Green School Policy and Civic Action

School buildings represent the largest construction sector in the United States — $80 billion in 2006-2008.  According to the 2006 "Greening America's Schools: Costs and Benefits," it costs on average less than 2%, or about $3 per square foot more, to build a green versus traditional school, and payback often occurs within a few years due to energy savings. These savings offer not only environmental benefits, such as 585,000 lbs. of CO2 reduction, but can offer enough financial rewards to hire two additional teachers, full time. Our goal is to secure passage of legislative or appropriations measures that encourage green school construction or renovation projects, including: designs and materials that promote energy and water efficiency, improve indoor air quality, maximize the use of natural lighting, use recycled and non-toxic substances, and feature acoustics that produce a better learning environment.

Using our successful Cincinnati model, EDN will work with at least 30 school districts, their teachers, and students to green upcoming school bond initiatives.  In addition, EDN will engage select states to create legislative initiatives, like California’s High Performance Incentive Grants, to provide grants to schools for more energy and recourse efficient classrooms. EDN will also work with Congress to develop various legislative efforts to support green school construction.  For example, the creation of school construction community block grants that will reduce the burden on school districts for the per foot costs of green construction. 

Green School Symposiums

EDN’s program will reinforce local and national momentum for green schools by hosting a series of symposiums – locally based discussions and education sessions for key community stakeholders on the benefits of green schools – in ten major cities nationwide in partnership with USGBC. 

These locally based discussions and education sessions will educate and bring together key community stakeholders on the benefits of green schools.  The symposiums will take place between January and April 2008. Through this effort, we will seek to influence local, state and national policies, foster community dialogue, and inspire action to green America’s schools.

In January, we will kickoff the symposium series by organizing a national forum on green schools in Washington, DC. This event will be broadcast live to K-12 classrooms across the U.S. and aired on Earth Day’s Internet TV channel. A panel of “green experts” will address a live studio audience of local teachers and students. Those tuning in live will have the opportunity to interact with the panel by submitting questions electronically. The remaining nine symposiums will occur in the months leading up to Earth Day 2008. Our Symposiums will build momentum to both green 30 schools nationwide for Earth Day 2008, as well as foster national and local policy change for green school legislation.  For example, EDN - sponsored teachers and students during the ‘05-‘06 school year in Cincinnati, OH scored an impressive victory, being credited with convincing the Cincinnati School Board to adopt green building standards for a one billion dollar school refurbishment bond.