May 2011

Director's Corner: As the School Year Comes to a Close, the Center for Green Schools is Just Getting Started

Rachel Gutter, Director of the Center for Green Schools at USGBC

Rachel Gutter speaking to  students and education leaders about the Center for Green Schools.

When we launched the Center for Green Schools at USGBC last fall, we could only have hoped for the level of support, excitement and momentum we've seen toward the green schools movement. But here we are – as the school year closes and spring graduations commence across the country – bringing together the people who make the case, the people who make the decisions and the people who get things done when it comes to greening our schools. Teachers, parents, faculty, students and policy makers along with builders, architects, facilities managers, and funders have reached out in support of our shared vision to achieve green schools for everyone within this generation.

Since the inception of the Center, we've made tremendous progress toward establishing USGBC as a preeminent convener of green schools dialogue. Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of USGBC, along with myself and the Center for Green Schools team have collectively reached thousands of people through in-person speaking engagements about green schools – including one some 7,000 miles away where Rick, alongside Sandy Diehl, vice president of Integrated Building Solutions for the Center's first Founding Sponsor, United Technologies Corporation, recently called on Chinese developers to build green schools.

I encourage you to take a look at our new website and blog atcenterforgreenschools.org, where you will find the latest news and information on the work the Center and our partners are doing. You can also find resources and tools to help you advocate and achieve green schools in your communities – whether you are a parent looking to improve your child's school, a college student pursuing a career in green building or an architect navigating the LEED® Green Building Rating System for the first time. Moving forward, you can expect more frequent updates from the Center, your ally for greening our nation's schools and campuses.

Read more from Rachel »

Green Ribbon Schools

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley announced the creation of a Green Ribbon Schools program on April 26th. 


Read more about the Green Ribbon Schools program »

USGBC announces The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition

The Princeton Review and USGBC teamed up once again to come out with the second annual edition of the unique, free guidebook saluting the nation's most environmentally responsible green colleges.

The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition profiles 308 institutions of higher education in the United States and three in Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. The 220-page book is the only free, comprehensive, annually updated guide to green colleges.

Read more about the guide »

Chapter Spotlight

Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC)

The city of Philadelphia may be home to some of America's oldest traditions, but when it comes to managing its public school facilities, the city is leading the nation with new ideas for green building. The School District of Philadelphia is the eighth largest in the country and is moving quickly along a path of sustainability with help from volunteers from the local Philadelphia-based USGBC Chapter, Delaware Valley Green Building Council's (DVGBC) Green Schools Circle.
Read more »

Apply Now

USGBC Classroom to Boardroom Diversity Mentorship Program
Established by the USGBC Board of Directors to provide executive level mentoring for undergraduate students interested in pursuing fields related to sustainability.
Applications due Wednesday, May 18

USGBC Students National Chair
USGBC Students seeks to train 10 National Chairs to assist USGBC National in its charge to advance campus sustainability and green building goals through student engagement. Primary responsibilities of this volunteer position will include the recruitment, training and facilitation of the activities of USGBC Students Regional Chairs and new student groups. The deadline to express interest in the program is Friday, May 20.

Research to Practice Program
Engages interdisciplinary collegiate teams in investigative green building research that will aggregate in-depth analyses of the built environment to inform and educate peer institutions. The Call for Interest closes Thursday, June 30 with research taking place in the fall of 2011.

Get Involved

Help us bring green schools to everyone withinthis generation. Learn more

New Resources

K-12 Resources
Local Leaders in Sustainability: Special Report from Sundance
Outlines a five-point action plan for the greening of America's schools

Sustainability Education Clearinghouse
A free online tool that provides K-12 teachers with the ability to upload and share sustainability focused lessons with one another.

Higher Ed Resources
Roadmap to a Green Campus
Provides strategies for using LEED as a framework for developing and evolving campus-wide sustainability plans.

Hands-On LEED: Guiding College Student Engagement
Explains how students can be involved in green campus projects and contribute to LEED certification efforts.

Founding Sponsor

UTC provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to customers in the aerospace and building industries world