ED Officials Launch Facilities Best Practices Tour
Last
week, officials from ED, USDA, EPA and the state of Alabama kicked off the
first leg of the Department's Education Built to Last Facilities Best
Practices Tour . “Talladega County, exemplary in best
practices for energy management and environmental health, was an exceptional district to
kick off our tour,” said ED-Green Ribbon Schools Director Andrea Falken. “The district has used over four million in
utility costs avoided to maintain healthy, safe, educationally exceptional
schools for its rural students,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural
Outreach John White. In the coming
weeks, the tour will also visit other states and schools. .>>>
Below ED-GRS
Director Andrea Falken speaks with students at Winterboro High School about
their work in Opus, a project-based class combining math, science, music and
art.
School
Sites Visited
The 17 acre Fayetteville High School campus is a central hub for the entire community,
featuring large, raised garden beds and a wetland area, constructed in
partnership with FarmLinks, Inc., a local family-owned business and Auburn
University’s horticulture Department.
The school community has established a native tree grove, built a
children’s sensory garden, and planted over 250 trees and 700 shrubs. Since
opening the new building, FHS received the ENERGY STAR certification in 2009
and has saved $287,573 in utility cost avoidance.
Munford
Middle School and Munford High School, in one building, have challenged
their students with authentic learning experiences in outdoor classrooms where
students have, in collaboration with Jacksonville State University graduate
students, electroshocked their frog pond for species identification and for
signs of a potentially lethal amphibian skin disease. They also raise tilapia in six 1,000 gallon
tanks in their greenhouse (pictured
above), developed a blue bird trail, and student Youth
Conservation Corps members teach visitors about the native species and
geography of Alabama as they visit walking trails, reading pavilions and an
active waterfall. The building was
certified ENERGY STAR in 2009, saving $431,446.
Winterboro
High School students are prepared for their future through
project-based learning that is heavy in real-life science, technology, and math
applications. The historic 1936
structure built by local craftsmen and on the state register of historic places
is located on 40 acres conducive to outdoor studies and wholesome physical
activities. The school’s lagoon
wastewater system is a unique environmental learning venue. By adding insulation to the building for the
first time, the school went from a baseline Portfolio Manager rating of 24 to a
87 rating, leading to a 30 percent utility cost savings.
 Thanks
to successful partnerships with the Alabama Forestry Commission, Natural
Resource Conservation Service and U.S. Forest Service, Munford Elementary (pictured
left) is the first school in the southeast modeled
after a forest and integrates forestry, conservation, and environmental
education themes throughout the curriculum. Through “theme immersion,” daily
instruction uses the physical design and interactive exhibits to teach all
subjects in project based learning. The
school has saved 22 percent on utilities, earning the ENERGY STAR label in
2009.
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Funding
Opportunities
Education Facilities Clearinghouse Program
The
purpose of this U.S. Department of Education program is to provide technical
assistance and training on the planning, design, financing, procurement,
construction, improvement, operation, and maintenance of safe, healthy, and
high-performing elementary and secondary education facilities. The deadline for applications for this
cooperative agreement is August 12, 2013.>>>
Healthy Schools: Environmental
Factors, Performance, and Sustainability
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is
seeking applications proposing research
that will inform K-12 educational facilities building design, construction and
operation practices in order to foster safe and healthy school environments and
maximize student achievement and teacher and staff effectiveness. Specifically,
the goal of the research grant is to understand the relationship among
environmental factors and the health, safety and performance of students,
teachers and staff.>>>
Qualified Zone Academy Bond Allocations Released
The
Internal Revenue Service released the 2013 allocations for Qualified Zone
Academy Bonds (QZABs). Established in 1997 and administered by school districts
serving low‐income to issue tax‐credit
bonds that save on interest costs for financing school renovations and repairs,
but not new construction. Local
education agencies should contact their state education agency for additional
information.>>>
Grants to Improve Educational Services and
School Facilities in Rural Communities
Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack announced June 28 that USDA is accepting applications
for grants to provide access to education, training and healthcare resources
in rural areas. Completed applications
must be received by August 12, 2013. >>>
The
Rural Community Facilities Program is designed to
develop essential community facilities for public use in rural areas,
including school facilities. The rural community facilities grants, direct
and guaranteed loans are available to municipalities, counties, special‐purpose
districts, non‐profit corporations, and tribal governments
to be used in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population. Rural school leaders should contact their
USDA state office for assistance with accessing Rural Development programs. >>>
Other Resources and Opportunities
Be
sure to check the regularly updated Green
Strides Resources Page for an ever growing list of free resources for schools
seeking to be healthier, safer and more sustainable. STEM, energy education,
ocean education, project based learning, school facilities and environmental
health are some of the many student and staff outcome enhancing materials
available.>>>
ED’s Green Strides
Webinar Series continues with the tools to reduce schools’
environmental impact and costs; improve health and wellness; and teach
effective environmental literacy. Find more sessions for educators, facilities
managers, and advocates – even during the summer!
July 23, 2013, 3-4 p.m.
IPM: Protecting Kids from Pests and Pesticides (EPA)
July 24, 2013, 4-5 p.m. Recycle-Bowl Competition and Educational Resources
(KAB)
July 30, 2013, 2-3 p.m. Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities (HSC)
July
31, 2013, 2-3 p.m. Guidelines for Healthy Eating and
Physical Activity (CDC)
Aug.
6, 2013, 2-3 p.m. Green Cleaning: Learn from the
Leaders (HSC)
Aug.
7, 2013, 1-2 p.m. Mold and Moisture Control in Schools (EPA)
Aug.
14, 2013, 2-3 p.m. Training Tools for Healthy Schools (CDC)
Aug.
20, 2013 3-4 p.m. Current Issues in Chemical Management for
Schools (EPA)
Health
Education Curriculum Analysis Tool
The
Center for Disease Control has released the updated Health
Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT). The HECAT helps
school districts, schools, and others conduct a clear, complete, and consistent
analysis of health education curricula based on the National
Health Education Standards and CDC’s Characteristics of an Effective Health Education Curriculum.
On
June 10th, the U.S. Department of Education hosted student chefs from high
school culinary programs as part of Cooking
up Change, sponsored
by the Healthy
Schools Campaign.
This healthy cooking contest puts student front and center by challenging them
to create a great-tasting lunch that meets nutrition standards on a tight
budget. After winning first place in their local Cooking up Change competition, eight
teams
of student chefs traveled to Washington to lend their voices, and their
culinary creativity, to the national conversation about the future of food in
our schools.>>>
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