Posted: October 5, 2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 5, 2007) – 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 U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) chapters nationwide were in Washington, D.C., last week to receive training to go back to their communities and organize green school committees. Local Chapter “Green Schools Advocacy Committees” will work with decision-makers, parents, teachers and others who are passionate about giving our children the healthiest, safest places to learn and grow – all while saving school districts money, contributing toward mitigating climate change and improving our environment.
“The local USGBC chapters are a critical component in the Council’s vision of green schools for every child within a generation,” said Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC’s President, CEO, and Founding Chair. “There are now chapter members from across America who are engaging in local outreach and education.”
A 2006 study sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers, the American Institute of Architects, the American Lung Association, the Federation of American Scientists and USGBC found that building green would save an average school $100,000 each year in energy costs along – enough to hire two new additional full-time teacher, purchase 5,000 new textbooks, or buy 500 new computers.
Green schools have a superior indoor environment, with clean, fresh air, free of dangerous chemicals from everyday products like carpets, paints and cleaning materials. They make use of as much natural daylight as possible, maximizing students’ ability to concentrate and stay physically and emotionally healthy while at the same time dramatically reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. On average, green schools use 33% less energy and 32% less water than conventional schools, which would bring the U.S. closer to reducing reliance on imported energy.
Green schools’ better lighting, temperature control, ventilation and indoor air quality 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. And green schools improve teacher retention.
The new Green School Advocates left Washington this week equipped with the knowledge and information they need to spread the word about green schools. They are more familiar with the USGBC’s LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Schools green rating system, which provides green-building guidelines and offers third-party verification to ensure schools’ stakeholders that their buildings incorporate the best in science, design and technology to make their schools truly green.
USGBC chapters exist in every region in the U.S.; to get involved in promoting green schools in your area, visit www.usgbc.org/chapters to find the chapter nearest you.
About USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation's leading non profit composed of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations working together to transform the way buildings are designed, built and operated. Green buildings are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Since its founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 11,000 member companies and organizations, a broad portfolio of LEED® green building products and services, the industry's popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo and a network of over 70 local chapters, affiliates and organizing groups.
About LEED for Schools
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Schools green rating system provides green-building guidelines and offers third-party verification to ensure schools’ stakeholders that their buildings incorporate the best in science, design and technology to make their schools truly green. The LEED for Schools rating system was launched by the U.S. Green Building Council in spring 2007 and has currently LEED certified 60 schools as green. Additionally, there are over 350 school buildings that are in the LEED certification process and plan to certify upon completion of construction.