Columbia, SC – In February of this year USGBC SC staff had the privilege of being invited by Dr. David Holzendorf (principal) and Dr. Sally Catoe (STEMS Lead Teacher) to tour North Springs Elementary School.  North Springs Elementary School has a special magnet program called STEMS (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math School).  STEMS, educates the whole child by incorporating the core curriculum and the arts into STEM content curricula. North Springs Elementary has been in existence for thirty years with a focus on STEMS for the past four years.  For the last two years they have won national recognition from the Magnet Schools of America as a Magnet School of Distinction.   The school is very proud of its students and their school’s design.  The school’s design and layout features a rectangle shape in the middle where the common areas are.  The classrooms are off the main hallways; therefore they are quiet and the perfect learning environment.  Each grade level of the magnet program has two classrooms, each with 22 students.  The classrooms are clustered together, enhancing teamwork and collaboration.  We visited several of the classrooms and interacted with the student groups who were hard at work doing hands-on projects and problem solving.

Kindergarteners worked in centers, using computers, solving design problems on the SmartBoard, using K’Nex pieces to make a spinning top, and building with LEGOS.

The second grade classes were busy teaching first graders to build and program robotic animals, combining math and science in the process.  These students were paired into small groups where they programmed small motors on a computer to control their robots.  The second graders had just finished studying sea lions and built habitat models for a planned new exhibit at River Banks Zoo. They presented their model sea lion homes to the zoo staff and other directors.  We also had the honor of seeing a presentation.  The model habitat is very nice and spacious, and I think any sea lion would love to live there.

The third grade classes were working on science and math.  They were combining the two to build a model playground.  The group I observed was busy working on a drainage system for their playground.  The group stopped long enough to explain to me that their design would allow any amount of rain water to run off, so the kids could play tomorrow, after the rain, on the playground.   Apparently this is a really big problem for elementary school students, so they are taking matters into their own hands.

The fourth grade classes were busy inventing their own candy.  With this project they were combining language art skills with math.   In addition to creating the candy they had to design the box shape, create an ad to sell the candy and create a marketing plan using sales projections.  I witnessed a lot of young budding Entrepreneurs in the making.

The fifth grade classes were learning how we impact the environment while learning about measurements.  They had just completed making model buildings from straws and were now focusing on designing a building from recycled wooden pallets.  While learning about the environment, they were also learning how to knit – yes, knit.  Their teacher explained that if their hands were busy they absorbed and learned more at a faster rate while improving their small motor skills.   The completed knitting projects (scarves) are donated to the homeless via homeless shelters.  This kind act is another example of how students impact the human environment and make a difference.

The STEMS program has plans to create a study on energy conservation and Green building, with each grade level examining a different energy problem.  If you are interested in taking part in this unique way of learning through problem solving and hands-on projects, please contact Dr. Sally Catoe at sacatoe@richland2.org to discuss what your partnership can contribute to this study.  The program’s philosophy is that through real world connections, students will develop the skills and knowledge to be the innovative engineers of the future.

For more information on North Springs Elementary School and the STEMS magnet program, please visit: https://www.richland2.org/nse/.

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“2013 State of Our Schools” Report from the Center for Green Schools at USGBC

Calls for Immediate Examination of America’s School Facilities

For the full report, please click here.

Report includes foreword from former President Bill Clinton and

highlights $271 billion deficit to bring school facilities up to working order

WASHINGTON, D.C. (EMBARGOED UNTIL March 12, 2013) –The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today released its first “State of our Schools” report, highlighting the critical need to modernize school facilities to meet current health, safety and educational standards.

The report, featuring a foreword by former President Bill Clinton, states that schools are currently facing a $271 billion deferred maintenance bill just to bring the buildings up to working order – approximately $5,450 per student.

The last comprehensive report on America’s school facilities was conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 1995 and indicated that 15,000 U.S. schools were circulating air that at the time was deemed unfit to breathe. The USGBC report calls on the GAO to conduct an updated survey on the condition of America’s schools in order to paint a more complete picture of the scale and scope of today’s needs. The USGBC report also estimates that the cost to both bring schools into good repair and address modernization needs is $542 billion over the next 10 years for Pre-K-12 school buildings.

“The places where our children learn matter. This report is a critical first step to taking action and creating healthy, sustainable school buildings,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “Schools are the backbone of our communities, and it is unacceptable that we would allow any of our children to show up in classrooms that compromise their ability to learn. We must do more.”

“Approximately 50 million students attend the nearly 100,000 public elementary and secondary schools in the United States. Many of these schools barely meet today’s standards, yet it’s been an astonishing 18 years since the last comprehensive study on school conditions was conducted,” said Rachel Gutter, director, Center for Green Schools at USGBC. “We are confident Congress will take up the charge to commission a new report on the state of educational facilities across the country. We can’t continue to ignore a problem just because we don’t understand the extent of it.”

The Center for Green Schools at USGBC is urging the GAO to commission another survey on the condition of America’s schools, with support from 24 organizations, including the 21^st Century School Fund, the American Federation of Teachers, the American Lung Association, the National Education Association (NEA) and the National PTA, among others.

“Our job—as educators, as parents and as elected officials—is to remove barriers so that all students can succeed,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “This means investing in the right priorities. Children need and deserve safe and healthy environments so they can learn. It’s not more complicated than that.”

Key recommendations from the report include:

Expand the Common Core of Data (a set of academic expectations collected annually by the National Center for Education Statistics that define the knowledge and skills all students should master by the end of each grade level) to include school level data on building age, building size and site size.

Improve the current fiscal reporting of school district facility maintenance and operations data to the National Center for Education Statistics so that utility and maintenance expenditures are collected separately.

Improve the collection of capital outlay data from school districts to include identification of the source of capital outlay funding and distinctions between capital outlay categories for new construction and for existing facilities.

Provide financial and technical assistance to states from the U.S. Department of Education to incorporate facility data in their state longitudinal education data systems.

Mandate a GAO facility condition survey take place every 10 years, with the next one beginning immediately.

Please visit centerforgreenschools.org/stateofschools to download the full report.

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About the Center for Green Schools at USGBC

The Center for Green  Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council is making sure every student has the opportunity to attend      a green school within this generation. From         kindergarten to college and beyond, the Center works directly with staff, teachers, faculty, students, ambassadors, elected officials and communities to drive the transformation of all schools into sustainable places to live and learn, work and play. For more information, visit centerforgreenschools.org, follow us on Twitter at @mygreenschools, and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/centerforgreenschools.

About U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building certification program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and follow us on Twitter @USGBC, and Facebook at facebook.com/USGBC.

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The first-ever Green Apple Day of Service on September 29, 2012 was a tremendous day of action with projects in nearly 1,300 communities around the world. People connected to their schools in an entirely new way, and demonstrated the potential for international engagement in support of healthy, high performing schools.

The launch of Green Apple Day of Service went from idea to action in less than nine months, taking a massive effort and strong support from across the Center for Green Schools, USGBC and a variety of new and existing partnerships. In places as diverse as they are far apart – including all 50 states, and 49 countries on all seven continents – communities came together to learn about and implement strategies for improved air quality, composting, recycling, resource conservation and more. Event organizers participated in webcasts hosted by the Center, recruited an estimated 169,000 volunteers and raised more than $774,000 in donated funds, goods and services to make their Day of Service projects happen.

From the teachers in Hawaii who learned how to make changes in their classrooms, the high school students and volunteers in Detroit who installed an outdoor classroom where previously there wasn’t a safe place for students to gather, the USGBC staff members who sorted through waste bins in Washington, DC, and the school children planting trees in Colombia, Day of Service engaged and strengthened communities around the world and showed that where we learn matters.

To show you all the great work you did, we’ve put together this infographic. With the first Day of Service behind us, and the many lessons learned, we are poised for an even higher level of engagement this year. Thank you, and save the date for September 28th, 2013!

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In response to the recent USA Today coverage the Center for Green Schools issued the following document that includes an article from Rachel Gutter, Director along with some quick facts and testimonials to support your work with Green Schools and LEED Buildings.  Click here to view the entire document.

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CLEMSON — Clemson University’s Lee Hall III academic building has been awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Lee III, completed in April of this year, is a 56,000-square-foot expansion of the original Lee Hall, which is the academic home of the School of Design and Building and the department of art.

The $31.6 million restoration and new construction project is part of the university’s commitment to create more energy-efficient buildings. In alignment with Clemson University’s goal of reducing energy consumption 20 percent by 2020, Lee III is zero energy-ready, designed to offset its energy expenditure by producing as much energy as it consumes.

“We call Lee Hall the building that teaches,” said Clemson President James F. Barker. “It is significant that our students will study sustainable design in a building that symbolizes Clemson University’s commitment to sustainability. It is a welcome and beautiful addition to our campus.”

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification accredits buildings that exhibit outstanding sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy efficiency, resource selection and indoor environmental quality.

The Lee III expansion project was a joint effort by Clemson alumnus Thomas Phifer (’75, ’77) of Thomas Phifer and Partners of New York City, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture of Greenville and Holder Construction of Atlanta.

Lee III was designed to teach sustainability by example, making use of lighting and energy efficiency, ventilation technology and resourceful materials selection. An energy dashboard installed in the building provides real-time data on temperature and humidity levels, as well as energy and water use.

Monitors in the building indicate when outside conditions are favorable to natural ventilation provided through windows. Mechanical windows open and shut automatically when temperature and humidity reach threshold levels. Geothermal wells provide cooling and heating for the building, allowing it to operate separately from the campus energy plant. Skylights and window walls provide natural light during daytime hours, limiting the need for artificial lighting.

Construction materials used in the building are high in recycled content; some were manufactured from resources close to campus. The indoor finish materials, such as paints and sealants, were selected to provide a high level of healthful indoor air quality.

Lee III is the 11th Clemson project to receive LEED certification and its seventh LEED Gold building. It is the first LEED Gold certification for Clemson under the U.S. Green Building Council’s “Version 3” rating system, which features significantly more stringent requirements for energy reduction than the earlier system.

The Clemson University board of trustees in 2004 adopted a policy that all buildings newly constructed or substantially renovated should be designed to meet at least LEED Silver standards.

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LS3P ASSOCIATES LTD., is delighted to announce that the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) awarded Langford Elementary School a LEED Silver certification. This is the first school in Richland School District Two to achieve LEED certification and the seventh in the state to achieve this goal.

This 108,000 SF elementary school serves 747 students and was designed to allow for classroom “houses” including teacher workrooms for each grade-level house. An exterior courtyard provides natural daylighting as well as an outdoor play area. Some of the LEED initiatives include stack classrooms to minimize the building footprint, natural daylighting incorporated throughout the facility, energy efficiency systems, materials sourced locally and regionally, and materials that do not emit harmful chemicals indoors.

The school district’s Executive Director of Operations, Jack Carter said, “We are extremely excited that Langford Elementary School has been recognized as a LEED Silver school. It was accomplished through a great cooperative effort with our design firm, LS3P, and District staff. Allen Taylor of LS3P was especially instrumental in ensuring that the design achieved a balance between cost and return on investment. Langford is an environmentally friendly learning space and is the District’s first two-story elementary school using a smaller footprint than other recent elementary designs. The smaller footprint allows us to retain more green space on the campus. With improved day lighting and energy efficient systems, we are seeing pay back in our energy cost.”

Building or renovating schools to meet LEED initiatives is not only beneficial for the environment, but more importantly research shows that natural daylighting helps improve students test scores, student absenteeism decreases, and staff retention has increased. Even better, this healthier environment only increases the overall construction budget by less than 2%! It is due to such findings that other schools within the district are also currently seeking LEED certification.

LS3P ASSOCIATES LTD. is an architecture, interior architecture, and strategic visioning firm providing services nationwide from their offices in Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville, South Carolina; and Charlotte, Raleigh, and Wilmington, North Carolina. The combined offices have received over 350 awards for excellence in design utilizing practical yet creative solutions to enhance client strategies; and are honored to be included in ENR and InteriorDesign’s top design firms. For more information on LS3P, visit www.ls3p.com.

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The first annual Green Apple Day of Service, hosted by the Center for Green Schools, brings together advocates from around the world, including students, teachers, parents, USGBC chapters and community members in support of healthy, sustainable schools through service projects in their communities.

The SC Chapter Branches are partnering with local schools to host a Green Apple Day of Service on September 29.  To participate in the branch event, please check the Chapter Calendar or contact the SC Chapter Branch Chair for information on this Day of Service event.

Visit mygreenapple.org to find or start a project in your community, show your support for our movement, connect with others who are already taking action and share your story with us. Let us know if you’re interested in starting or leading a project in your community! Visit mygreenapple.org for project ideas or to start a project. Contact Emily Davis, Green Apple Day of Service Capacity Organizer at 202-587-7170 or via email at edavis@usgbc.org with any questions.

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On May 2, 2012 the USGBC South Carolina Chapter held its third annual Green Schools Summit.  This year’s summit theme was Common Ground.  The concept of Common Ground was to host a bi-partisan event where both sides could come to the table to realize that a net zero school, like the one built in Kentucky, could also be built here in South Carolina.   The event was held on the USC Columbia Campus at the Thomas Cooper Library.  Sponsors for the event included the SC Energy Office, xpedx, Environment & Sustainability Program at USC and GEES.  Community partners for the event included; Senator Phil Leventis, AIA SC Chapter, Center for Green Schools, Green Steps, The Riley Institute at Furman, CEFPI, Edens and the Conservation Voters of South Carolina.

The Summit featured four tracks that were designed to showcase the success of the green schools and sustainable communities movement in SC and beyond.  The first session focused on the innovation in building and constructing the Thomas Cooper Library, Special Collections wing, followed by a presentation from Nate Allen, Green Schools Advocacy Lead and Matt Pearce, Campaign Specialist – US Green Building Council, focusing on South Carolina and national accomplishments in the field of Green Schools.  Senator Phil Leventis, who gave a personal perspective on green schools and why he is so invested in the SC Green Schools caucus, hosted the working lunch.  The first afternoon session was presented by xpedx on green cleaning solutions for your business and school.  The second afternoon session was presented by the SC Energy office and focused on energy savings.  The wrap up session focused on where do we go from here.  The sixty-one attendees have made a pledge to help host four separate events for the upcoming Green Apple Day of Service to be held on September 29th through out the state.  For more information or to help please contact Melissa Le Roy at 843-329-3131 or execdir@usgbcsc.org.

The Green Schools Common Ground Summit ended the day with a hands-on tour of the Special Collections wing of the Thomas Cooper Library before everyone headed to the reception that was held at Edens overlooking the State house and grounds.

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