This site provides information for all school districts and schools who are considering “greening” their facilities. Resources are provided to help involve your students, staff, and community in helping implement earth friendly ideas. Visit us often for updates on what is happening around the country and links to the many agencies that are involved with implementing sustainable goals.
If you would like to contribute event information, have stories to share, articles of interest in the field of sustainability in school facilities, or any suggestions, please forward to Cheryl Honigsberg.
What's New?
Monday August 11, 2014: Systems Approach to Natural Turf Management – Osborne Organics
Location: Alfalfa’s Market Community Room, 1651 Broadway , Boulder, CO 80302 (Use Corporate entrance on southwest corner of building. Room is at the end of the hall.)
Introductory 3 hour training for school grounds turf managers, sponsored by the City of Boulder
In this workshop, Chip Osborne will discuss the realities of Natural Turf Management. He will present an overview of the basic concepts and protocols of the program and will cover in detail the core practices that one must follow. This is a half-day course. The premise of the course is that a healthy, naturally maintained turf is more resilient, more drought-tolerant, and more resistant to pest infestations than chemically managed turf. We will discuss in detail how to measure, develop, and maintain healthy soil biology, how to maintain proper fertilization levels for optimum growth and plant health, how cultural practices should be altered for organic turf, and how to address specific pest problems without chemical pesticides. There is no charge for this workshop. Click here for the workshop agenda.
If you have questions or need more information, or would like to attend this event, please contact Genevieve Berry.
2014 Green Ribbon Schools Highlights
Save the Date: The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools to tour Colorado’s 2014 Green Ribbon School awardees September 16-17th. Click here for more information.
Mentoring Opportunity: Opportunities to Assist with The Green Ribbon Schools Award Application
Announcing our new Integrated Sustainability Management Certificate Program
We are very excited to announce our new professional certificate program - Integrated Sustainability Management. We know that, in order for sustainability to take root in any organization, sustainability initiatives must be implemented using an integrated approach. Whether you are an aspiring sustainability professional or currently employed to analyze, manage and/or direct your organization’s sustainability initiatives, this certificate program will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement integrated, positive change. Participants can enroll in one or more content ‘badges’ (Organizational Strategy, People & Behavior, Optimizing Built Environments, Natural Resource Management). Successful completion of all four badges earns the Integrated Sustainability Management Certificate. This summer we will offer live, in-class sessions for each badge at the new Powerhouse Energy Institute in Fort Collins, Colorado:
- People & Behavior Change | Thursday July 24 & Thursday, August 14
Jeni Cross, Associate Professor of Sociology, CSU
- Natural Resource Management |Friday July 25 & Friday, August 15
Lisa Rephlo, Slipstream LLC
Energy Star Webinars:
There are none currently scheduled
Simple Steps to Green Your School
Cheryl's Top Picks for August:
Environmental Clubs, Classroom, & More:
#78 - Start or join an environmental club
#79 - Participate in a green school challenge
#80 - Organize a beach or park clean-up day
#81 - Have a Green Team of student monitors in charge of recycling
#82 - Set goals or competitions within classes, grades, or school wide e.g. least waste or most students walking to school, and award prizes
#83 - Set up a fundraising program with proceeds going to a green fund to buy carbon offsets, a compost bin, a solar panel, etc
#84 - Fundraising can include savings from recycling of cans, bottles, setting up a community collection center (for batteries, cell phones and/or printer cartridges), fairs, or bakesales
#85 - Teach a green curriculum in classes: http://www.buildgreenschools.org/resources/green_curriculum.html
#86 - Have a sustainability-themed science fair
#87 - Take field trips to see how renewable energy works in action
#88 - Calculate the cost impacts of sustainable building and operations (how much money does it cost vs. save?)
#89 - Measure your saving results and brag about the school's accomplishments to spread awareness and recognition within the school and community
#90 - Pursue LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification award to acknowledge your school as a green building
#91 - Bring sustainability home to your family
#92 - Bring sustainability into the community
#93 - Participate in CEFPI School of Future Design competition (grades 5-8): http://www.cefpi.org
#94 - Work with local GOODWILL on recycling and reuse of materials for class projects
View All 94 Ways to Green Your School Here
- Updated EPA guidance on PCBs in fluorescent light ballasts (FLBs) for school administrators and maintenance personnel is now available on the EPA website. The revised guidance provides additional detail on the suggested procedures for how to properly identify, handle, and dispose of leaking and non-leaking PCB-containing FLBs. The guidance also provides an updated chart explaining how to identify and handle PCB-containing FLBs, new pictures of FLBs that show a side-by-side comparison of PCB-containing and non-PCB-containing FLBs, an example from HUD on representative sampling (surveying), links to the applicable PCB regulations, and information and links to external resources on the energy cost savings associated with retrofitting PCB-containing FLBPs.
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (EPA, March 2014)
Indoor Air Quality for Schools Newletter (EPA, October 2013)
Additional Resources:
- Green Ribbon Schools - The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) recognition award honors schools and districts that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs, improving the health and wellness of students and staff, and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, which incorporates STEM, civic skills and green career pathways. The recognition award is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education (ED) effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about practices that are proven to result in improved student engagement, higher academic achievement and graduation rates, and workforce preparedness, as well as a government wide goal of increasing energy independence and economic security.
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) - The USGBC's mission is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - The mission of the EPA is to protect human health and the environment. EPA's purpose is to ensure that:
- All Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work
- National efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information
- Federal laws protecting human health and the environment are enforced fairly and effectively
- Environmental protection is an integral consideration in U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy
- All parts of society - communities, individuals, businesses, and state, local and tribal governments - have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks
- Environmental protection contributes to making our communities and ecosystems diverse, sustainable, and economically productive
- The United States plays a leadership role in working with other nations to protect the global environment
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - The Colorado Coalition for School IPM helps maintain a safe and healthy environment for students and staff, and reduces exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. Colorado State University, Colorado Department of Education, Colorado Department of Agriculture, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, school districts, and private pest control applicators all contribute to this program. We support the goal of the IPM Institute of North America to provide a road map for making high-level IPM a reality in all of our nation‘s school systems by 2015.
Why IPM?
- Cost savings: The business case for Integrated Pest Management in schools: cutting costs and increasing benefits
- Health and safety: IPM in schools and homes go hand in hand with asthma management. Common triggers for asthma include mold, pet dander, and cockroach and pest allergens.
- Sustainability: Green building practices yield savings of about $70 per square foot in energy costs and improve student and staff performance. Incorporating IPM into schools is a natural fit contributing to lower costs and higher productivity.
- Did you know that you can ean LEED points just by adopting an IPM policy? Click here to learn more!
Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) - CAEE’s mission is to serve all sectors of the Colorado community by improving the collective effectiveness of environmental education.
Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI)
Established in 1921, CEFPI is a worldwide professional 501 (c)(3) non-profit association whose sole mission is improving the places in which children learn. CEFPI members, individuals, institutions, and corporations are actively involved in planning, designing, building, equipping, and maintaining schools and colleges. The association serves its members through three key strategic areas:
- Advocacy and education of the general public, including policymakers, on the efficacy of school design and student outcomes as well as resources for planning effective educational facilities
- Training and professional development of our members and others through current program, workshops, seminars, and conferences promoting best practices in creative school planning
- Research and dissemination of information regarding the linkage between the educational facility, its design, and student success
- Click here for membership information
Colorado Wildlife Heritage Foundation (CWHF) - CWHF's mission is to ensure a wildlife legacy for Colorado through support of environmental stewardship, conservation of wildlife, and the protection of critical habitats.
Colorado State University Green Initiatives - Colorado State University is recognized globally for its green initiatives, clean energy research, and sustainability efforts.
Bugs of the Month:
This month’s topic is Hummingbird Moths
Previous Topics: How to find pests in your school - Bed Bugs - Pest Problems after Storms in light of the recent Colorado Flooding - Yellowjackets
