This year USGBC is launching a broad-based green schools campaign with the hopes that in a generation every child in America will attend a green school.
While we know green schools will go far in conserving the planet’s scarce resources and reducing harmful emissions, this campaign will greatly benefit the 55 million children and faculty who teach and learn in buildings that are often in disrepair; have classrooms with little or no natural daylighting; and have poor, even harmful indoor air quality.
Right now, 14 million students (over a quarter of all students) attend schools considered below standard or dangerous, according to the General Accounting office. In addition, the
American Federation of Teachers notes that GAO found that air is unfit to breathe in nearly 15 thousand schools.
Green schools are the solution. Studies show green schools produce compelling health benefits, in addition to the environmental benefits and a significant financial return on investment. Invaluable health-related benefits translate into lower student and staff absenteeism, lower staff turnover, lower healthcare costs, and improved school and job performance.
For the sake of our children, we believe we can and must do better – and we know we’re not alone. We intend for this campaign to provide the leadership, tools and resources necessary for thousands of local advocates to be heard. As the message spreads, we anticipate that school boards across the country will make commitments to build nothing but green schools.
Sources: USGBC and Greening America’s Schools: Cost and Benefits by Greg Kats, 2006
