The fifth annual Green California Schools Summit & Expo is the place to learn about all aspects of green schools – from funding, to new building technologies, to implementing green curriculum. The Summit takes place October 17-18, 2011, at the Pasadena Convention Center.
From student performance and health to responsible resource management, there are many reasons why these facilities should take advantage of green building innovations. The home state of the nation’s first green building rating program especially designed for K-12 schools, California has long been on the leading edge of the green schools movement.
With the development of its Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) curriculum, the state is also poised to become a leader in environmental literacy.
The Green California Schools Summit was created to address the unique needs and challenges of the growing green schools sector. This year, for the first time, the Green California Schools Summit and the Green California Community Colleges Summit will be held concurrently, with a single Expo serving both events. Carl Pope, Sierra Club executive chairman and co-chair of the newly-formed Blue-Green Alliance, will be the keynote speaker during a general session open to attendees from both summits.
“The convergence of these two events offers a rare and unique opportunity for educators, administrators, curriculum specialists, facility directors and others from community colleges and K-12 schools to interact,” said Carl Smith, editor-in-chief of Green Technology, the organization producing the summits. “We have learned from our advisory board that there is a need for this kind of networking between sectors.”
Attendees can take advantage of an educational program of seminars and panels that address the many aspects of high performance schools. Strategies, best practices and results from effective green schools programs will be covered in sessions addressing innovative funding mechanisms for new schools or renovations, implementing energy and water efficiency programs, involving students in greening their schools and many others.
The Summit will also include a one-day Green Curriculum Institute for teachers, curriculum supervisors and other educators focused on California’s landmark Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI). The EEI is a full environmental curriculum comprised of 85 units covering science and history-social science academic standards created by the California Environmental Protection Agency and formally approved by the State Board of Education for use in classrooms statewide. Green Technology has formed a partnership with CalEPA to help forward EEI implementation.
Both summits will share an Expo featuring more than 100 companies offering innovative green products and services. At a reception on October 17, Leadership Awards will be presented in recognition of achievements in green building, energy, curriculum and other categories.