In Letter to States Education Executives, Eneref Institute Implores Schools to Include Interior Daylight in Classroom Lighting

Philadelphia – As part of the Eneref Institute #WellnessFriendlySchools Campaign, Eneref sent a letter to all 50 state education executives, urging them to act on the findings of a recent Eneref Report on classroom lighting. The Eneref Report examined the biological impact of Natural Interior Daylight in classrooms on improved student performance.  

Link to campaign: https://eneref.org/impact/wellnessfriendlyschools/

Eneref has reached out to school executives in order to place this report in the hands of authorities responsible for student performance. The bottom line of the Eneref Report is this: The right daylight in classrooms alone can improve student test scores.

Eneref Institute is a research and advocacy organization for sustainable development. The Eneref campaign aims to achieve a healthy school environment through an earth-friendly and wellness-friendly approach to building schools. 

As presented in the letter to school executives, the Eneref Report’s key conclusions describe:

  • A high correlation between schools that reported improvements in student test scores and those that reported greater amounts of daylight in the classroom.
  • A possible disruption of the molecular clocks that regulate the temporal dynamics of cellular activities caused by poorly designed artificial electric lighting.
  • The importance of illuminating schools with natural daylight to help students’ bodies regulate melatonin, reinforcing circadian wellness and improving performance. ­

The Eneref Report, titled “Classrooms Optimized with Natural Daylight Increase Student Performance,” can be downloaded here: http://bit.ly/eneref-skylightled.

As the Eneref Report states, careful architectural planning and utilization of daylight to illuminate rooms, in conjunction with LED electrical lighting, is not only efficient for buildings but also healthy for occupants, both students and faculty alike.

 

Featured

  • KWK Architects Announces Full Transition to Lawrence Group Branding

    KWK Architects recently announced that it will complete its transition to the Lawrence Group brand effective July 1, according to a news release. The merger marks the end of a three-year strategic integration process that began in March 2023 to unite the firms.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • Florida District Completes Construction on New Leadership Institute

    Pinellas County Schools near Tampa, Fla., recently announced that construction is complete on the new Dr. Michael A. Grego Leadership Institute, according to a news release. The district partnered with Rowe Architects for the project’s design and with Skanska for construction services.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.