Green & Healthy Schools Program

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Green Schools Poster

Select areas or rooms in the poster or use the list of locations on the left to surf the school in search of tips. Hold cursor over rooms or outdoor locations to learn more.

How green is your school? Do you make a special effort on a daily basis to conserve energy, paper and water? Adopting “green” practices often lowers costs to run and keep your school cleaner and can reduce exposure to hazardous materials. Schools across the United States, including Wisconsin, are recognizing the benefits of incorporating green habits for their buildings and grounds.

Parking Grounds Visual Arts Grounds Technology and agriculture education Science Lab Entrance Forest Library Classroom Cafeteria Driveway Building

Green practices can serve as a model for classrooms, homes and communities. Students can learn concepts such as waste reduction, recycling, energy conservation, and natural sciences by conducting classroom waste audits, saving paper to reuse the blank side, composting food waste, turning off lights, studying the natural outdoor environment, and much more.

While installing low-flow faucets and energy efficient heating and cooling systems may cost a little more initially, they save schools lots of money over time. According to Alliant Energy, a geothermal system can reduce heating bills up to 50 percent and cooling bills up to 30 percent. Many schools also have saved significantly through simple, low-cost behavioral changes. One school district in California saved more than $200,000 over four years by reducing its waste stream by 65 percent.

Through the Wisconsin Green & Healthy Schools program, your school can start on the path to environmental sustainability. By completing the comprehensive Green & Healthy School Audits, students and staff can discover what environmental practices their school has already implemented and uncover areas for improvement. Students and staff can then work together and determine how to increase the school’s environmental performance, enhance its curriculum and provide better community service. By identifying and implementing new environmental practices, your school can be a Green & Healthy School.

To find out more about the Wisconsin Green Schools Program visit our homepage and use this poster to learn more about more about what you can do at your school.

Last Revised: Friday November 13 2009