The Green Schools Express

1. Trends in K-12 U.S. Environmental Education January 2011 Paul Chapman http://www.invernessassociates.org pchapman5@gmail.com The Green Schools Express

2. My Journey in Search of Green Schools • A Life in Education • Attuned to Nature • Encore Career • To Give Back, and • Make a Small Contribution Inverness Associates

3. It’s For Our Students • Riva’s Story • Earth Day 2010: “Our World is Burning Up!” • Schools: Engine of Social Change • George Counts, Dare the Schools Build a New Social Order? (1932) Inverness Associates

4. Mapping the Movement • Mapping the U.S. K-12 Environmental Movement • Visits Completed: 25 schools, 5 colleges and universities • Visits Planned: 20 independent and public schools • Partners in the Project: Stanford, UC Berkeley, Center for Ecoliteracy, Green Schools Initiative, Green Schools Alliance • Five Questions: Who, Where, Why, What, How Inverness Associates

5. Crossroads School, CA Turning Point School, CA Besant Hill School, CA Thacher School, CA Cate School, CA Stanford University, CA UC Berkeley, CA Mills College, CA Occidental College, CA Yale University, CT National Association of Independent Schools California Association of Independent Schools New England Environmental Education Alliance,VT Green California Schools Summit, CA Green Schools National Conference, MN Shelburne Farms, VT Barnes Sustainability Academy, VT Mountain School, VT Putney School, VT Northfield Mt. Hermon School, MA St. Paul’s School, NH Exeter Academy, NH White Mountain School, NH Sidwell Friends School, DC St. Stevens and St. Agnes School, VA Charlotte Country Day School, NC Castilleja School, CA Prospect Sierra School, CA Marin Country Day School, CA Marin Academy, CA Pasadena Polytechnic School, CA Environmental Science and Tech HS, CA Marlborough School, CA Environmental Charter HS, CA Windward School, CA Schools and Organizations Visited Inverness Associates

6. Bi-Coastal Movement: GSA Schools • New England = 27 • East = 70 • Mid-Atlantic = 23 • South = 32 • Midwest = 16 • Southwest = 12 • Mountain = 10 • West = 47 • Total = 257 Inverness Associates

7. What Is A Green School? • Commitment to Environmental Sustainability • GSI Four Pillars: The Little Green Schoolhouse • Strives to be toxics free • Uses resources sustainably • Create a green, healthy place • Teach, Learn, Engage • Five Disciplines • Efficient Resources • Healthy Environment • Ecological Curriculum • Nutritious Food • Community Practice Inverness Associates

8. Who Says It’s a Green School? • AASHE--Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education • CHPS--Collaboration for High Performance Schools • USGBC--US Green Building Council: LEED & Coalition for Green Schools • NWF--National Wildlife Fund: Eco-Schools • NAIS--National Association of Independent Schools: Environmentally Sustainable Schools • GSA--Green Schools Alliance • GSI--Green Schools Initiative: Green Star Schools • MAEOE--Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education Inverness Associates

9. Forces Shaping K-12 Environmental Education • K-12 Schools: Independent, Public, Parochial • Colleges and Universities • Non-Profit Environmental Groups • The Corporate Sector Inverness Associates

10. How to Green Your School • Clear Vision, Mission, and Goals • Strong Leadership: Top Down, Botton Up • Teamwork • Five Disciplines • Efficient Resources • Healthy Environment • Ecological Curriculum • Nutritious Food • Community Practice Inverness Associates

11. Vision, Mission and Goals • Explicit Mission Statement Key • Sustainability Incorporated in Educational Philosophy • Board of Trustees Support Crucial • Strategic Plan Key Tool • Resources, budget signal importance to community Inverness Associates

12. Strong Leadership • Role of Principal Very Important • Sustainability Coordinator Vital • Sustainability Task Force, Committee, Department • Formal training in environmental education a plus Inverness Associates

13. Efficient Resources • Energy Efficiency a First Step • Renewable Energy Critical Element • Most Visible Institutional Commitment • Small Group Can Implement • Economic self-interest, saving money key drivers Inverness Associates

14. Healthy Environment • Audit toxic and hazardous waste on campus • Develop a removal and monitoring plan • Create a green purchasing policy • Become a Certified Green Business Inverness Associates

15. Ecological Curriculum • Focus on head, heart, hand, spirit • Conduct a curricular audit based on core principles • Partnerships serve as accelerators • Link to 21st century skills • Place-based education • Commit Resources to Professional Development • “Greening a K-12 Curriculum,” Lisa Bennett, Center for Ecoliteracy Inverness Associates

16. Nutritious Food • Focus of National Policy Reform • Edible Schoolyard Movement • Boarding Schools Like the Mountain School Have a Special Opportunity • Day Schools Like Marin Academy Have Thriving Gardens Inverness Associates

17. Students Greening Schools Inverness Associates

18. The CA Public School Examples • School Construction Bond, 2006, $10.4B • $100M for high performance, green schools • Irvine School District Grid Neutral • No Child Left Inside • National Environmental Literacy Plans • CAL EEI Inverness Associates

19. It’s Not Easy Being Green: Overcoming Challenges • Costs in a recession • Limited resources, time • Isolation of people, program • Plateau effect, EfS fatigue • Standards-based education • Ideology and politics Inverness Associates

20. The Way Forward • Seizing the Time & Opportunity • Individual self-interest • Economic efficiency • Rapidly growing movement • Local, regional and national networks • Forging a National Movement • Quintessential American Practice of Local Organization • Regional Groupings • National Organization Inverness Associates