Over the past three years, we’ve been proud to work closely with several federal agencies and more than 80 different NGOs to help develop and support the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools recognition award. There’s widespread agreement in Washington that this collaborative program, which has brought so many different stakeholders together, is an historic milestone program in the green schools movement, and we tip our hats to the U.S. Department of Education for their...

We have a lot to learn when it comes to green schools. We acknowledge, categorize and celebrate schools in the United States that save resources and improve health and learning, yet we know far too little about comparable schools beyond this nation’s borders. At the Center for Green Schools, we’ve worked hard to come to a comprehensive definition of a “green school.” This definition has allowed us to identify schools that are improving the places where our children learn. But what about...

By Cliff Ashburner, Past-Chair, USGBC-Kentucky I was asked to participate in a Pecha Kucha night last month, specifically to talk about green schools and how the Kentucky Chapter is leading this movement. The audience would be diverse and not from the "green building community." The presentation, being in the Pecha Kucha format, would consist of 20 slides on which I could spend 20 seconds each. Without thinking too much, I agreed to talk and began to work on my presentation. Most of the time...

The following is a guest post by Kaia Roman, International Communications Manager, Green School Bali As the inaugural recipient of the USGBC Center for Green School’s ‘Greenest School on Earth’ award in 2012, Green School Bali launched a worldwide scholarship competition today seeking the 'Greenest Student on Earth.' Exceptional young people who are working on environmental projects in their local communities are encouraged to apply. Green School Bali is sponsoring the Greenest Student on Earth...

Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? The legwork has been done. The research has been conducted. The numbers have been crunched. As far as we can tell, it is going to cost the U.S. an investment of nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars to upgrade our nation’s schools just to working order, and nearly half a trillion to bring them into the 21st century. And the cut-to-the-chase part boils down to one simple but undeniably tough question: How can we possibly afford to do that? To which I say: How...

With spring finally in the air, the team at the Center for Green Schools is already getting excited for Green Apple Day of Service 2013! After a great inaugural year, we can’t wait to see an even bigger impact this September 28. Join us for a kick-off webcast on Thursday, April 11 at 6 p.m. EST to learn about what the Center for Green Schools and USGBC are planning for this year’s Day of Service, and how you can get started right away on your own events. We’ll have a series of webcasts all...

This spring, the National Building Museum is debuting the first-ever museum exhibition dedicated to the greening of American schools. Featuring over 40 exemplary projects from new construction to rehabs to modular classrooms, the exhibition surveys the extraordinary breadth of green school design in the United States through sample building materials, photographs, video, and green products. It explores the multiple facets of green schools, from their architectural form and physical systems, to...

National Green Week is a time to make students aware of important sustainability topics and get them excited to do their part to make a difference! What better way to drum up enthusiasm than with a fun and educational contest? This year, there are three contests available at the national level during Green Week, each with their own great prizes and sustainability focus. Visit our website to learn more about the contests or keep reading. Green in Action Awards. Green In Action Awards are granted...

If this news were coming from your doctor, you would be very, very worried. Well the expert doctors for our country’s infrastructure – the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) – have just issued their latest Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. Our grade? An embarrassing D+ assessing 16 critical sectors of American infrastructure – from the places we learn to the roads we drive to the bridges that connect us. It’s a dire analysis. We have neglected, ignored and underinvested in...

They say it is better to give than to receive. Working with the USGBC Chapter network for the last five years, I sometimes feel like it’s about equal. The staff and volunteers of our 77 Chapters give so much to the green building movement, providing their communities with education and resources to advance an ambitious mission. Their Green Schools Committees give their time, expertise and passion to bring healthy, safe and high-performing schools to every student, seldom asking for anything in...

Everywhere I go, I see schools falling apart. On my way to work in D.C., I pass schools with broken windows and crumbling bricks. In the Bronx, I’ve been inside schools where only one out of four bathroom stalls is even remotely usable. In Georgia, I’ve met students and teachers forced to take time away from the classroom to treat headaches and asthma attacks. In my capacity as the director of the Center for Green Schools, I’ve visited schools in more than 27 states. I know that our schools are...

“I remain fully committed to the goal I first stated in July of 2011, that we will make the District of Columbia the healthiest, greenest city in the nation...this is my promise to everyone.” – Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, February 20, 2013 Over the next 20 years, the District of Columbia’s population is expected to grow by 250,000 residents. During that time, we’ll cut our energy use by 50 percent, increase our city’s stock of LEED certified buildings and ensure that 100 percent of our...