Tuesday, February 14, 2012

GREEN CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

You’ve been asking about it…it’s HERE!  The USGBC Center for Green Schools

GREEN CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

How many of us realize how strongly the physical learning space effects student health and performance?  The USGBC Center For Green Schools has been able to verify how much a classroom environment can effect students. The USGBC is launching a new program specifically to teach educators about how to make their schools more sustainable and healthy places in which to learn, work and teach.

The Green Classroom Professional Certificate program, created for parents, teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals and operations and maintenance professionals, will provide the tools they can use to make classrooms healthier and sustainable and impacting the next generation of students.
According to information on the USGBC Center for Green Schools, the certificate program will encourage teachers to:
·         Gain knowledge in green building practices, particularly for their classrooms and schools
·         Use knowledge to make classroom/learning spaces healthier and sustainable learning   environments
·         Help foster an attitude among youth and future generations to appreciate and model green building and sustainable practices
·         Support green building and sustainability practices through energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction and improved indoor air quality
·         Support health among school occupants and decrease student absenteeism due to environmental factors

According to feedback provided by teachers from around the country who have already reviewed the program;
a) The program addresses many learning styles
b) The program is applicable to teachers who are involved with different subjects related to the environment or sustainability.
c) The certificate program is flexible and allows teachers and others to complete 12 virtual modules and an online assessment wherever they have a computer and an internet connection.
Teachers want to educate in a space where the health and well-being of our future leaders and their own health is paramount will want to participate in this program. Through this program teachers have an opportunity to learn new ways to make classrooms healthier learning spaces for students and other classroom occupants.
March 2012 is the scheduled date for the launch of the program, so make sure you check back for more information about how you can enroll!  For more information, visit: centerforgreenschools.org/greenclassroom.
For more information and to ENROLL click on the following links:




Monday, February 13, 2012

Upcoming Green Schools Events and Opportunities

National Green Schools Conference

The Second Annual National Green Schools Conference will take place in Denver Colorado from February 27th through February 29th 2012.  The USGBC will be exhibiting there with information about the Center For Green Schools and they will have lots of information about Day of Service, the Green Classroom Professional Certificate, and more.

If you are interested in attending you will need to make your reservations fairly quickly:

We will report any information we can garner from the conference on this blog. 

International Green Schools Day of Service – September 29, 2012
New resources and information to support efforts for green schools projects on International Day of Service are available at the Center For Green Schools website at: www.centerforgreenschools.org/greenservice for more information, and make a commitment to host an activity in your community on September 29!

Green Your School Challenge
Presented by DoSomething.org and HP

HP and DoSomething.org know you have what it takes to protect the environment and fight climate change. This year over 200,000 teens took action and ran eco-friendly projects at school through the Green Your School Challenge. Thanks to them, the world is a greener place.