Healthy Schools Campaign Launches Inaugural Green Clean Schools Leadership Summit

Industry Experts Focus on the Future of Green Cleaning in Schools

Healthy Schools Campaign will host the first annual Green Clean Schools Leadership Summit, July 30-31, in Seattle, Wash. The summit is open to school facility managers, green cleaning experts and vendors from across the country interested in making schools healthier places for students and staff to learn and work. The focus of the summit is to envision the future of green cleaning in schools, with presentations from industry leaders who will address the advantages of green cleaning, as well as the common challenges, emerging issues and best practices.

“Through our Green Clean Schools program and our annual Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities we’ve been consistently amazed by new and exciting innovations in the green cleaning field,” said Mark Bishop, Healthy Schools Campaign’s vice president of policy. “The first annual Green Clean Schools Leadership Summit is a much-needed opportunity to bring together leaders from across the country to share their knowledge and experiences, tackle common challenges and take green cleaning in schools to the next level—for children’s health and for the environment.”

Each school day, more than 60 million students and staff attend our nation’s schools, representing 20 percent of the American population. Unfortunately, more than half may be exposed to polluted indoor air within their schools. A comprehensive green cleaning program can help reduce these harmful exposures, while at the same time being a cost-effective and efficient practice for facility managers and workers.

The two-day summit, held at the three-time Green Cleaning Award-winning University of Washington – Seattle, will feature the leading voices in green cleaning, including Steve Ashkin, founder and CEO of Sustainability Dashboard Tools and The Ashkin Group; Rachel Gutter, senior vice president of knowledge at the U.S. Green Building Council and director of the Center for Green Schools; founding members of Healthy Schools Campaign’s Green Clean Schools Leadership Council; and several other past winners of the Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities.

Discussion topics will include emerging issues in green cleaning, workforce management and training, green floor care and infection control, all with an eye toward the future of green cleaning. Summit attendees will also receive a behind-the-scenes look at the University of Washington’s award-winning green cleaning program led by Gene Woodward, Green Clean Schools Leadership Council member and the university’s director of building services.

Registration for the Green Clean Schools Leadership Summit is currently open, but space is limited. To learn more and to register, visit greencleanschools.org/summit.

Featured

  • Longwood University Hits Construction Milestone on New Music Education Facility

    Longwood University in Farmville, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of its new music education and performance facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with development and construction firm Skanska on the 63,800-square-foot facility, which began construction in August 2025 and has an estimated completion date of fall 2028.

  • Washington State University Debuts New Engineering Hall

    Washington State University recently celebrated a dedication ceremony for the new Schweitzer Engineering Hall on its Pullman campus in Pullman, Wash., according to university news. The facility measures 66,288 square feet, and its completion marks the first milestone in a larger university effort to modernize the engineering and design district.

  • Phoenix High School Completes First Phase of Campus Renovations

    Metro Tech High School, part of the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) in Phoenix, Ariz., recently announced the completion of the first stage of a campus renovation project, according to a news release. The school reopened a series of public-facing business operations spaces including credit union, daycare, floral, cosmetology, and culinary services. It also includes new CTE learning spaces for the school’s nursing assistant, pharmacy, and sports medicine programs.

  • Houston-Area High School Receives Best Project Award from ENR

    Tomball West High School near Houston, Texas, recently received a K–12 Education Best Project Award in Engineering News-Record’s 2026 Texas & Southeast Best Projects Awards, according to a press release. The new facility was completed in May and opened its doors to students for the fall 2026 semester.