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Greening Schools in the Golden State
Summit
will focus on new generation of healthy, sustainable schools
From December 4th to the 6th, the Pasadena Convention Center and historic
Pasadena Civic Auditorium will offer principals, school board members,
architects, product suppliers and educators an unprecedented view of the
range of tools and strategies available to make California's schools the
healthiest and most sustainable in the nation.
The
Green California Schools Summit and Exposition, with over 190
exhibit spaces and showcase areas, more than 80 breakout sessions and 10
pre-conference workshops – and even a model green school building
constructed in the center of the exhibit hall floor – will capture all
dimensions of the California's growing green schools initiative.
"This is the first major opportunity that we've had in California to focus
completely on K-12 schools in terms of the potential for energy savings
and sustainability," notes David Thorman, California's State Architect,
and co-chair of the Summit
advisory board.
Schools are often the centerpieces of their communities, and with growing
awareness in every one of the almost 1,100 school districts in California
of the benefits of healthy schools, the Summit will meet a tremendous need
to connect these districts with the products, services, financial
incentives and information they will need to begin or expand their
greening efforts. This need is given even greater urgency by the fact that
the state has undertaken the
largest school construction effort
in its history.
The Summit was
developed at the request of
advisors to the
Green California Summit,
convened in Sacramento last March to forward the implementation of state
and local sustainability efforts ranging from energy efficiency and green
building to transportation and environmentally preferable purchasing.
Despite the breadth of the program undertaken for the Summit, aimed at the
thousands of state workers with responsibility for these programs, they
wanted to be ensure that schools were not ignored.
"As planning moved forward, it became clear that schools had unique needs,
and that an entirely new event was called for," said Green Technology
president Bob Graves. "The Green Schools event was created to provide a
program and resources that would best support programs to make California
schools healthier and more sustainable."
The
advisory board for the event is composed
of officials and organizations that are leading sustainability efforts in
California schools. Secretary of State and Consumer Services Rosario
Marin, whose agency approves both design and funding for public school
construction, joins Thorman as co-chair. Members include representatives
from the state Department of Education, the Collaborative for High
Performance Schools (CHPS), director of the Department of General
Services, and the chief facilities executive of the Los Angeles Unified
School District.
"The Green Schools Summit is unique because it will not be just about
buildings, but about providing healthier environments for students," said
advisory board member Jules Stein, director of special projects for the
Office of the Secretary of Education. "The first thing Secretary of
Education Dave Long said upon assuming office is that all his decisions
would be based on what is good for kids – and green schools are good for
kids."
CHPS
participation in the planning of the event is crucial; to be eligible for
green funds under
Proposition ID,
public schools must meet the "high performance" standards that it has
developed. While an ever-increasing number of districts are embracing CHPS,
there are many who still need to be engaged.
"The more events we can have to increase awareness, the more people will
join in," said Kristin Heinen, assistant executive director for CHPS.
"This Summit is addressing a very broad range of green school issues – not
just facilities but also other important aspects, from gardens and nursing
programs to nutrition. We can provide a foundation of what green goals are
and an opportunity to talk about any green issue."
A
Showcase for Possibilities
The
summit exhibition will have four distinct venues. The main exhibit hall
will be home to over 150 exhibitors, offering a chance to learn about and
see products ranging from zero-emission paint and recycled rubber flooring
to solar power and daylighting systems.
At the center of the exhibition hall,
Bouma Construction will
construct a Green School Demonstration Building. An experiential showcase,
the Demonstration Building offers attendees a unique opportunity to
experience, in context, various aspects of a green school. Specific vendor
products will be showcased as part of the building design. The
building also includes a classroom area in which an ongoing series of
educational presentations will be provided.
The adjacent building, the site of conference registration,
pre-session training, and breakout sessions, will also feature a project
showcase gallery. This area is reserved for displays featuring completed
projects that exemplify best practices and is intended to provide an
important element of the educational experience at the Summit. School
staff who participated in the showcase projects will be on hand, providing
an important peer-to-peer perspective.
The first exhibitor accepted for this gallery is
Solar City, which is providing systems integration and
installation services for the Pacific Gas and Electric Solar Schools
Program. Partnering with the Foundation for Environmental Education,
Solar City will be providing over 70 pole-mounted installations throughout
the PG&E service territory during the next two years and will provide a
proprietary data portal that will connect all 100 of the PG&E schools.
Solar City will offer attendees hands-on exposure to their 1kW ground
mounted school systems, rooftop commercial installations and their web
portal.
Between the two buildings, an outdoor display area will feature
alternative fuel vehicles, playground equipment, grounds equipment and
landscaping designs and products. Six-foot tabletop displays will also be
available outside training rooms, offering a combination of economy of
space and high visibility.
"It is time for all school districts to start incorporating green
technology and sustainability in all new schools," said advisory board
member Ted Rozzi, chair of California's Coalition for Adequate School
Housing (CASH)
and assistant superintendent for school facilities for the Corona-Norco
Unified School District. "The position we find ourselves in is that we can
no longer accept things the way they are. We need to start thinking about
the next 50 years."
For
more information on the Green California Schools Summit, or to register,
click here.
[Space
for full summit registration is limited. Schools are encouraged to bring
teams to obtain group rates;
recommended
team members include principals, business officers, facilities personnel,
board members, purchasing and transportations specialists, teachers,
parents and interested community members.]
Details regarding the education program and the call for presentations can
be found by
clicking here.
For Green Technology coverage of schools issues,
click here.
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