Here, you can:
» Learn what makes green schools better for students.
» Learn about local, state and federal initiatives to promote and support green schools
» Learn about LEED, the national benchmark for high-performance schools. » Find videos, research, case studies and other resources.
Best Practices in Green Education
Best Practices in Green Education from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) offers model education programs and curriculum to support efforts in educating for sustainability. USGBC believes educators learn best from hearing the stories of other educators' efforts.
The programs featured in this online resource have been vetted through the Excellence in Green Building Curriculum Grants and Awards Program.
USGBC plans to expand the Green Education Database as educators across grade levels and disciplines share stories of overcoming challenges and establishing successful programs in schools and campuses across the country.
Read more at the resource link below.
Resource: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1881
