Green Schools In Pennsylvania
Are you part of a green school in Pennsylvania? If so, we would love to
hear about your involvement. It is so important that sustainability and
energy efficiency be taught to our children, the more focus we can put on these
efforts the better.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is part of the U.S. Green Building Council and has a special department for rating schools. The LEED rating is not the only way for a school to go green but for newly constructed buildings it is an outstanding goal to achieve. Many towns, states and school systems have made it mandatory for all new schools to be LEED approved.
Building green schools is more than just a trend, it is fast becoming a way of life, and for many good reasons. These schools are healthier for out children, they teach sustainability and energy conservation, they save money for the school districts and they improve the local environments. They also provide a model that existing schools can take ideas from and implement into their own system.
The state of Pennsylvania is one of our countries leaders in newly constructed green schools. Visit one of these LEED schools and see what makes them special. Some of the more notable ones are Londonderry School, Shady Side Academy, Clearview Elementary School, A L Wilson Elementary School and Commodore John Barry Elementary School.
What you will find at these green schools in Pennsylvania is an emphasis on natural light and energy conservation. This is usually easy to see because of all the glass and the evidence of solar panels. What you may not notice are the rainwater containment facilities, the use of geo-thermal for heating and cooling, the advanced air filtration systems, the changing rooms for walkers, joggers and bike riders and the recycle containers.
It will also be impossible to see how important recycling and green products were in the construction phase of the building. These schools were able to recycle an amazing amount of construction waste in an effort to keep it out of our landfills. Whenever possible, building materials were either purchased "green" or local. Green products have a certain percentage of recycled material in them and are favored over similar products using 100% raw material. The distance the product travels in a consideration also so if the product is manufactured locally is will likely have a smaller carbon footprint than the same product shipped across the country.
Green schools are great teaching tools, for the children attending them, and for the rest of us wanting to green our current schools. Don't wait for a green school to be built in your neighborhood, get busy and turn an existing school green.
What are you doing to green a school in Pennsylvania?
Tell us about your green school.
A green school, club or activity you are proud of.
Top of Green Schools In Pennsylvania
