Teaching Green, Learning Green, Living Green

Sustainability, green, high-performance… different words, similar meaning. In the '60s it was about the environment. In the '70s it was about gasoline shortages and energy efficiency. Today’s green building movement grew out of the need and desire for both — energy efficiency and environmental protection. Ten years ago many thought that the green buildings movement would be a passing phase. History will show that it is not. This is one movement that has the buy-in of all age groups, from the flower children of the '60s to the young children of today. We have the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment, the USGBCs Center for Green Schools, the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), and many other organizations leading the way.

A great deal of effort is going into educating people on the importance and benefits of green and the message is not going unheard. On many college campuses the green movement is student-driven. In K–12 schools new buildings are being constructed as teaching tools, informing students about energy and the environment.

The message is even reaching children who are not even old enough to go to school, through TV programming. Last year the Disney Channel launched their Friends for Change: Project Green program. The aim of their program is to empower children to take charge when it comes to the environment, whether it's their own piece of the planet or a big-picture approach. In 12 months, young children have made nearly 2,000,000 personal promises to change their daily routines, from unplugging electrical devices when not in use to taking shorter showers. With nearly 2,000,000 promises, kids have pledged to cut 70,000 tons of carbon emissions annually, reduce/recycle 2.4M lbs. of trash annually, and save 120M gal. of water per month. With programs like this we are ensuring that the green movement will continue to grow.

Going green remains a relatively new concept for most. To do our part, we have included a special section in this issue of the magazine that showcases good ideas in planning and design. If you turn to page 55, you will find the winners of our 2010 Sustainability & Innovation Awards. The objective… to recognize innovation, share best practice, provide schools and colleges with access to inspirational ideas in green design, and make our educational facilities better places to teach and to learn.


Featured

  • University of Kentucky Integrates New Cleaning Technology

    The University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., recently installed a new cleaning system designed to improve cooling efficiency on campus, according to a news release. The Facilities Management’s Utilities and Energy Management Unit installed new chiller tubes into two of the chillers at the university’s Central Utility Plant.

  • Agualta STEAM Engine

    Outdoor Learning Spaces and Biophilic Design Create Community in East Los Angeles

    Griffith STEAM Magnet Middle School's Agualta STEAM Engine blends education, community, and nature through its adaptable design.

  • Key Considerations for Office-to-Higher-Education Facility Conversions

    Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, office-to-alternative-use conversions have become a recurring subject of urban development discourse. Office utilization rates across major U.S. cities remain below 50%, with vacancy rates exceeding 27% in San Francisco and 16% in New York. Higher education facilities present programmatic and spatial use cases that align readily with the typical characteristics of commercial office buildings.

  • Singlewire Software Report Reveals Gaps in K–12 School Entrance Security

    Single Software recently released its first-ever School Entrance Security Report based on more than 500 responses from U.S. school staff members. According to a news release, the findings highlight a gap between K–12 leaders’ wishes for school safety and how safe the schools actually are, as well as the challenges facing students and staff in that goal.

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