A high performance or green school is a school facility and its grounds that create a healthy environment conducive to educating and learning while saving energy, resources and money.
High performance designs embrace the concept of sustainability which requires an integrated, “whole building” approach that assess the total impact of the facility on the environment and community.
Features of Green Schools
- Superior indoor environmental quality
- Thermal comfort
- Daylight and views
- Excellent acoustics
- Energy, material and water efficiency
- Easy operation and maintenance
- The use of the facility as a teaching tool
- Environmental responsibility and more
Benefits of Green Schools
- Improved health
- Increased performance with higher test scores and Increased attendance
- Reduced operating costs
- Increased occupant satisfaction and teacher retention
- Reduced environmental impact
In addition to new schools being built according to high performance design specifications, existing schools can be renovated to incorporate high performance features.
US Green Building Council
NEA and NEA HIN have been collaborating with the Center for Green Schools of the US Green Building Council for many years. NEA and NEA HIN are part of the Coalition for Green Schools, a network of 19 of the leading educational and health organizations collectively representing more than 11 million people.
USGBC’s Green Apple Day of Service
The goal of USGBC’s Green Apple movement is to give all children access to schools where they have clean and healthy air to breathe, where energy and resources are conserved, and where they can be inspired to learn and dream of a brighter future. This past year’s event gained national media coverage and featured more than 1,200 projects in 50 states and 49 countries.
Communities from across the world come together to improve K-12 and higher education facilities through simple service projects that have a direct impact on the health and performance of the school facility. This experience helps increase community awareness of sustainable learning environments by having groups join the Green Apple Day of Service project.
To learn more or see other educator activities visit www.mygreenapple.org.
Green Classroom Professional Certificate – learn more about green schools!
This online course provides pre-K and K–12 teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, and others with the knowledge and skills to:
- Identify features that support or impede environmentally healthy, resource efficient, and sustainable learning spaces
- Recognize, adopt, and implement practices that promote health among students and other school building occupants
With the Green Classroom Professional Certificate, educators can turn your classroom into a living laboratory, creating foundational awareness of greener lifestyles, energy savings, and environmental health.
Visit centerforgreenschools.org/greenclassroom to learn more. A special discount is available to NEA members.
The Impact of School Buildings on Student Health and Performance: A Call for Research
Developed with the McGraw Hill Foundation this document provides a compilation of current research that connects school buildings to student health and performance and looks at how students breathe, see, hear, move, and learn. It provides clear, defensible research that supports the need for healthier classrooms and identifies the research that is still needed. To access the report, go to centerforgreenschools.org/studies.