USGBC Arizona Chapter GREEN SCHOOLS BLOG

University of Arizona Course in Sustainable Building Systems

Carina Clark — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:45:07 GMT

"Integrating natural environment dynamics with built environmental control systems. This course will focus on principles and practices for selection and design of mechanical systems to reduce resource consumption and improve occupant experience within buildings. Participants will take part in lectures and labs within Biosphere 2 focusing on lighting, electrical distributions, acoustics, plumbing, vertical transportation, and fire suppression."

link to register:

http://outreachcollege.arizona.edu/course/sustainable-building-systems

http://www.b2science.org/events/1568

The Center for Green Schools at USGBC on NBC's Today Show!

Halleh Landon — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:02:11 GMT

The Center for Green Schools at USGBC Scheduled to Help

NBC’s TODAY Show Celebrate Earth Day on April 22

NYC students to build green living walls on Rockefeller Plaza as part of Center’s Green Apple Initiative

NEW YORK – (April 17, 2013) – NBC’s TODAY Show is scheduled to celebrate Earth Day, Monday, April 22, by building six green living walls on Rockefeller Plaza with local students from Bronx public schools. The segment will highlight the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council and the Center's flagship event, the Green Apple Day of Service.

Rachel Gutter, the director of the Center for Green Schools at USGBC, along with Green Apple ambassador and Bronx educator Stephen Ritz and students from his dynamic community program, the Green Bronx Machine, will join TODAY Show hosts Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Natalie Morales, along with celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis and others, to build the walls and participate in Earth Day activities throughout the morning.

The Green Apple Day of Service, which takes place on Sept. 28 this year, gives parents, teachers, students, partner companies, and local organizations, the opportunity to transform all schools into healthy, safe, cost-efficient and productive learning environments. On Monday, the TODAY show audience will learn about how classroom environmental efforts and day of service-type activities, such as building living walls, can serve as important teaching tools throughout the year.

Tucson's Manzo Elementary wins USGBC Best of Green Schools 2012 Award!

Halleh Landon — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:05:38 GMT

Congratulations to Manzo Elementary on achieving this prestigious award!

http://www.centerforgreenschools.org/utility-nav/blog/13-01-16/Announcing_the_Best_Of_Green_Schools_2012.aspx

http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/20614296/manzo-elementary-school-recognized-as-a-best-green-school-for-2012

Tucson's Presidio School is Participating in the Green Apple Day of Service!

Halleh Landon — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:15:35 GMT

Announcement and call for volunteers!

On Saturday, September 29th at 7:00AM, Presidio School is participating in the first annual Green Apple Day of Service to create an outdoor classroom for their school. It is their hope that the outdoor classroom will include an edible garden, native plant habitat, a gathering area for teacher instruction, cisterns for water harvesting, and a shed for tools. Through the outdoor classroom they will engage the students' senses at every level, creating an interactive, and hands on learning environment where students taste, touch, hear, and smell what they are learning. It is their hope that this engaging outdoor classroom will help the students and their families develop a lifelong desire to live a healthy life style, an appreciation for eating healthy foods, and an accurate nutritional knowledge base. The classroom will also provide the students with an opportunity to understand the importance of ecology, the value of our native plants and the intrinsic joy of giving back to the community.

On this day, Presidio School is asking for volunteers to help with the creation of the outdoor classroom. We are in need of volunteers to sign up at the website below, donations of money to accomplish as many possible aspects of sustainability as we can. We also have a unique opportunity to adopt two African Barred tortoises for the school if we are able to create an appropriate habitat. From the onset of a project for an animal there is the need to identify sustainable habitat, create responsibility and community support for the care of the animals and have curriculum to allow the tortoises to act as ambassadors within this unique community. Please reach out and join us to create something special.

Check out the Green Apple Day of Service page at: http://service.mygreenapple.org/page/event/detail/takeitoutside/wrjd

Tucson's Imago Dei Middle School Wins 2012 School of the Future Design Competition!

Halleh Landon — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:21:32 GMT

CEFPI Applauds 2012 School of the Future Design Competition Winners

Washington, DC – Six teams of middle school students met in Washington, DC this week to compete in the final leg of The School of the Future Design Competition, centerpiece of the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) School Building Week. The competition challenges students from across the globe to think creatively as they plan and design tomorrow’s green schools to enhance learning, be healthy, conserve resources, be environmentally responsive and engage the surrounding community.

The Awards of Excellence went to Imago Dei Middle School, Tucson, AZ and Teeland Middle School, Wasilla, AK. Capturing the Award of Distinction was Highfield Humanities College, Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. Newtown Middle School, Newtown, CT, Seneca Middle School, Macomb, MI and University Middle School, Waco, TX received Awards of Merit.

Congratulations to The STAR School and Roadrunner Elementary, Arizona's first ever Green Ribbon Schools!

Halleh Landon — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:02:28 GMT

Obama Administration Names 78 Schools in 29 States and D.C. as First-Ever U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools

Mayor Stanton signs Mayors Alliance for Green Schools Statement of Support!

Halleh Landon — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:27:14 GMT

As most of you know, the Mayor is an advocate for green schools and sustainability. By supporting the Mayors Alliance, he agrees to promote efforts within the community through council members, staff and citizens to coordinate efforts within Phoenix and its school districts to make greener schools and better buildings.

A big thank you to Colin Tetreault for facilitating and photographing Mayor Stanton signing the Mayors Alliance for Green Schools Statement of Support!

School of the Future Design Competition - State Level

Halleh Landon — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:37:55 GMT

This Friday, January 27th, Middle Schools from Phoenix and Tucson will be competing for a spot in the Regional School of the Future Design Competition. This year's State competition will take place at Energy Systems Design in Scottsdale, Arizona. Please stay tuned for the announcement of the winning team next week!

The team from Mountain Sky Junior High will be guests at the Inaugural USGBC AZ State Conference and will share their presentation with all who attend the Green School Forum.

For more information on the School of the Future Design Competition, visit:www.cefpi.org.

Planet Connect 2012 Youth Engagement Grant

Halleh Landon — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:38:07 GMT

Do you know any U.S. high school students looking for funding? In addition to their current Get Green Video Contest, Planet Connect has just announced the 2012 Youth Engagement Grants! Applications are due February 1, 2012.

More information here:

http://planetconnect.org/2012wcgrants

Siemens K-12 "We Can Change The World" 2012 Application Open!

Halleh Landon — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:50:05 GMT

The Siemens We Can Change The World Challenge is a national environmental sustainability competition for grades K-12. Through project based learning, students learn about science and conservation while creating solutions to help the planet!

More details available here:

http://www.wecanchange.com/

USGBC AZ Green Schools supports CEFPI's School of The Future Design Competition!

Halleh Landon — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:34:23 GMT

Volunteers are needed for the State and Regional Jury and Team Mentors! Please contact halleh.landon@esdaz.com if you would like to participate.

CEFPI's School of the Future Design Competition offers an opportunity to illustrate the kind of creativity that students bring to the planning and design process. The competition highlights the importance of well-planned, high performance, healthy, safe and sustainable schools that foster student achievement and enhance community vitality. The annual competition, open to middle school students, challenges student teams to design their schools to enhance learning, conserve resources, be environmentally responsive and engage the surrounding community. The multi-disciplinary solution requires students to follow a planning process from the concept phase to completion of the project, with thorough documentation. The students will present their project to a jury for review.

Learn more here:http://www.cefpi.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3550

Can teachers and students make a school more sustainable?

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:57:59 GMT

Guest Blog by Halleh Landon, PE, LEED AP BD+C and our USGBC Arizona Green Schools Advocate

Green Schoolhouse Series Blog

Green, LEED and Sustainability are all great concepts that sometimes seem complicated to implement. It is important to know that it is easy to apply their principles in day-to-day activities without great cost implications. There are changes that can be made in a classroom that can greatly contribute to the overall performance and attitude of an entire campus. It can be easy to get overwhelmed when trying to implement these changes – so here is a place to start.