Event - New England Independent Schools Sustainability Conference: GSAx Northeast

GSAx Northeast will take place on April 15, 2013, between 9am and 3pm, in Windsor, Connecticut. This event is Hosted by Loomis Chaffee and Co-Sponsored by Suffield Academy and the Green Schools Alliance. Educators and students will be present at this conference which focuses on what really works in independent schools. Participants can attend workshops and meet vendors providing innovative, energy-saving solutions.

GSAx Regional Conferences, Training Workshops and Resource Fairs, co-sponsored and hosted by a GSA School, bring schools together with experts, businesses and non-profit organizations to share knowledge and grow the movement.

Featured Speakers

Opening Keynote: Sajed Kamal, EdD
Author, Renewable Revolution

With over 30 years experience in the renewable energy field, Sajed Kamal has set up projects in the US, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Armenia and El Salvador. Award-winning poet, artist and educational consultant, Kamal is the recipient of the US EPA's "Lifetime Achievement Award" for the New England Region. Bill McKibben writes: "Kamal reminds us... that we must make the transition toward renewable energy as soon as is humanly possible... Even more powerfully, though, he reminds us how possible that transition is." Author of several books, Kamal lectures and consults internationally.

Closing Remarks: Dave Chameides
Chasing Sustainability

Dave Chameides, AKA "Sustainable Dave," kept all of his trash and recycling for an entire year in his basement to better understand his waste footprint; in the process, was able to cut his yearly trash output to a mere 30 pounds and live to tell the tale. His story became an international sensation.

Chameides is the Director of Sustainability at the Shalhevet School in Los Angeles. He continues to teach Chasing Sustainability, the environmental seminar he created 3 years ago, to schools, businesses and other groups. 

For more information or to register, click here.

Related Articles
The Future of Green School Buildings
The Future of Green Building is Called Sustainability Base
USGBC's Green School Building Resources
Environmental Revolution: Building and Operations
The Extraordinary Growth of Green Building
Green Building Environmental Benefits
Green Buildings Combat Climate
Green Buildings Health and Performance Benefits Part 1
Green Buildings Health and Performance Benefits Part 2
Green Building Economic BenefitsGreen Building Social Benefits
Green The Many Benefits of Natural Lighting
Green Buildings: The Many Benefits of Ventilation
Green Schools Serve our Collective Best Interest  
Benefits of Green Roofs
The Academic Superiority of Green Schools
A Green School is a High Performance School
Green School Buildings Offer Many Benefits
The Campus Green Builder Online Portal
The Federal Government's Green Ribbon Schools
The Basic Elements of a Green College
Green Campus Student Resources

Read More»

Sustainable Learning Online: UNESCO's Young Masters Programme

In 2011 UNESCO inaugurated a global online education programme for 16–18 year-old students to learn about sustainability issues and solutions. The Young Masters Programme (YMP) is a free global web-based education and learning network about sustainable development. The programme is open for secondary students and their teachers from all over the world.

Extensive on-line teaching material gives the students a thorough understanding of sustainability issues and preventive environmental strategies. The students can also put their knowledge into practical use by starting sustainability projects in their local community.

The course material is in English with built-in glossaries and narrations. Close cooperation with scholars at Lund University, in Sweden, ensures that the content is up to date and in line with recent scientific findings. Challenging assignments inspire students and enhance their interest in the studies.

YMP was first initiated by the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), at Lund University in 1999 and has since catered to more than 20 000 students from over 110 countries.

The internet is not only used to distribute the course, but to create virtual classrooms where teachers and students from all corners of the world are brought together to compare and discuss their results, share experiences and knowledge, and to receive and give feedback on their assignments. In the on-line community, students learn from each other by sharing first-hand information with their peers in different countries. They also gain an understanding of common sustainability challenges and different local perspectives and solutions. Together, students and teachers learn in a interactive way that textbooks do not allow.

Examples of past YMP work includes a group of students from China’s Gezhi High School who have found a way to harness the energy generated by exercise equipment in parks and residential areas. The group used a generator that can save the energy in a battery pack which can then be used to power LED lights. According to UNESCO, the clean energy produced entails an estimated reduction of carbon dioxide by 66 kg per year for each piece of exercise equipment.

To register of for more information click here.

Related Articles
The Green Market Oracle's Green School Series 2012
The Green Market Oracle Green School Series 2011
The Green Market Oracle Green School Series 2010
Searchable Environmental Education Resources
Green Memes and Schools
Green School Census
Sierra's 2011 List of Cool Green Schools Points West
The Princeton Review's 2012 Top Green Schools Honor Role
Fiske's Top 10 Colleges for Environmental Education
Top Ten Green Masters Degree Programs 
Top Five Green Master Degree Programs
Online Green MBA Programs
US Green MBA Program Directory
World's Best Green MBA Programs
15 Institutions Offering 50 Green Certification Programs
Find Sustainable Education at GreenDegreeDirectory
CareerOneStop’s Environmental Education Finder
On-Line Sustainability Training Opportunities from the SLC
The Sustainability Education Series from Green Education Online
Green Education Online Training
Green Training Modules From Green Education Online

Read More»

Da Vinci Arts Middle School in Portland

The da Vinci Arts Middle School in Portland Oregon has the first and only LEED-platinum and net zero energy use classroom in America. LEED-plantinum is the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest rating for energy efficiency. A zero energy building (ZEB) or net zero energy building is a general term applied to buildings with zero net energy consumption and zero annual carbon emissions.

The 1,500-square foot music classroom and studio was constructed from plans developed by architecture firm SRG Partnership and the University of Oregon’s Energy Studies in Buildings Lab. The school's features include a passive temperature control system and solar roof tiles. These and other green features yield an efficiency improvement of 70 percent over Oregon building code requirements.

Gutters capture rain for landscape irrigation and use as greywater inside the building. The school's experimental natural lighting system called “the Halo” provides adequate light, even with overcast skies, making additional light sources entirely unnecessary during the day. The sun’s rays pass through a diffuser which spreads the light evenly throughout the room. After dark, by amplifying and dispersing small amounts of electric light, the diffuser requires only half the energy normally required by traditional classroom lighting.

The da Vinci school teaches sustainability by example and it seems to be infectious. Even in their extra-curricular activities, students at the school show their loyalty to green. A project by da Vinci's after school class, Community Evolution / Garden Revolution, built a greenhouse for the residents of Dignity Village. See their blog for details.

The da Vinci addition is only the beginning, every public school building in Portland will be subject to rebuilding or remodeling over the next 20 years. An assessment of the performance of the various green featurs of the da Vinici school will help determine which sustainable features will be integrated into future classrooms.
___________________________________

Related Posts
Green School Census
Green Buildings Combat Climate Change
Green School Rejuvenates Dying Town
Green Memes and Schools
NYC Public School's Green Initiatives
LAUSD Green School Building Initiatives
West Michigan's Green Academic Offerings
New York's Leed Certified Universities
Green Building Environmental Benefits
Green Building Economic Benefits
Green Building Social Benefits
Green School Buildings Health and Performance Benefits Part 1
Green School Buildings Health and Performance Benefits Part 2
The Implications of the Growth of Green Buildings
Top 10 Green Building Trends for 2010
Green School Buildings: The Many Benefits of Natural Lighting
Green School Buildings: The Many Benefits of Ventilation
The Future of Green School Buildings
CleanEdison Building and Design Courses
The Green Building Focus Conference and Expo
China Turns to International Community to Learn about Green Buildings
Environmental Revolution: Building and Operations
Green Stimulus Part 2: Basic Elements
Oakland's Green Jobs and Energy Initiatives

Read More»

The Future of Green School Buildings

The greening of schools is leading the green building trend. With large numbers of public schools deteriorating, boards across the US are taking a serious look at new green schools and retrofits that save energy as well as improve learning.

In the US, Federal incentives are already helping boards to green their schools. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s fiscal stabilization fund, $48.6 billion was awarded to the US Department of Education. The construction, renovation and repair of green school buildings qualify for these government funds.

In the future all levels of government as well as new building codes will contribute to even greener schools. The next generation of green schools can be expected to do an even better job of controlling temperature, air, light and noise.

Each classroom will have independent climate controls and the ability to independently deliver fresh-air. Part of delivering fresh air, involves the ability to open high and low windows that can quickly refresh a room without drafts. Green schools will also manage solar overheating with awnings and shades that do not eliminate light or obscure the view.

The next generation of green schools will also do a better job of managing traffic noise, room reverberation, and noise transmission between rooms.

New green schools will be designed with materials that are easy to clean. This is important because the cleanliness of surfaces directly contributes to indoor air quality. Materials used in desk and contact surfaces must be easily disinfected to help prevent the transmission of infectious diseases.

As early adopters of new innovations green schools will continue to improve their environmental, health and performance benefits.
___________________________________

Related Posts
The Green Market's Green School Series 2011
The Green Market's Green Schools Series 2010
Green School Census
Green Buildings Combat Climate Change
Green School Buildings Health and Performance Benefits Part 1
Green School Buildings Health and Performance Benefits Part 2
The Implications of the Growth of Green Buildings
Top 10 Green Building Trends for 2010
Green School Buildings: The Many Benefits of Natural Lighting
Green School Buildings: The Many Benefits of Ventilation
New York's Leed Certified Universities
LAUSD Green School Building Initiatives
Da Vinci Arts Middle School in Portland
Green School Rejuvenates Dying Town
Green Building Environmental Benefits
Green Building Economic Benefits
Green Building Social Benefits
China Turns to International Community to Learn about Green Buildings
CleanEdison Building and Design Courses
The Green Building Focus Conference and Expo
Environmental Revolution: Building and Operations
Green Stimulus Part 2: Basic Elements
Oakland's Green Jobs and Energy Initiatives

Read More»

Green School Buildings: The Many Benefits of Ventilation

The kind of ventilation we see in green schools, promotes wellness and supports a healthy learning environment.

Poor ventilation is often behind sick building syndrome, which is known to cause symptoms including eye, nose, and throat irritations; headaches; fatigue; difficulty breathing; itching; and dry, irritated skin.

The primary purpose of a building’s heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system is to provide comfort for the occupants by meeting thermal requirements and diluting contaminants. HVAC systems accomplish this through the conditioning of outside air coming into occupied spaces and the removal of irritants and pollutants.

Green school guidelines typically address HVAC systems as they relate to energy efficiency, indoor air quality (ventilation), moisture control, filter efficiencies and maintenance, and the elimination of CFC-based refrigerants.

In a comprehensive review of the literature related to indoor air quality, ventilation, and health symptoms in schools, Daisey et al. (2003) found that a significant proportion of classrooms did not meet the minimum ventilation standards. A variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and bioaerosols (primarily molds and fungi, dust mites, and animal antigens) could be found in school environments.

Reducing indoor pollutants, providing adequate quantities of outside air, and ensuring that the ventilation system is properly maintained have all been linked to reducing absenteeism, improving teacher productivity and student learning. In a 2006 study of 54 elementary schools, researchers identified a 14.4 percent improvement in standardized math test scores in classrooms with a ventilation rate that was double the norm.

Through moisture management, pollutant source control and adequate ventilation rates, green schools have cleaner air and thus a healthier environment more conducive to learning.
___________________________________

Related Posts
Green School Census
Green Buildings Combat Climate Change
Green School Buildings: The Many Benefits of Natural Lighting
Green School Buildings Health and Performance Benefits Part 1
Green School Buildings Health and Performance Benefits Part 2
The Implications of the Growth of Green Buildings
Top 10 Green Building Trends for 2010
New York's Leed Certified Universities
LAUSD Green School Building Initiatives
Da Vinci Arts Middle School in Portland
The Future of Green School Buildings
Green School Rejuvenates Dying Town
Green Building Environmental Benefits
Green Building Economic Benefits
Green Building Social Benefits
China Turns to International Community to Learn about Green Buildings
CleanEdison Building and Design Courses
The Green Building Focus Conference and Expo
Environmental Revolution: Building and Operations
Green Stimulus Part 2: Basic Elements
Oakland's Green Jobs and Energy Initiatives

Read More»

Green School Buildings: The Many Benefits of Natural Lighting

The use of natural light in green schools benefits students, teachers and administrators. By reducing energy requirements, natural light also offers an environmentally friendly means of bettering the bottom line.

The sun provides higher light levels than traditional lighting while reducing energy costs. Natural light affords excellent illumination of educational materials and this appears to improve test scores. A well known school-building study, completed by the Heschong Mahone Group, identifies test scores 7-26 percent higher for schoolchildren in classrooms with plentiful natural light than for those in classrooms with little or no daylight.

A study from Alberta Education, titled A Study into the Effects of Light on Children of Elementary School Age indicates that natural light does have a positive effect on health and on rates of achievement. Children in classrooms with a natural spectrum of light including trace amounts of UV radiation had 1.75 fewer cavities than children in schools with traditional lighting. Children exposed to high pressure sodium vapor lighting were absent 3.2 days per year more than students in classrooms with full spectrum light.

The Alberta Education study also linked scholastic achievement to natural lighting. Students exposed to high-pressure sodium vapor lighting demonstrated the poorest rate of academic achievement.

A Sacramento California study titled, Light Helps Pupils Learn, is one of the largest ever done on natural light in schools and it suggests children learn faster and do better on standardized tests in classrooms with more daylight. Learning rates were 26 percent higher in reading and 20 percent higher in math in rooms with more daylight.

Windows let in light and when opened they provide natural ventilation. Windows also provide visual access to the outdoors, from morning to night and season to season, this is important to our circadian rhythms and our sleep cycles.

Ideally natural light in a green school lets in light without glare, while preventing overheating and excessive UVs.

Cost efficiency, energy reductions, improved scholastic performance and health benefits make natural lighting a logical choice.

Related
Green School Buildings: The Many Benefits of Ventilation
Green School Census
Green Buildings Combat Climate Change
Green School Buildings Health and Performance Benefits Part 1
Green School Buildings Health and Performance Benefits Part 2
The Implications of the Growth of Green Buildings
Top 10 Green Building Trends for 2010
New York's Leed Certified Universities
LAUSD Green School Building Initiatives
Da Vinci Arts Middle School in Portland
The Future of Green School Buildings
Green School Rejuvenates Dying Town
Green Building Environmental Benefits
Green Building Economic Benefits
Green Building Social Benefits
China Turns to International Community to Learn about Green Buildings
CleanEdison Building and Design Courses
The Green Building Focus Conference and Expo
Environmental Revolution: Building and Operations
Green Stimulus Part 2: Basic Elements
Oakland's Green Jobs and Energy Initiatives

Read More»