Resources:

Websites

U.S. Green Building Council's Build Green School: USGBC is committed to bringing green buildings to students of all ages, from early childhood and elementary schools to college and university campuses.

Green Schools Alliance: The Green Schools Alliance is a nationwide initiative that is committed to working with pre-K to grade 12 independent, private and public school communities to implement energy and resource efficiency through the lens of sustainability.

U.S. Green Schools Foundation: A nonprofit corporation dedicated to the implementation of environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient systems and practices in K-12 schools.

Collaborative for High Performance Schools: An alternative to LEED for Schools, CHPS offers downloadable best practices manuals and other resources.

The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education: The mission of the Cloud Institute is to ensure the viability of sustainable communities by leveraging changes in K-12 school systems to prepare young people for the shift toward a sustainable future. It creates educational materials that inspire young people to think about the world, their relationship to it, and their ability to influence it in an entirely new way.

Alliance to Save Energy’s Green Schools Program: A project of a nonprofit coalition whose goal is to reduce energy usage in schools through behavioral, operational and maintenance changes by engaging students in hands-on projects.

National Clearinghouse for Education Facilities: NCEF provides links to reports, books and articles examining the association between student achievement and the physical environment of green schools.

Better Places to Learn: Pennsylvania's Governor's Green Government Council (GGGC) focuses on high-performance green schools. The site has links to additional resources related to curriculums and funding for green schools.

EnergySmart Schools: A U.S. Department of Energy resource that provides tips for planning, financing, designing, building, operating and maintaining an EnergySmart school.

Green Schools Checklist: The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency created this checklist that offers tips and resources for schools interested in becoming green.

Handouts

K-12 Local Case Studies:
Green design for new construction and renovations in local schools.
- Carriage House Children's Center
- J.S. Wilson Middle School Renovation
- Clearview Elementary School
- Felician Sisters Convent and High School
- A.L. Wilson Elementary School
- Shady Side Academy: Rowe Hall Renovation

Learning Culture & Green Teams:
Six local examples of green teaching strategies and projects.
- Clarion-Limestone High School
- Collegiate Academy High School
- Booker T. Washington Center
- The Environmental School at Frick Park
- Claysville Elementary 5th Grade Students
- Propel East 6th Grade Students

The Vision: Green Schools Within a Generation + Resource Page:
Making the case for green schools and a list of resources for more information.

Discover the CCI Center:
Take an educational tour of the CCI Center.
-Tour the LEED Gold-rated building selected as one of the American Institute of Architecture's Top Ten Buildings in 1999
-See how building systems function and how occupant education can influence overall energy and resource consumption patterns
- Learn how green roofs can help cool the city, clean the air, build habitats and manage stormwater runoff
-Participate in hands-on energy demonstrations throughout the building
- Learn about solar panels and other renewables that provide power without adding to global climate change or pollution

Rating Systems

LEED for Schools Rating System recognizes the unique nature of the design and construction of K-12 schools. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED for Schools is the recognized benchmark for green schools.

LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance Rating System helps existing schools measure operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts.

Energy Star Portfolio Manager is an interactive energy management tool that allows users to track and assess energy and water consumption, verify efficiency improvements and receive Environmental Protection Agency recognition for superior performance.

Making the Case:

Statistics

• one to two schools per day register for LEED for Schools
• Pennsylvania has 11 LEED certified and 92 LEED registered schools
  
• ten states and the District of Columbia make green schools a requirement
• Ohio legislation requires all new public schools to achieve LEED Silver certification: www.osfc.state.oh.us/Library/GreenSchools/tabid/137/Default.aspx

News

BIM School, Green School: California's Newest High-performance School
Building Design & Construction, June 1, 2009

Green Schools at the Top of the Agenda for U.S. Communities
One school a day registers for the LEED certification program for green schools.

Eco-friendly Schools Offer Students Fresh Lessons
USA Today, October 20, 2008

Spring Mills Elementary to be West Virginia's First Green Public School
The Herald Mail, September 30, 2008

Costs, Concerns Push Schools to Use Eco-friendly Elements
USA Today, September 30, 2008

School District Goes Green
We Are Central PA, August 14, 2008

Solar Energy Projects to Help Power Three Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools, July 17, 2008

Reports

Greening America's Schools: A Cost-Benefit study
by Gregory Katz, Capital E

A Student Perspective on Greening Schools
by Michael Alexander Kats-Rubin

Building Minds, Minding Buildings: Our Union's Roadmap to Green and Sustainable Schools
by the American Federation of Teachers

Daylighting in Schools: An Investigation into the Relationship Between Daylighting and Human Performance
by Heschong Mahone Group

Energy Performance of Daylit Schools in North Carolina
by Mike Nicklas and Gary Bailey

The Cost of Green Revisted
by Davis Langdon

Videos

Generation G: This short film by Kontent Real highlights the significance of learning in a green school, as told by the students of the Sidwell Friends school.

Lily's School: Lily, a 5th-grader at Montgomery County, Md., Public Schools' Great Seneca Creek Elementary School, talks about attending a LEED Gold school.

Chartwell School: Learn more about the winner of the 2007 California Governor's Economic and Environmental Leadership Award and the first-ever educational campus to attain LEED Platinum certification.

Gannet News Service/ USA Today Report: Schools are going green as a reaction to rising energy costs.

Better Places to Learn: Pennsylvania Green Government Council makes the case for building high performance green schools.

High Performance School Buildings: The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, along with the U.S. Department of Energy's Rebuild America/EnergySmart Schools program present four videos that give an overview of high performance school buildings, the benefits of buildings, and eight steps for designing a high performance school.

National Project Profiles

Project Profile: Clearview Elementary School
LEED Gold; Hanover, PA.

Sidwell Friends Middle School
LEED Platinum; Washington, D.C.

Fossil Ridge High School
LEED Silver; Fort Collins, CO

For a complete list of resources, visit USGBC's Build Green School's Resources