Dozens of architects, PTA presidents, school board members, school superintendents, and others from across the country are ready to begin a grassroots effort to further the vision of green schools for every child within a generation.
Some 64 “Green School Advocates” from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) chapters nationwide were in Washington, D.C., during the last week of September to receive training to go back to their communities and organize green school committees, according to the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF).
Local “Green Schools Advocacy Committees” will work with decision-makers, parents, teachers, and others who are passionate about giving children the healthiest, safest places to learn and grow – all while saving school districts money, contributing toward mitigating climate change, and improving our environment. A 2006 study sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers, the American Institute of Architects, the American Lung Assn., the Federation of American Scientists, and USGBC found building green would save an average school $100,000 each year in energy costs. That’s enough to hire two new additional full-time teachers, purchase 5,000 new textbooks, or buy 500 new computers.
In addition to superior IAQ, USGBC officials say, green schools on average use 33 percent less energy and 32 percent less water than conventional schools, which would bring the United States closer to reducing reliance on imported energy. According to USGBC, green schools’ better lighting, temperature control, ventilation, and IAQ contribute to reduced asthma, colds, flu, and absenteeism, helping improve learning, test scores, and lifetime student earnings. Greening all school construction would also create more than 2,000 new jobs each year from increased use of energy-efficient technologies. Green schools also improve teacher retention.
