PRESENTATION NAMECompany NameBENEFITS OF GREENING YOUR

SCHOOL

Better Health, Improved Learning and Saving Money

Oklahoma Green Schools Program 2014

WHAT IS A GREEN SCHOOL?

IT IS MORE THAN JUST A BUILDING

A GREEN SCHOOL PROVIDES: CLEAN AIR SUNLIGHT AN ENVIRONMENT FREE OF TOXIC MATERIALS &

CHEMICALS BETTER ENVIROMENT TO ENHANCE LEARNING AND

KEEP STUDENTS HEALTHY

A GREEN SCHOOL CONSERVES RESOURCES: ENERGY EFFIECENT LOWER UTILITY COSTS REDUCE WASTE

A GREEN SCHOOL BRINGS A COMMUNITY TOGETHER

PRESENTATION NAMECompany Name

SCHOOL BUILDINGS

90%of Americans go to school everyday

Americans spend approximately of their time indoors

20%

Air is “unfit to breath” in nearly schools

15,000“Unfortunately, too many of America’s 55 million elementary through high school students attend schools that are unhealthy and unsound, and inhibit rather than foster learning.” – Edward J. McElroy, President, American Federation of Teachers

GREEN SCHOOLS ENHANCE LEARNING

1. INDOOR AIR QUALITY

2. ACOUSTICS

3. THERMAL COMFORT

4. LIGHTING

5. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

INDOOR AIR QUALITYStudents in American schools miss approximately 14 million school days per year because of asthma

Controlling indoor environmental factors such as carbon dioxide, dust, and pollen have the following impacts:

reduction in asthma

51% reduction in respiratory illness(common cold and flu)

Decreased health care costs (paid by parents, not schools)

25%-38.5%

ACOUSTICS

ENVIRONMENTS THAT LESSEN DISTRACTIONS AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION ARE ACHIEVED WITH:

ACOUSTICAL CEILING TILES LINED DUCTWORK HVAC SYSTEMS WITH

APPROPIATELY PLACE VENTS

LOW BACKGROUND NOISE AND SPEECH INTELLIGIBILITY ARE CRITICAL TO LEARNING AND CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH PROPER ACOUSTICS

THERMAL COMFORT

COMFORTABLE INDOOR TEMPERATURES ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY AND KEEP STUDENTS ALERT

FRESHER, CLEANER AIR CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH WINDOWS THAT OPEN OR HVAC SYSTEMS THAT PROVIDE A CONSTANT SUPPLY OF AIR.

LIGHTING

PROPER LIGHTING CAN: IMPROVE TEST SCORES REDUCE OFF-TASK

BEHAVIORS (RESTLESSNESS)

HEIGHTEN ALERTNESS REDUCE ENERGY COSTS INCREASE STUDENT

CONCENTRATON

A 7-YEAR STUDY IN THE US & UK FOUND:

• 45% OF THE ERRORS ON SAT EXAMS WERE THE RESULT OF POOR LIGHTING (VISUAL PERCEPTION)

• READING SCORES CAN BE IMPROVED

BY 35% WITH THE CORRECT LIGHTING

• STUDENTS WERE 75% LESS RESTLESS UNDER THE PROPER LIGHT.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNINGService-learning and hands-on inquiry allows students to become leaders in their school and leaders in their own education.

Oklahoma Green School Students from Lincoln Elementary School, Norman, OK

Science testing scores

improved 27% when students are involved in outdoor science programs (American Institutes for Research, 2005)

INTERDISCIPLINARYPLT GreenSchools! Investigations allow students to gain hands-on direct experience across multiple subjects.

Oklahoma Green School Students from Peters Elementary School, Broken Arrow, OK

Language Arts – creative writing, stories, poems, presentations

Math – calculations, charts, graphs

Science – analyze, compare, inquiry, mapping

Social Studies – policy, economics, community impacts

Art & Music – skits/plays, posters, art, songs

OUTDOOR LEARNING• Increased opportunity for experiential, hands-on learning

• Natural curiosity leads to scientific learning

• Connecting to the Earth and nature is therapeutic

• “Green Playgrounds” provide opportunity for “free play”

NATURE AND ADHDSymptoms of ADHD are reduced when children have regular access to the out-of doors

University of Illinois study found the greener a child’s everyday environment, the more manageable their symptoms

Attention performance for unmedicated kids with ADHD was better after a 20 minute walk in the park vs a 20 minute walk downtown or in a residential area.

Parents note fewer symptoms and increased focus immediately following outdoor activities (camping and fishing) vs indoor activities (video games)

GREEN SCHOOL GROUNDS

• Children have increased activity, are more aware of nutrition and more civil to one another

• More likely to engage in creative forms of play and play more cooperatively

“Natural spaces and materials stimulate children’s limitless imaginations and serve as the medium of inventiveness and creativity.” -Robin Moore (international authority on environment design for children’s play, learning and education)

Green Schools BoostTeacher and Staff Retention

Teachers in green schools report they are more satisfied with their school environments than teachers in conventional schools, helping to improve teacher retention. The reasons they cite are:1. indoor air quality2. access to daylight and views3. better acoustics

There are an estimated 40-60 chemical injuries per year for every 1,000 school custodians – mostly chemical burns to the eyes and skin and damage to the respiratory system.

Green Schools Save Money“If all new US school construction and renovation went green today, the total energy savings alone would be $20 billion over the next 10 years.” (Center for Green Schools)

The cost saving from green schools comes from a variety of sources, including energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems, energy-efficient lighting and occupancy sensors, daylighting strategies, water-efficient fixtures and lower operations and maintenance expenses.

On Average, Green Schools:• Use 33% less energy and 32% less

water than conventionally built schools

• Save $100,000 per year on operating costs – enough to hire at least one new teacher, buy 200 new computers or 5,000 textbooks.

SCHOOLS AS THE CENTER OF COMMUNITY

Green Schools can serve as valuable community assets after school for community meetings, farmers markets, etc.

ENHANCE LEARNING BY CULTIVATING LOCAL EXPERTS

Finding local experts on water issues, landscaping, energy management, school design and construction, biologists, recycling resource people, health professionals, etc. can all add valuable insight to student projects and investigations

GREEN SCHOOLS INCREASE PROPERTY VALUES

87% of school executives who had greened their school report improved community image as one of the top benefits

GREEN SCHOOLS BRING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER

GREEN SCHOOLS LESSEN ENVIRONMENTAL

IMPACTS

Buildings are one of the heaviest consumers of natural resources,

using more than 70% of electricity and contributing nearly

40% of CO2 emissions in the US.

Green Schools have a smaller environmental footprint.

A few of the impacts are: Reduced energy and water use Increased recycling Sustainable building materials Rely on fewer fossil fuels Use native and adaptive

landscaping

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Buchanan, Bruce. “Sick Buildings, Sick Students”, American School Board Journal - Vol. 194 - Issue 6 - 2007 - pp. 48-50.

Katz, Gregory. “Greening America's Schools: Costs and Benefits”, Capital E, October 2006. http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/Archive/General/Docs2908.pdf

Sauls, Tiffany, M.D. “The Health and Learning Benefits of Green Schools for Our Children, 10/29/2009. http://www.slideshare.net/BenBeckers/the-health-and-learning-benefits-of-green-schools-for-our-children#

Tesiero, R. N. Nassif, H. Singh. (2014).Low-Tech/No-Cost” Control Strategies to Save Energy in K-12 Schools, ASHRAE Transactions 120(1).

“Why Green Schools are so Important.” http://www.centerforgreenschools.org/why-green-schools