Resources

The Green Schools National Network brings us the Green Schools Catalyst Quarterly (GSCQ), the only peer reviewed, high interest digital magazine that highlights evidence-based practices for replication in green, healthy, sustainable schools. GSCQ explores issues in-depth, including qualitative and quantitative research, and includes columns that report on and explore emergent issues.

Building on the 2016 State of Our Schools report, the Planning for PK-12 Infrastructure Initiative (P4si Initiative) formulated a systems-based plan to address the structural problems of inequitable and inadequate school facilities.

Six national cross-sector working groups organized around basic elements of a well-managed facilities program: Data and Information, Educational Facilities Planning, Management, Funding, Governance and Decision Making, and Accountability, came together for this initiative and developed a menu of solutions to guide school funding and infrastructure at the federal, state and local levels. Published in March 2017, the Adequate & Equitable U.S. PK-12 Infrastructure: Priority Actions for Systemic Reform report presents the working groups’ recommended priority action items, which are intended to build and sustain high-performance public PK-12 facilities for all children.

Adequate & Equitable U.S. PK-12 Infrastructure: Priority Actions for Systemic Reform is a joint publication of the 21st Century School Fund, the National Council on School Facilities, The Center for Cities + Schools and the U.S. Green Building Council.

Download our info sheet to see how LEED certification makes school buildings healthier, more productive places for students and staff.

A how-to guide for planning and conducting in-person Green Classroom Professional workshops

The Green Classroom Professional Certificate program provides pre K-12 educators and school staff with the knowledge to identify what supports or impedes healthy, resource-efficient and environmentally sustainable learning spaces.

The Global Coalition for Green Schools creates a powerful global force for ensuring that every child has the opportunity to learn in a green school within this generation. It seeks to amplify the voices of the many national coalitions around the world who work tirelessly to make their schools healthy, safe and efficient.

In the 2016 State of Our Schools report we compile and analyze the best available school district data about U.S. K–12 public school facilities funding. The report projects that going forward our nation will under-invest in school buildings by $46 billion annually.

Earn continuing education hours by reading this report on [email protected].

The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) recognition award honors schools, districts, and Institutions of Higher Education that are leading the way in the green schools movement. This resources offers an overview of the award and application process, as well as resource recommendations to get started.

Whether you are a parent, teacher, school staff member, student, or community volunteer, you want your school to provide a healthy, welcoming place to learn. This resource offers 12 simple priority actions to help make your school healthy, efficient, comfortable and environmentally responsible.

This paper presents a summary of the state laws, analysis of national survey data, the research results concerning data and opinions on the effectiveness of the laws, and detailed analysis of the similarities and differences of the laws.

Lutz, FL
LEED Platinum

Jacksonville, FL
LEED Gold

Oakland, CA
LEED Platinum

Philadelphia, PA
LEED Certified

Lincolnshire, IL
LEED Gold

Listen to the web training (7 minutes and 30 seconds)
Download the Water Management Companion Guide

This module will help you to begin planning a water management program for your school or school district.

Contributors: Nikolai Kaestner of San Francisco Unified School District and Jeff Haberstroh of Boerne Independent School District

Listen to the web training (7 minutes and 30 seconds)
Download the Green Cleaning Companion Guide

This module will help you to begin planning a green cleaning program for your school or school district.

Contributors: Dianne Jones of Montgomery County Public Schools, Carol Stroup of Hillsboro School District and Nikolai Kaestner of San Francisco Unified School District

View Tools to Green Existing Schools (8 minutes and 30 seconds)

This module identifies and explains free tools to assist in greening schools, including ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, the Green Existing Schools Toolkit, and the LEED certification process.

Contributor: Suzanne Hearther, consultant with Pasco County Schools

Listen to the web training (9 minutes)
Download the Indoor Environmental Quality Companion Guide

This module will help you begin planning a program to promote indoor environmental quality at your school or school district.

Contributors: Brian Kasher of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Tiffany Delcour of the Recovery School District of Louisiana

Listen to the web training (6 minutes)
Download the Groundskeeping Companion Guide

The focus of this training module is to outline a process for developing and implementing an effective green groundskeeping program at your school or school district.

The Campus as a Living Lab: Using the Built Environment to Revitalize College Education was developed in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges’ SEED Center and targets colleges that have greened their campuses, or are thinking about greening their campuses, creating real-world teaching tools for students across an array of academic and technical programs.

The Green Schools Investment Guide for Healthy, Efficient and Inspiring Learning Spaces is a free downloadable resource for K-12 schools and communities that demonstrates how schools can implement healthy and resource-efficient building improvements. The guide is the first product of a joint initiative of Architecture for Humanity and the Center for Green Schools.

Earn continuing education hours by reading this guide on [email protected].

This toolkit offers K-8 teachers a lesson plan, including an interactive case study of Learning Gate Community School, to teach students the importance of conserving water and personal actions they can take in school and at home.