To help protect the health and safety of American schoolchildren and school staff, the EPA has released the nation’s first-ever school siting guidelines to help communities evaluate environmental and public health factors when choosing new sites for schools.

California State Schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson has announced the release of the Schools of the Future Report, which recommends sweeping energy efficiency improvements for schools and establishing a Green Schools Award. Green Schools Initiative's Deborah Moore was on the Schools of the Future Task Force.

The EPA has launched a new student’s website called, ""It's Your Environment." K-12 students will find games, homework reference resources, awards, events and contests. Parents and teachers can also find resources and lesson plans. 

For the 2nd year in a row, QA Graphics’ Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard was named the best Energy Conservation product by Environmental Design + Construction and Sustainable Facility magazines’ annual Readers Choice Awards.

Sungevity, a Diamond-certified solar installer based in Oakland, California, is partnering with public and independent schools in California, Arizona and Colorado to raise money for schools while helping school communities go solar.

Today we celebrate healthy and green indoor school environments on the 10th anniversary of National Healthy Schools Day. And the air needs clearing: the EPA has estimated that half of all U.S. schools have indoor air problems. Your school can take these simple low-cost or free steps to improve indoor air at school.

Cities, states, even the federal government are powering up the green schools movement. A dozen different states now have green schools recognition programs or green schools networks providing lots of resources to help schools go green.

The winners of our Green Dream Contest -- King Chavez Academy in San Diego and Berkeley High School -- have made exciting progress in just a few months. Berkeley High School’s Green Team undertook a school-wide garbage audit as one of its first actions towards reducing its waste. King Chavez Preparatory Academy is taking their waste reduction efforts to the next level, recycling more types of materials.

State Superintendent Tom Torlakson asked his Schools of the Future task force to make recommendations on innovative ways to create California schools that not only enhance achievement of all students, but are also centers of the community, and models of sustainability and efficiency. The task force has released its policy recommendations, and the future looks bright.

On May 13, three influential organizations released an important report, "Local Leaders in Sustainability: A Special Report from Sundance," that could have a big impact. The report offers an action plan for how local governments can accelerate the greening of America's schools for all the nation's children.

The "Green Star Schools" program has been running a pilot project to test green school certification and recognition at the Rosa Parks School in Berkeley. Read about the impact and success of "Green Star Schools" so far. Also: An interview with Deborah Moore about the Green Star Schools program.

"Green Ribbon Schools", a new program from the U.S. Department of Education, was announced Tuesday (April, 2011). It will celebrate schools that have made significant strides in greening, from curriculum to facilities to operations. The Green Schools Initiative has been piloting a similar program, "Green Star Schools" with great success at Rosa Parks School in Berkeley, California.

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is switching to green cleaning procedures and green cleaners for use in classrooms and district facilities. With a grant from the State of California Department of Health, the District will receive training for custodial, facilities and purchasing staff on the hazards of conventional cleaners, and how to select and purchase safer, more environmentally preferable cleaners.

Local heroes like YOU and Deborah Moore are making a difference in the Bay Area. Green Schools Initiative's Executive Director, Deborah Moore is winning a Jefferson Award for Public Service from the Bay Area's KCBS Channel 5.

 Watch the short news clip!

About 18 months ago, I was reviewing our email listserve and Facebook fans and noticed we had someone in Bali, Indonesia from something called the Green School. I checked out their website and was intrigued by the new school they were building – completely out of bamboo – and the sustainability curriculum they were using as the foundation of their approach to learning.

The Green California Schools Summit honored Green Schools Initiative's Deborah Moore with its 2010 Pioneer Leadership Award in recognition of "the significant inroads she has made in promoting green culture in schools."

Education faculty from around the country are launching a new Education for Sustainability Special Study Group (EFS SSG) within the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). The SSG will provide a forum for teacher educators interested in integrating sustainability into the pre-service and on-going professional development of PreK-12 teachers.

Who knew that schools account for 27 percent of the U.S. construction market? With so much school construction, there's a huge opportunity to create healthy, resource-efficient learning environments for America's future. Discover how the San Bernardino, CA and Washington, DC school districts are doing just that.

In response to the 2007 US Conference of Mayors resolution calling for "green schools for all children within a generation," U.S. Mayors seek to make green, healthy schools a national priority, starting with coordinated local efforts.

Air pollution from traffic near schools has been found to be associated with the onset of asthma in children. This story comes to us from Environmental Health News.

And now the good news we're all longing to hear about innovative educators and the cutting edge strategies they're implementing in schools across the U.S. Read on to find out how many American schools are getting it right.

More than a dozen states have passed bills requiring green cleaning in schools in the last couple of years. Momentum is growing, as about a half dozen other states caught on in 2009-10, introducing legislation for green cleaning in schools.

Two recent articles in the New York Times highlight the benefits of students walking to school -- in Italy and beyond; and how integrating greening into the curriculum can build civic-minded students, and perhaps even help safeguard public health.

Advocates and lawmakers are focusing on dangerous conditions in schools, poor student health, and their impact on student achievement.

How ordinary school cleaning supplies could be contributing to childhood asthma and cancer – and what you can do about it.

28 organizations representing more than 1.6 million parents, students, and education interests urge California to invest in greenhouse gas reduction projects at K-12 schools

In addition to making great music, Jack Johnson wants to change the world. Green Schools Initiative is teaming up with the Johnson Ohana Foundation and All At Once, to help reduce plastics.
 Donate today and Jack will match your gift! GSI will also be featured at his concert at The Greek Theater in Berkeley.

The Nature's Voices Project is a new effort from Green Schools Initiative to collect and share stories from youth who have been inspired by environmental education programs. Enter a story into our 2nd Annual Nature's Voices Story Contest and win a cash prize and a trip to be a keynote speaker at the Green Schools National Conference in March 2015. Submit a story by January 16!

Intern Clara MacLeod interviewed Sarah Delaney, SFUSD's ecoliteracy content specialist, about how the district is forging ahead with outdoor education, professional development, field trips, and the connections to broader green school initiatives.

CALIFORNIA APPLICATION now available: Apply for the U.S. Dept of Education's Green Ribbon Schools Award! Apply through your state education agency. Get the recognition you deserve!

In November 2012, 18 students and 4 teachers from Southeast Asia participating in the "LEADING GREEN" Exchange program toured the Brower Center and listened to a Green Schools Initiative presentation by Executive Director, Deborah Moore. They were supported by the U.S. State Department to visit and learn about green schools and sustainable communities.

State Superintendent for Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announces the formation of a new Task Force to develop a plan to promote environmental literacy for all California students and seeks to broadly engage educators and the public to contribute.

The theme for Prospect Sierra School’s Earth Day on 2012 was “Awe.” Twenty inspiring parents, teachers, and community members led workshops and assemblies designed to cultivate the emotion of “awe” while teaching about our planet and universe. Three weeks later, faculty and students are still talking about it. By all accounts, everyone at the school was awe-struck!

Many parents and school staff with questions and concerns regarding potential health hazards of children's cell phone usage have contacted Green Schools Initiative. So, we are sharing this review and summary on the current state of knowledge, scientific uncertainty, and common sense precautions.

The federal Department of Education announced its first Green Ribbon School award winners, honoring 78 schools that are exemplary in reducing environmental impacts, creating healthy learning environments, and teaching environmental literacy.

New "Asthma Quick Takes" short videos help you reduce and manage asthma at your school, with simple ways to improve indoor air quality. Asthma absences cost CA schools over $30 million in revenue each year, and more than 13% of students suffer.

Skeptics warned that "green schools would have to come at the expense of reading and math, of repairing broken-down schools, and offering arts and sports, [but] the green schools movement is not a zero-sum game. It's really a win-win game..." –Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, February 28, 2012

Paul Chapman, former Head of School at Head Royce School in Oakland, is a close partner of ours, and we are excited to announce the publication of his book. In "Greening America's Schools," he explores how green schools can result in the "triple bottom line": money saved, better student achievement, and improved health.

As many as one third of our public schools may have air quality that can cause respiratory problems in children. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta visits schools and families, discussing the health impacts of poor indoor air quality that plagues public schools attended by 14 million American children daily.

Congratulations to the Green Teams of Creative Arts Charter School of San Francisco and Valley Oak Elementary of Fresno, 2011 winners of the "What's Your Green Dream School?" Contest! We were inspired by their goals and think you will be too!

Congratulations to the Green Teams of Berkeley High School of Berkeley and King Chavez Preparatory Academy of San Diego! The "What's Your Green Dream School?" Contest is awarding $500 to each school's Green Team. Read about their goals and accomplishments to date.