Green schools advocacy begins in the communities, at the grassroots level, with parents, teachers, students and others making their voices heard on the importance of healthy, environmentally friendly schools that promote learning and save school districts money.
But there is also an important role for national leaders to play. Federal leadership helps fund research on the benefits and best practices of green schools, and it sends the message nationwide that green schools are good for everyone.
That national view has led to the formation of the Green Schools Caucus in the House of Representatives. The Green Schools Caucus, formed by Reps. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore., Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Jim Matheson, D-Utah, aims to raise awareness of the benefits of green schools, lead the policy discussion on the topic in various forums, create legislative opportunities for the collective efforts of the caucus members, and provide members of Congress with constituent outreach resources. Caucus members and their staff will participate in educational programs to learn what is going on nationally and in their districts, including site visits to green schools and educational panels with teachers, architects and school officials from across the country.
Learn more about the Congressional Green Schools Caucus.
The Green Schools Caucus shows that the effort to promote schools that are healthy, protect the environment and nurture learning is truly a passion that spans the country and crosses political lines. To find out how the green schools movement is catching on where you live, browse the Green Schools Maps.
Check this list, last updated July 2, 2008, to see if your representative is a member of the Congressional Green Schools Caucus. Not sure who your Congress member is? Check here, and if they're not a caucus member, contact them and let them know how important green schools are to you.
Rep. Darlene Hooley, Oregon's 5th District
Rep. Michael McCaul, Texas' 10th District
Rep. Jim Matheson, Utah's 2nd District
Rep. Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii's 1st District
Rep. Tom Allen, Maine's 1st District
Rep. Joe Baca, California's 43rd District
Rep. Tim Bishop, New York's 1st District
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Oregon's 3rd District
Rep. Allen Boyd, Florida's 2nd District
Rep. Bruce Braley, Iowa's 1st District
Rep. Russ Carnahan, Missouri's 3rd District
Rep. Ben Chandler, Kentucky's 6th District
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, Missouri's 5th District
Rep. Joe Courtney, Connecticut's 2nd District
Rep. Artur Davis, Alabama's 7th District
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, Nebraska's 1st District
Rep. Phil Hare, Illinois' 17th District
Rep. Maurice Hinchey, New York's 22nd District
Rep. Rush Holt, New Jersey's 12th District
Rep. Michael Honda, California's 15th District
Rep. Jay Inslee, Washington's 1st District
Rep. Steve Israel, New York's 2nd District
Rep. Steve Kagen, Wisconsin's 8th District
Rep. Patrick Kennedy, Rhode Island's 1st District
Rep. Dale Kildee, Michigan's 5th District
Rep. Mark Steven Kirk, Illinois' 10th District
Rep. Ron Klein, Florida's 22nd District
Rep. John Lewis, Georgia's 5th District
Rep. Dan Lipinski, Illinois' 3rd District
Rep. David Loebsack, Iowa's 2nd District
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, California's 16th District
Rep. Ed Markey, Massachusetts' 7th District
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, New York's 4th District
Rep. Betty McCollum, Minnesota's 4th District
Rep. Jim McGovern, Massachusetts' 3rd District
Rep. Mike McIntyre, North Carolina's 7th District
Rep. Harry Mitchell, Arizona's 5th District
Rep. Dennis Moore, Kansas' 3rd District
Rep. Jim Moran, Virginia's 8th District
Rep. John Olver, Massachusetts' 1st District
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., New Jersey's 6th District
Rep. Tim Ryan, Ohio's 17th District
Rep. John Sarbanes, Maryland's 3rd District
Rep. Allyson Schwartz, Pennsylvania's 13th District
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, New Hampshire's 1st District
Rep. Hilda Solis, California's 32nd District
Rep. Betty Sutton, Ohio's 13th District
Rep. Edolphus "Ed" Towns, New York's 10th District
Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Maryland's 8th District
Rep. Lynn Woolsey, California's 6th District
Rep. David Wu, Oregon's 1st District
Resources to help you promote green schools.