It is no small task: One stated vision of the Colorado chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is to green Colorado’s schools within a generation. The organization has seen some promising developments in recent years. Currently, 40 schools in the state are LEED certified and several schools figured in the latest crop of U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools. Among recent honorees are Larkspur Elementary School (Larkspur), Mesa Elementary School (Cortez), Lesher Middle School (Ft. Collins), and the Boulder Valley School District.
The Douglas County School District boasts 32 locations with on-site renewable energy. Teachers use these energy systems as a part of their science, technology and engineering curricula. So building these renewable energy systems has consequently supported green education at the school.
The Green Ribbon Schools selection committee found that few schools are as well-designed and efficient as 54-year-old Lesher Middle School in Fort Collins, Colo. In 2006, the school finished a $3.7 million remodeling project, which created a new media center, fitness center, art room and classrooms with green upgrades like unit ventilators and double-pane thermal windows.
Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School in Fort Collins is a model of energy efficiency to other Colorado schools. The school uses a number of green building innovations including a geothermal HVAC system, a high-efficiency building envelope, low-E operable windows, an automated energy management system and skylights that maximize natural light to classrooms. For $17 million, Kinard created a school that will educate students in the community sustainably for generations to come.
Colorado educators and green builders can look outside of the Green Ribbon School honorees to find sites that merit recognition for their sustainability. Vista PEAK Exploratory school in Aurora, Colorado recycled more than 76 percent of its construction waste. They also expect the building to use resources and energy more efficiently—with an estimated 40 percent reduction in water usage and a 44 percent reduction in energy consumption compared to a typical building of this size. The school is so transparent in its energy use that it has installed a green touch screen in the building’s lobby that broadcasts real-time energy data, which can also be accessed by anyone online.
Another example of a Colorado school designed in support of green building standards is Red Hawk Elementary School of Erie. Red Hawk is a LEED Gold Certified facility built to accommodate its unique emphasis on student movement. At Red Hawk, movement, exercise, and health are foundational to the school culture. The school uses a rotating daily "movement calendar", where students gain 35-40 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on a daily basis, in addition to scheduled physical education.
Red Hawk’s success and how to design, build and maintain other 21st century schools like it will be discussed at the USGBC Colorado’s annual Green Schools Summit, taking place Friday, November 14, 2014, at the University of Denver. Every year, the Summit attracts over 300 education stakeholders, policy makers and green building industry professionals. Keynote Karl Fisch, creator of the popular Shift Happens video series and Director of Technology at Arapahoe High School, will share insights about teaching 21st century students and consider more meaningful ways to go about planning future learning spaces. Dr. John Medina, author of the New York Times bestseller Brain Rules, will give the second keynote “Brain Rules for Educators and Environmental Impact on Learning.”
For more information or to register, visit USGBC Colorado’s site.
Mason, is Director of Advocacy for the Colorado branch of the U.S. Green Building Council. [email protected]
