The U.S. Green Building Council Georgia Chapter has been awarded a seed grant from Turner Foundation to enhance two programs, one for high schools and the other for elementary and middle schools, that will engage 200 schools for the 2011-2012 school year. The programs are part of the Chapter’s High Performance, Healthy Schools initiative, which helps schools effectively implement sustainability projects.
To track results and progress of the programs, students affiliated with the International Knowledge & Research Center for Green Building at Southern Polytechnic State University will manage data entry, including two years of historical school performance data. They will use the newly developed Sustainability Dashboard, a unique web-based service that makes tracking sustainability initiatives affordable and easy.
The high school program is called “Green YOUR School” and is part of the SkillsUSA Competition in partnership with the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia. Students compete by completing tasks in three areas: submission of a LEED for Existing Buildings scorecard for their school, submission of an energy audit, and the development and implementation of a student conservation program. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the green building rating system created by the USGBC.
The elementary and middle school program is a partnership with the Girls Scouts of Greater Atlanta, United Parcel Service and the USGBC Georgia Chapter. Volunteers from UPS help Girl Scout Troops establish “Sustainability Teams” in their elementary and middle schools. The teams help the school systems reduce significant costs in their operational budgets while instilling in the students improved conservation behaviors, which can also be taken home.
Sustainability Teams will be piloted during the 2011-2012 school year at Forsyth County Schools (suburban), Butts County Schools (rural) and various schools in the Atlanta area (urban). The teams will implement energy conservation, water conservation, recycling, and clean air school programs. BD+C
Related Stories
| Jan 4, 2012
Skanska acquires Industrial Contractors
Industrial Contractors Inc. is a contractor in the commercial, industrial and power markets of the Midwest. The company employs 2,400 people and in 2011 the revenues are estimated to be approximately $500 million.
| Jan 4, 2012
HDR to design North America’s first fully digital hospital
Humber River is the first hospital in North America to fully integrate and automate all of its processes; everything is done digitally.
| Jan 4, 2012
New LEED Silver complex provides space for education and research
The academic-style facility supports education/training and research functions, and contains classrooms, auditoriums, laboratories, administrative offices and library facilities, as well as spaces for operating highly sophisticated training equipment.
| Jan 3, 2012
Gilbane awarded $88M Contract for Ohio elementary school construction
The new award, which comprises the construction of five new elementary schools and demolition of 11 older facilities, is the latest K-12 building program managed by Gilbane for the Ohio School Facilities Commission since 1998.
| Jan 3, 2012
AIA's ABI November Index reaches 52.0
The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) reached its first positive mark since August.
| Jan 3, 2012
Callison acquires Barteluce Architects & Associates
This acquisition will grow Callison’s New York team to over 75 architects.
| Jan 3, 2012
VDK Architects merges with Harley Ellis Devereaux
Harley Ellis Devereaux will relocate the employees in its current Berkeley, Calif., office to the new Oakland office location effective January 3, 2012.
| Jan 3, 2012
Weingarten, Callan appointed to BD+C Editorial Board
Building Design+Construction has named two new members to its editorial board. Both are past recipients of BD+C’s “40 Under 40” honor.
| Jan 3, 2012
New Chicago hospital prepared for pandemic, CBR terror threat
At a cost of $654 million, the 14-story, 830,000-sf medical center, designed by a Perkins+Will team led by design principal Ralph Johnson, FAIA, LEED AP, is distinguished in its ability to handle disasters.
| Jan 3, 2012
BIM: not just for new buildings
Ohio State University Medical Center is converting 55 Medical Center buildings from AutoCAD to BIM to improve quality and speed of decision making related to facility use, renovations, maintenance, and more.
