Welcome to the South Florida Chapter of the USGBC — a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to educating and promoting the benefits of sustainable, energy efficient buildings. Join us in transforming the way our buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, providing an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life of our citizens, children and visitors.

The Importance of Green Schools
 

What is a Green School? 

A high-performance green school is an energy-, material- and resource-efficient education facility optimized for the health and productivity of its occupants and users. It is designed, constructed and operated to the greatest extent possible within the carrying capacity of the planet.

Why are Green Schools important?

With utility costs continuing to rise, school budgets are under severe pressure throughout our region.  Green schools cost less to operate, freeing up resources to truly improve students’ education. Improved indoor air quality, pgreen schools provide a wealth of

The bottom line?Investing in high-performance green schools is an investment in our children and their future.

Across the United States, school districts large and small are realizing the benefits of green schools.  Ditto with universities and colleges.  Students, parents, teachers and community members are making the difference by letting elected officials know they want their schools built, operated and maintained green.

In many ways, the most powerful proponent or voice in the high-performance green-school movement is the students.The current K-12 school- and college-age student populations have adopted the environmental movement as one of their own social, political and philosophical goals. That's good news for educational facility executives, as well as school boards and teachers, who want to tap into that enthusiasm and green their schools and campuses. Students are also one the best resources for educating mom, dad, brothers and sisters about the importance of sustainability to our world.

Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges

The Princeton Review and the USGBC have teamed up once again to generate the second annual edition of the unique, free guidebook saluting the nation's most environmentally responsible green colleges.The 2011 edition of the Guide profiles 308 institutions of higher education in the United States and three in Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. The 220-page book is the only free, comprehensive, annually updated guide to green colleges.  To see the guide online, click here; to secure a pdf version, click here.


Leaders in Sustainability Report

The Local Leaders in Sustainability: a special report from Sundance, outlines a national action plan that mayors and local leaders can use as a framework to develop and implement green schools initiatives.  The report also provides a comprehensive review of the benefits of green schools; a summary of local, state and federal policy solutions; leadership profiles of green school advocates; and case studies from both large cities and small communities.  Together, these resources serve as a roadmap on the journey to green schools.


LEED Certified Schools in South Florida

 

LEED Registered Schools in South Florida

Miami-Dade County:

  • Le Jardin Community Center, Homestead
  • St. Stephen's Episcopal Day School, Miami
  • State School HHH-1, Miami
  • Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning, Homestead, EBOM
  • The Montessori Academy at St. Johns, Miami Beach

Broward County:

  • Pine Crest Upper School Classroom Building, Ft. Lauderdale
  • Stranahan High School, Ft. Lauderdale

Palm Beach County:

  • Everglades Elementary School, West Palm Beach
  • Plumosa School of the Arts, Delray Beach
  • Northboro Elementary, Palm Beach Gardens
  • AD Henderson School Classroom Exp., Boca Raton
  • Galaxy Elementary School Modernization, Boynton Beach
  • Manatee Elementary School, Lake Worth
  • Pahokee Middle School, Pahokee
  • SAS Campus, Boca Raton
  • Seminole Trails Elementary Classroom Addition, West Palm Beach
  • Western Boca Areas ES 05-C, Boca Raton, EBOM
  • SAS Lower School Renovation, Boca Raton, EBOM

Treasure Coast:

  • LPA Cafeteria, Ft. Pierce
  • LPA Classroom Building, Ft. Pierce
  • LPA Master Site, Ft. Pierce

Green Schools Challenge

The Green Schools Challenge is Dream in Green’s innovative program for educating K-12 students about environmental and energy challenges by getting them involved in real-world solutions at their schools. These student-lead solutions save money while conserving energy and water, and reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Currently in its fourth year, the Green Schools Challenge serves nearly 50 schools in Miami-Dade County and, thanks to a partnership with the Green Schools Committee of the Broward Branch of the USGBC South Florida Chapter, three pioneering schools in Broward. Dream in Green is a South Florida-based nonprofit organization that partners with schools, local governments and businesses to bring about behavior change in students ... and their parents!Learn more about the Green School Challenge

 

Rachel Gutter on the USGBC
Center for Green Schools

What Can You Do at Your
School District or Campus?

• First of all, create a team of representatives from all groups and departments to brainstorm and discuss green strategies ... and implement curriculum that deals specifically with sustainability.

• Sell your school board and administration on energy-efficiency projects by demonstrating results and using metrics that they can understand such as relating green change to the number of teacher salaries per upgrade.  For example, "We can pay for "x" number of teacher salaries with the savings" is language that school Boards, elected officials and parents can understand.

• Implement sustainable operation and maintenance strategies such as green cleaning and recycling programs. 

• Pay particular attention to upgrades that allow flexibility in the future.

• Take advantage of opportunities to demonstrate and teach students how to live more energy efficiently.  In university and college settings, work with the student life office to get out the green message.  You'll be pleasantly surprised how many of our campuses already have a student green group already in place.  Utilize your biggest, least expensive resource by getting students involved. They may very well have already started green projects.


Learn Green Conference 2011


Joe Sanches, Rachel Gutter, Linda Smithe and Audrey Dalton at the USGBC South Florida Chapter's booth on 11/11/11, at the Learn Green Conference.

Palm Beach County’s 3rd Annual Learn Green Conference and Expo took place on November 11, 2011, at A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts.  More than 900 attendees and 80 exhibitors enjoyed a full day of learning about green schools. 

Hosted by Florida Atlantic University/Pine Jog Environmental Education Center and the School District of Palm Beach County, the conference gave teachers, students, administrators and community members the opportunity to learn from each other, as well as from community and green school experts.

Breakout sessions included Green Schools Recognition Program workshop; Initiate Green Strategies; Teaching Green and Getting Dirty; Repurposed and Reused: Learning Green Through Contemporary Art; Creating Wildlife Habitats Using Native Plants; Green Building Concepts in the Curriculum; Solid Waste Authority’s Plastics Sorting Lab; Water Ambassadors ... and much more.  (Pictured above at a conference booth:  Missy Strauss, James Chapman and Jason Bregman.)


Future Green Schools Events 

Check back here for a listing of South Florida's upcoming green-schools events, programs and meetings.  For a listing of the Chapter's upcoming programs, click here.


PB County Green Schools Blog

Check out the new blog created for those interested in greening Palm Beach County Schools.  Created by Audrey Dalton, Chair of the Palm Beach Branch's Green Schools Committee, it offers a new twist on communications concerning this important initiative. Please send announcements, photos, etc., but only if they pertain to Palm Beach County Schools.


Other Local Green Schools Websites

Information is power.  And green-building information is, seemingly, everywhere.  Below you will find links to resources to help you learn more about the importance of greening our schools, new and existing.  Many more can be found by searching such key words as high-performance green schools, healthy schools, LEED for Schools, energy-efficient schools, greening K12 curriculum, etc. 

If you wish to add a resource website to this listing, send your suggestion to Lee Cooke, our Chapter’s Executive Director.  Your submission will be vetted by the Chapter’s volunteer leadership.

The links provided below are shown for reference only.  The USGBC South Florida Chapter is not responsible nor can be held liable for any linked content, claims or representations within the websites listed.

Of course, we start our Green Schools Resources List with the US Green Building Council.  The USGBC provides a wealth of resources and education tied to this critically important subject.  Here are three outstanding pages well worth a click and your time:

Our region's respective school districts' green schools initiatives can be found by clicking below on the name of the district or the bullets underneath it.  If there is no hotlink provided, the Chapter hasn't sourced that particular district's website tied to green schools.  Please send requests regarding posts to Lee Cooke.

School districts in the following counties have not submitted green-schools websites:  Indian River, St. Lucie. Okeechobee, Martin, and Miami-Dade.

Palm Beach -- The PBCounty School District's Green Schools and Sustainability Website; The PBCounty School District's Green Schools Recognition Program; PBCounty Schools Go Green;
PBCounty's Green Schools Initiatives and Lessons Learned

Broward -- Broward County Schools -- Environmental Stewardship

Our State of Florida's green schools initiatives can be found here: Serve to Preserve; Sustainable Florida

The Green Education Foundation provides lots of free, green curriculum, signage, etc., and is a terrific network for educators.

The Environmental Protection Agency has several webpages devoted to elementary-aged children, their parents and teachers:  Environmental Kids Club; Energy Star Kids

The US Department of Energy offers green energy K-12 lesson plans and activities that are downloadable here.  Topics include Energy Basics, Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Environment, Solar Energy and more.

The US Department of Energy also has an EnergySmart Schools section of its excellent website.  Also, check out:  Alliance to Save Energy's Green Schools Program; US Energy Information Administration -- Energy Kids


Green Competitions for Schools

• National Junior Solar Sprint/Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car Competitions -- This DOE program challenges student teams in grades 6-8 to construct model solar and hydrogen fuel cell cars.

• Campus Conservation Nationals is a nationwide resource use-reduction competition that challenges college and university campuses to achieve the greatest electricity and water use reductions during a 3-week period.  Race back to a Gigawatt!

• National Science Bowl -- This DOE-sponsored academic competition brings teams of high school students together to answer questions on scientific topics in astronomy, biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, earth, computer and general science.

• Council of Educational Facility Planners, International (CEFPI) Design Competition -- This annual competition (open to middle school students) challenges students to design their schools to enhance learning, conserve resources, be environmentally responsive, and engage the surrounding community.

• Igniting Creative Energy Challenge -- This educational competition encourages K-12 students to learn more about energy and the environment.

• ExploraVision -- This competition, administered by the National Science Teachers Association, encourages K-12 students to create technologies of the future.

• JETS: Junior Engineering Technical Society -- This annual engineering design competition challenges students in grades 9-12 to design and build an assistive technology device to help a person with severe disabilities succeed in his or her workplace.

• The Real World Design Challenge (Grades 9-12) -- This annual event provides high school students, grades 9-12, the opportunity to work on real world engineering challenges in a team environment.