GreenNotes
Project Hero: Empowering Student Action in the Classroom
By. Leesa Carter-Jones, Executive Director, Captain Planet Foundation When kids first learn about the idea of endangered species they have an immediate, empathetic response. Hands shoot into the air and they say, “Animals are in danger of dying and going...
LEEDing by Example: Conference Keynote has Passion for Green, Healthy, and Sustainable Schools
Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and Founding Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is not a stranger to the ins and outs and daily challenges faced by schools. His wife, Cathy, a third grade teacher in the Syracuse, NY public schools system, has inspired in him a...
Going Green is Easy with Friends like These
By. Atasha James, Principal of Leckie Elementary School, District of Columbia Public Schools We’re ready to play outside more than ever with warmer air and longer days on the horizon in Washington, D.C. As we spring ahead, the teachers and staff here at Leckie...
Teaching for the Creation of Change Agents: Toward a New Vision
By. Chris Emdin, Associate Professor of Science Education Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology Teachers College, Columbia University Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to visit hundreds of classrooms across the United States. Some...
Extend Your Conference Experience…Attend a Pre-Conference Workshop or Tour!
It’s official! The 2016 Green Schools Conference and Expo is four weeks away. Both the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Schools National Network are working hard to ensure your conference experience is nothing less than the...
The Philadelphia Standard: School District of Philadelphia Adopts First-Ever Sustainability Plan
By. Cyndy Merse, GSNN Content Writer The School District of Philadelphia is a recognized leader in successfully implementing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools model to create healthy indoor environments for its...
Home Team Advantage: Local Catalyst Schools Grow Authentic Environmental Change
By. Mandy Breuer, Principal at Environmental Charter High School, and Joel Tolman, Director of Impact and Engagement at Common Ground “That much plastic?” asks Robin, a 12th grader, after sorting through the catch from a 20-minute trawl at the Port of Los...
Fostering a Culture of Sustainability in Schools: Getting to the “Why”
By. Jenna Cramer, LEED AP, Vice President of Transformation and Community, Green Building Alliance “What is desperately needed [in education] are (1) faculty and administrators who provide role models of integrity, care, and thoughtfulness, and (2) institutions...
A New Dream for Food in Our Schools
By Greg Christian, Beyond Green Sustainable Food Partners, and Karen Dittrich, Creatif Leaf Marketing Let us imagine a school where students enjoy eating meals that are prepared from scratch using fresh ingredients from the school garden and local farms, where...
Previewing the Solution Summits at the 2016 Green Schools Conference and Expo
By. Jenny Wiedower and Anisa Baldwin Metzger, U.S. Green Building Council, Center for Green Schools The Green Schools Conference and Expo, which will be held from March 31 – April 1, 2016, brings together thought leaders and champions of green schools,...