Inverness Associates

Schools Going Green

California’s Pioneering Role

CAIS Trustee Heads Conference

January 25, 2014

Paul Chapman, Inverness Associates

invernessassociates.org

Four Green School Leaders

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Inverness Associates

Our Beautiful Spaceship Earth

Houston, We Have a Problem

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My Green Schools Journey

Inverness Associates

Inverness Associates

How to Green Your School• Environmental Vision,

Mission, Goals, & Action Plan• Strong Leadership: Top

Down, Bottom Up• Teamwork: Green Council

and Green Teams• Five Disciplines

- Efficient Resources- Healthy Environment- Nutritious Food- Ecological Curriculum- Community Practice

• Measure, Manage & Report Progress

Inverness Associates

Survey Shows: Interest in Being Green Is Very High

Inverness Associates

Green Initiatives Are Underway

Go Green, For the Kids’ Future

Inverness Associates

The Nueva School | PreK–12 | Hillsborough • San Mateo

The Nueva School: Environmental Stewardship and Sustainable DevelopmentPresented by Diane RosenbergHead of School, The Nueva School

Overview

• Nueva has a longstanding commitment to environmental sustainability and regeneration that enhances its curriculum as well as its campus

• Environmental stewardship and sustainable development are responsibilities stemming from its commitment to both the community and its vision of serving as a “learning laboratory”

Curriculum Integration: Garden• Kindergarteners nurtured and studied their own fava bean plants

• 1st grade harvested vegetables for their science unit on balance and weight

• 2nd graders studied soil ecology, closely observing worm habitats and plant roots.

• 3rd graders investigated how gardening and farming relate to the question: how does geography affect the way that people live?

• 5th graders read Paul Fleishman’s Seedfolks, and as they read about his community garden they grew their own

Curriculum Integration: Design Thinking• 4th grade LED light project

• 6th grade solar house

• 7th grade windmills

Curriculum Integration: Service Learning Projects• 3rd grade service learning fair: In small groups students chose different

people or groups they could help and used design thinking to come up with solutions

• Middle School and Upper School students volunteer with groups like Acterra and do habitat and watershed restoration

• SPEW, Society for the Promotion of Environmental Welfare, was a student run Middle School organization. One of 16 winning teams in 2010 Lexus Eco Challenge

• Members interested in communicating to other students the state of our environment and doing hands-on projects that will help restore the earth

Alumni Participation

• Jon Kaye 1985: oceanographer, marine microbiologist

• Kiran Sridhar 2011: Started non-profit Waste No Food

• Michael Mastrandrea1992: spoke to middle school students about his global warming research    

Facilities and Infrastructure: Hillside Learning Complex

• Award-winning gold-level LEED

• Houses the central library, cafeteria, a 3,700 square-foot design lab, classroom space, and an outdoor plaza

• Estimated to use 70% less energy than a comparable school building of its size

• Provides instructional platform

Facilities and Infrastructure: Hillside Learning Complex• It integrates green design principles

throughout:– natural ventilation and cooling systems– sun control and filtered natural light– efficient irrigation and low flow plumbing

fixtures– photovoltaic solar panels– drought-tolerant landscape design and

living roof– selection of non-toxic and recycled building

materials

• Reduced amount of water dedicated to landscape irrigation

• Mansion water closets upgraded• Community garden

Facilities and Infrastructure:Lower and Middle School

• Located in a transportation hub• Landscape design promotes re-introduction of

local ecosystems• Natural ventilation and day-lighting strategies• Efficient mechanical systems • Energy-efficient construction and design

Facilities and Infrastructure:Upper School

The Nueva School | PreK–12 | Hillsborough • San Mateo

Expanding Possibilities

K - 8, 475 Students, El Cerrito, CA

GROWING GREENER

What is CARROTMOB?

CARROTMOB + Prospect SierraTake Emeryville by Storm!

Lasting Impact

• Pizza Parlor Owner Buys New Energy-Saving Refrigerator

• Composting Training Program Begins at Public Market, Employing Urban Youth

• New Composting Program Diverts 1 Ton of Garbage Away From Landfill Per Week = 52 Tons of Garbage NOT Going to Landfills Per Year!

Prospect Sierra’s CARROTMOB

Sustainability by DesignSan Domenico School

Presented by:

Cecily Stock, Head of School

In the Dominican spirit of Veritas (truth):

We celebrate diversity, recognizing God's presence in ourselves and in all of creation.

We recognize what it means to be human in a global community and respond with integrity to the needs

and challenges of our time.

Resource Management

Healthy Systems

Context for Learning

Student LeadershipCa

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Com

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Core Academics

Innovative Teaching Practices

Campus Operations

Community

Educating for Sustainability

"What if humans designed products and systems that celebrate an abundance of human creativity,

culture and productivity? That are so intelligent and safe, our species leaves an ecological footprint to

delight in, not lament?”

-William McDonough

Campus Facilities •Get students involved! Survey trash cans & recycling bins or graph energy

and water use: http://www.greenschoolsalliance.org/

•Community Resources–Local waste hauler, water district, energy provider, Green MBA Colleges (provide free audits & recommendations): http://marinwater.org/

–Green Schools Initiative, Alliance to Save Energy, Marin Organic, Safe Routes to School: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/LocalPrograms/saferoutes/saferoutes.htm

-Track & monitor your usage (Energy Star Portfolio): http://www.energystar.gov/

Resources

Curriculum• Center for Ecoliteracy: http://www.ecoliteracy.org/

• Cloud Institute: http://cloudinstitute.org/

• Sustainable Schools Project: http://www.sustainableschoolsproject.org/

• Teens Turning Green: http://www.teensturninggreen.org/

• Edible Schoolyard Project: http://edibleschoolyard.org/

• National Gardening Association: http://www.garden.org/

• LifeLab: http://www.lifelab.org/

• Facing the Future: http://www.facingthefuture.org/

Resources

Overview of Urban

Founded in 1966

Independent, coeducational high school

375 students

30% of students receive financial aid totaling $2.6 million

32% students of color

“Learning extends beyond the classroom to instill in students a sense of mission and purpose as citizens of the larger community and world.”

Sustainability at UrbanVision 2013: Creating a Sustainable Future

adopted by Board in 2008

Overarching theme: School Sustainability with six areas of focus

Plan goals: achieve sustainable school operations and graduate eco-literate students

SUSTAINABILITY

VISION 2017

Diversity, Inclusionand Equity

Working atUrban

SUSTAINABILITY

Accessibility

EducationFor the 21stCentury

FinancialStability

Facilities

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Vision 2013 Implementation Initiatives

Environmental Council comprising teachers, administrators and students created Fall 2008

Purpose: promote awareness, leadership and action around issues of environmental stewardship

Collected data and began using a sophisticated carbon calculator to measure the school’s carbon footprint

In Spring 2010, Council established a goal of achieving LEED EBOM rating

LEED EBOMLEED Existing Building Operations and

Maintenance aims to maximize efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts

Certifies that your building is actually operated, maintained and performing more sustainably than its peers

Students, teachers, staff and trustees worked collaboratively on certification making the school’s operations greener and more efficient

LEED EBOM (cont.)

Based on actual building operations and maintenance practices in: Exterior building site maintenance Water and energy use Sustainable purchasing policies Waste stream management Ongoing indoor environmental quality Environmentally preferred cleaning

products and practices

Awarded LEED Platinum Certification for Existing Buildings Operation and Maintenance October 2012; first school building in US to receive designation

Green Team: Student LeadershipStudent leadership group established in 2008-09;

works with a faculty advisor

Focuses on making school operations more sustainable and more efficient; educates student body (videos, bulletin board posts, etc.)

Green Team accomplishments include: Rechargeable battery program Low-flow plumbing fixtures Replaced all halogen lights with LED bulbs Compostable cups and utensils Increased sourcing of local and/or organic

ingredients in cafeteria Urban as a CSA drop box point Assessment of cleaning supplies and other toxins on campus Refillable whiteboard markers Turning off unnecessary classroom lights

Green Team: Student Video

Environmental Sustainability in the Curriculum

Key initiative in Vision 2013

Goal: develop student understanding of basic concepts in ecology, sustainability and conservation; awareness of human impacts on environment; skills needed to play a leadership role in solving complex environmental problems

Prepare students to be knowledgeable, proactive and literate in sustainable and environmentally sound practices

Sustainability in the Curriculum

2008-10, school undertook a curricular review process focused on environmental sustainability

Developed new courses, including:United States Environmental History, The

Naturalist as Writer, UAS Environmental Science: Ecology, UAS Environmental Science: Physical Resources, Economics

New content added to existing courses specifically related to sustainability: Marin Biology, Geology, and Science 1 and 2

Outdoor Education ProgramSelf-selected trips include: Climbing Trip,

Survival Skills, Pie Ranch, Cross Country Ski Trip, Sea Kayaking, Rafting

Mandatory grade level trips offer students and teachers opportunity to build class unity and foster responsibility through trail work and other outdoor activities

Nationally recognized service learning program; many environmentally focused

Questions?

Mark Salkind, Head of Schoolsalkind@urbanschool.orgwww.urbanschool.org