GREEN COMMITTEE MEETINGS----------------

Open to the Public!

Meetings are held every second Tuesday of the month from 8am-10am.

Click here to view the location of the next Green Committee Meeting!

ARTICLES & REPORTS --------------------------

Mayor's Alliance for Green Schools >>>

LEED for Schools Online Workshop >>>

Greening America’s Schools: Costs and Benefits (Katz Report)

USGBC Green Schools Advocacy Roadmap

IN THE NEWS----------------------------------------

Two more Schools Going Green
Green Sage E-Zine | August 8, 2008

Show Me the (Green) Money
The City Paper | August 6, 2008

G.R.E.E.N.S Fund Makes The Papers
The Post & Courier | July 31, 2008

Rising Energy Cost

Builders in a Bind

Green Committee Address Buildings

QUICK FACTS --------------------------------------

• In 2007 over $35 billion tax dollars were spent on K-12 construction.

• Nationally, there are 68 LEED certified schools and 506 registered.

• In South Carolina, North Charleston Elementary earned LEED NC Silver and 4 other schools around the state are registered under LEED for Schools.

• Green Schools typically have 33% increase in energy savings and 32% in water savings.

• Green Schools are connected to better student performance, lower rates of absenteeism, higher teacher retention.

• Green schools reduce student and staff exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins, along with lowering incidence of flu, colds and respiratory related problems.

Green Schools

Green Schools are popping up across the nation and their benefits are far reaching. A school built or renovated to be sustainable and environmentally sound renders a healthier environment for the 55 million students and 5 million faculty that spend at least 8 hours a day in a school building, students show increased academic performance and school systems face reduced liability exposure as well as reduced utility cost.

To advocate for these benefits and capitalize on the wealth of building expertise and passion for sustainability which exists throughout the Lowcountry, the Sustainability Institute has joined with the USGBC to bring together a group of building professionals, school board members, teachers, and community leaders to form the Lowcountry branch of the USGBC Green Schools Advocacy Committee.

The Advocacy committee promotes healthier more energy efficient school facilities by promoting LEED standards for all new construction and major renovations. Starting with healthier more efficient schools the committee aims to integrate environmental consciousness and sustainability more fully, including facility operations and maintenance, curriculum, and student and staff habits.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Green Schools

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities

United Nations Declaration of Universal Human Rights: Rights to Education

USGBC: Build Green Schools