Green & Healthy Schools Academy
Programs for educators, administrators, and students
The Green Building Alliance Green & Healthy Schools Academy (GHSA) promotes vibrant, healthy, and high performing schools and environmental education through training, technical assistance, and engagement with educators, administrators, students, and school board members.
Our team works with schools and school districts to improve indoor air quality in our classrooms and learning spaces; reduce energy use, emissions, and utility costs; and make our schools resilient to the impacts of extreme weather and emergency events.
We also provide tailored programs on sustainable practices to educate and inspire K-12 students and educators; exposure to in-demand jobs in the building design, construction, and operations sectors; and insights into preparing for and seeking out those career pathways.
Green & Healthy Schools Offerings
From training facilities staff in healthy and efficient building operations to enabling high school students to achieve their Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) credentials, GBA offers customized programming for school stakeholders.
Professional Development and Trainings for Teachers, Staff, and Administrators
Green Professional: Operations & Maintenance for Schools (GPRO for Schools)
From navigating tight budgets and rapidly rising energy costs to addressing the effects of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) on health, school attendance, and learning outcomes, schools face unique challenges. GPRO for Schools equips PreK-12 facility and custodial teams with practical, actionable, and affordable strategies for improving IAQ and energy efficiency, and reducing water use.
Thanks to a generous grant from The Grable Foundation, GBA is currently offering GPRO training to Pennsylvania schools at no cost. Both virtual and in-person training sessions are available. Read the press release here.
GBA’s expert staff leads the training, providing the knowledge and tools to create healthier indoor air quality, including guidance on cleaning products; chemical use; pest management; improving air flow, ventilation and air filtration; products and finishes; and more. This training offers strategies that can be used immediately, as well as for cost analysis and future planning.
By the end of this training, school facilities participants are able to:
- Evaluate building energy and water performance of their building and campus
- Identify actionable next steps to improve the energy and water efficiency
- Understand, identify, and address the causes of poor IAQ
- Articulate the costs and benefits of efficiency measures
- Earn an industry-recognized professional certification, GPRO O+M, upon completion of the course and exam, issued by Urban Green.
No prerequisites but recommended for those already in the field of building operations or facilities management.
“Our schools facilities teams do critical work every day, and Green Building Alliance is honored to partner with schools to help them navigate the challenge of rapidly rising energy costs, tight budgets, and the need to ensure our children’s learning environments are healthy and safe. GBA works alongside school maintenance teams, helping them deploy practices that protect our children, and saving taxpayer dollars through improved energy efficiency.”
Jenna Cramer
President & CEO, Green Building Alliance
Curriculum Support and Technical Assistance
We assist educators and administrators in meeting their PA Department of Education standards, particularly Career Education and STEELS standards. This can include consultation, technical assistance in curriculum development, and content expertise. We also offer train-the-trainer sessions in which we teach teachers how to deliver our content. See below for more details on how we can support curriculum development.
Topical Lectures and Presentations
We can customize content for faculty and staff, parent groups, facility teams, and students. Topics may include healthy indoor learning environments, green cleaning for schools, sustainability careers, energy efficiency for schools, and more.
Experiences and Education For Students
LEED Green Associate Exam Prep Course
We help prepare students for green building careers and enable them to leave high school with a stackable professional credential. This course is a great fit for those pursuing deeper understanding of high-performance buildings and professional credentials under the US Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating System – the world’s leading building standard for healthy, high-performing buildings and sustainable development.
The LEED Green Associate credential demonstrates a strong knowledge of green building and sustainability development and communicates this knowledge to potential employers.
No prerequisites, and appropriate for all learning levels. Recommended for high school seniors but can be adapted for younger students. LEED credential exam not included.
Youth Green Building Conferences
GBA will work with partners to host conferences for youth who are interested in diving deeper into the topic of green buildings and related career opportunities. We can bring employer partners, share details about various career pathways, and provide students with the next steps towards pursuing these jobs.
Career Fairs
GBA can either host or attend existing career fairs and expose students to jobs in the green building industry. We share details about green buildings, green building jobs, and the role each type of green building career plays in addressing climate change and improving quality of life for our communities.
Topical Lectures and Presentations
We can customize content for faculty and staff, parent groups, facility teams, and students. Topics may include healthy indoor learning environments, green cleaning for schools, sustainability careers, energy efficiency for schools, and more.
Green Building 101
GBA offers this beginner’s level course which is appropriate for all ages and features an introduction to green buildings and green building careers.
Field Trips and Green Building Tours
GBA can host student groups on field trips of our own LEED Platinum certified space or other regional green buildings, demonstrating real-life green building practices and learning laboratories for education and engagement. A hit with students of all ages!
Curriculum Support for PA Department of Education Standards
GBA programs contribute to pre-employment career preparation in schools that align with the PA Department of Education’s Career Education and Work Standards and STEELS Standards. We can help different age groups in the following ways related to Career standards:
- Elementary: Exploration of individual interests and various careers
- Middle: Deeper dive into career pathways, academic preparation for specific careers
- High: Crafting an individualized career portfolio
GBA offers schools the materials, templates, classroom instruction, experiential learning, and teacher training to meet these benchmarks in fields related to the built environment. These may include:
- Elementary: Introduction to the core elements of sustainability and their application in traditional occupations.
- Middle: Detailed exploration of occupations, training programs, and the industry accreditations that provide students with career mobility and advancement.
- High: Simulated work experiences in green building design and construction along with field experience at green building companies.
STEELS (Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy, and Sustainability) standards: GBA programs and content support environmental literacy for both teachers and students. We can assist with curriculum development or present our own content to meet your goals.
Past School Partnerships Have Included:
- Biophilic Design Summit: GBA convened a summit of green building professionals, teachers, and school students to design ways to bring elements of nature into their school buildings.
- Chartiers Valley Student Group Support: GBA supported students in designing and hosting sustainability education events, including hosting an annual conference.
- Francis McClure Elementary School Field Trip: GBA hosted a group of 4th graders at our LEED Platinum certified offices to learn about green buildings and related careers.
- School Sustainability Culture Program: GBA facilitated a cohort of dozens of schools and school professionals (including superintendents, principals, facility managers, teachers, and administrators) in exploring how to design a holistic culture of sustainability, beauty, inspiration, and well-being in our schools.
- Pittsburgh Public Schools Facility Support: GBA worked with Pittsburgh Public Schools and The Efficiency Network to secure a Renew America’s School grant which will support essential updates and upgrades to school buildings and equipment.
For information on how we can support CTCs, community colleges, and universities, contact us.
Visit our Green & Healthy Schools Resources page to learn more about how to make your school healthier and more sustainable.
