Zero energy schools have experienced exponential growth across the United States, leading a “net-zero” building boom. And they are going up in every sort of school district – urban and rural, affluent and lower income, blue state and red state. On average, zero energy schools can use between 65%–80% less energy than conventionally constructed schools, a significant contribution as the national K-12 sector alone spends $6 billion annually on energy bills.
There are now over 5,000 schools across the country with solar installations. These schools are saving money on electric bills, educating students about clean energy, and ensuring a brighter future for the next generation. And overall, solar projects at schools could deliver benefits valued at 4 billion.
And green schools have a lasting impact: research has found that children attending sustainably designed schools have significantly more pro-environment attitudes and behaviors.
NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Lisette Camilo and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) announced the planned installation of up to 16 megawatts of solar energy on the rooftops of 46 New…
The first time Drew Dumsch saw River Bend Farm, he knew it would be the perfect home for The Ecology School. Nestled along the Saco River in a rural corner of the city, the 105-acre…
Pomerleau recently announced it has been awarded a design-bridge-build contract for the construction of a new residence hall at the University of Toronto Scarborough.
The U.K. is home to some of the world’s oldest — and most prestigious — universities. And while these may be centers of excellence for learning, many institutions’ buildings were built centuries ago and are…
Seven schools in the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools District have achieved Michigan Green School status this year, an honor that recognizes their efforts promoting eco-friendly habits and good stewardship of the environment. The designation is…
Twelve public schools from across Anne Arundel County recently earned Green School certifications from the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE). The schools are recognized for their exemplary work in environmental education, sustainability…
Make green living a part of everyday school life by considering the environment in everything you do. From energy efficiency to recycling, here are our top 10 tips to make your school more eco friendly…
At the Green Free School in Copenhagen, students learn how to read and write and they study math and science. But the curriculum centers on sustainability. Students are taught how to garden and grow their…
Awareness on food waste generated at schools is low. Although pedagogical lunches are accepted, little is done to reduce food waste at school canteens.
The landscape of Ørestad, a fairly recent development of office buildings, educational facilities, and housing on the southern outskirts of Copenhagen, next to hauntingly beautiful marshlands, is an odd array of wide-open spaces—often without a…
Colognola ai Colli, half an hour east of Verona, Italy, is a quiet, conservative-minded industrial and farming village of 8,700. So, when architect Claudio Lucchin presented his design for a new primary school here that…
You don’t necessarily expect the design of an American public school to be bold and energetic: perfunctory modern masonry boxes—usually one or two stories—seem to be a national default solution for this building type. Schools…
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NOAA’s Climate Program Office today launched a newly redesigned version of Climate.gov, NOAA’s award-winning, flagship website that provides the public with clear, timely, and science-based information about climate. The redesign expands the site’s already significant…
Growth in careers within environmental and sustainability fields is expected to trend upward for the foreseeable future. This webinar will feature two school districts that are giving students opportunities to hone these skills.
The Alliance connects more than 13,000 sustainability champions across 9,000+ schools, districts, and organizations from 48 U.S. states and 91 countries.
A green school is about more than curriculum, more than programming and more than bricks and mortar. It’s a school that supports global sustainability in every way. A green school begins with the future in…
Districts face the task of building and remodeling old schools. Every other facet of American life has changed over the last 20 years, and this task is no exception. Forward-thinking communities are taking a hard…
t’sIt’s not every day the president of a major university stands before an auditorium packed to the walls with dignitaries and journalists, raises his arms like an inspired evangelist, points toward the restrooms, and extolls…
Here are some of our favorite ideas for building schools that don’t just protect the environment today, but lay the foundation for the next generation as well.
The science of ecology provides us with a marvelous framework for understanding sustainable school facilities. Just as ecosystems in nature are sustained by the biodiversity within them, high performing schools support a diversity of learning…
