Event - Green California Schools & Community Colleges Summit and Exposition

The 9th annual Green California Schools & Community Colleges Summit and Exposition will be held October 29 - 31, 2015, at the Pasadena Convention Center 300 East Green Street in Pasadena California. The Green Market Oracle is once again proud to be an outreach partner for this important event.

This is the first and largest green schools event in California it offers insights into achieving the full range of benefits associated with a high performance green school. Among the benefits are cost savings that can free up funds for core needs and improved student performance. Districts that have made a strong commitment to sustainability have also earned respect and gratitude from the communities they serve.

Middlebury Institute’s IEP Program: Focused on Today’s Sustainability Issues (Video)

Middlebury Institute’s International Environmental Policy degree program is designed to attract students who want to play a part in setting international agendas for worldwide sustainability issues and initiatives.

Event - Colorado Green Schools Initiative September Meeting

This meeting will take place on September 16, 2015, from 7:30 AM MDT to 9:00 AM MDT at The Alliance Center, 1536 Wynkoop St, Denver, Colorado CO 80202. This is one of several meetings planned, these meetings are free for all to attend.

Agenda

Educational Tool Assesses Scientific Veracity of Online Content

An educational tool has been developed that can assess the veracity of climate related online content. The resource helps to separate fact from fiction in the complex world of climate science to the general public. This tool is an ideal companion for those engaged in climate education. The resource was developed by Dr. Emmanuel Vincent, a tropical cyclone expert at the University of California.

Colorado Parents Support Green Initiatives in Schools

Parents in Colorado support green values and want to support environmental initiatives in their children's schools. This was the finding in a 2014 survey by the Colorado Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

In addition to support for a range of green school initiatives the results of this study indicate that there is also strong support for the teaching of sustainability.

key findings from the survey

Sustainability Ranking of US Colleges and Universities Reveal the West is the Best

Sierra magazine's much anticipated annual ranking of colleges and universities is now in its ninth year. This year the Cool Schools top ten ratings known as the "Eco-Valedictorians" is dominated by west coast schools and the state of California in particular. Two campuses of the University of California (Irvine and Davis) are at the top of the list. A total of five campuses belonging to the UofC have won half of the 10 best spots. When you add Seattle's University of Washington and Portland Oregon's Lewis and Clarke, a total of seven of the ten top schools are located on the west coast.

Video - Solar Schools Crowdsourcing Community Initiative

The Solar Schools project is putting clean energy in classrooms all over the country. This project gets students and the wider community involved in an effort to support renewable energy and reduce school utility bills. Solar Schools is run by 10:10, a charity that brings people together to help tackle climate change.

For more information on the Solar Schools initiative click here.

Make sure to see the article titled, "Comprehensive Green School Information and Resources." It contains links to over 200 articles covering everything you need to know about sustainable academics, student's eco-initiatives, green school buildings, and college rankings as well as a wide range of related information and resources.

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The UK's Solar Schools Crowdfunding Initiative

An innovative community based approach to funding solar panels on school roofs is producing results in the UK. The Solar Schools initiative reduces energy demand and saves utility costs while fostering community involvement through renewable energy. This program is run by 10:10, a charity that brings people together to help tackle climate change.

This program helps to overcome the cost barriers that make it difficult for schools to fund renewable energy projects on their own. The initiative works by having schools set a fundraising target for a solar roof, then others get involved by contributing to the project.

Infographic - Solar's Potential in US Public Schools

11 Examples of Energy and Cost Savings at K-12 Schools in the US

In this budget constrained environment schools are always looking to reduce energy demand and save money. From nationwide programs sponsored by the federal government to small scale initiatives from individual schools, energy efficiency and retrofits are the rage in schools all across the US.

According to the government’s EnergyStar program, the nation’s 17,450 K-12 school districts spend more than $6 billion annually on energy, with as much as 30 percent of a typical district’s total energy used inefficiently. So there is a lot of room for savings. Here is a sampling of some of the energy and money that is being saved in the nation's K-12 schools.

University Students Supporting the People's Climate March

University students have proven themselves to be a driving force behind the divestment from fossil fuels movement and they are also key players in the forthcoming People's Climate March which will take place on September 21. The march is meant to put pressure on political leaders who are convening for the UN Climate Summit in New York on September 23. Students on over 250 campuses have been organizing, to make sure strong delegations attend the People's Climate March.

Students are well known for the propensity to protest for societal betterment, social justice and environmental issues. They are also central to efforts to push political leaders to act on climate change. Students know what must be done to effectively tackle climate change, but we are missing the political will.

Video - Campus Sustainability at Western State Colorado University

Students are at the future leaders, and Western State Colorado University (WSCU) understands that it is critical to help students to inculcate sustainability. WSCU understands that students are at the heart of the sustainability movement. Getting students involved make sustainability sustainable. At WSCU students are passionate about sustainability that makes a difference in their community.

Video - Business Education for Good: The Ghana Project at Bentley University

The Ghana Project is a unique educational partnership between Bentley University and multiple businesses, communities, and NGOs in Ghana. It has grown from a connection to one orphanage to include work with area artisans, Ghanaian women building a local poultry business with micro-financing, and local entrepreneurs working at the crossroads of public health and sustainability.

Bentley University Sustainability on Campus and in Ghana

Bentley University has made sustainability a priority, not just on campus but in the developing African nation of Ghana. Located just west of Boston, Bentley is a business university with more than 5,000 full-time students. The university has set aggressive goals to eliminate their carbon footprint by 2030. Bentley is reducing their environmental footprint through energy management, and building environmentally conscious retrofits including the installation of LED lights.

Bentley is also purchasing 25 million kWh/yr of RECs which have helped to halve the school's carbon footprint. Bentley was honored by the EPA as a Green Power Partner and earned recognition as one of the top ten Northeast-10 Conference schools in the EPA’s College & University Green Power Challenge.

Bentley's sustainability efforts have gone far beyond the college campus and  now extend all the way to Africa.  Diane M. Kellogg is an associate professor of management at Bentley University and the driving force behind the university's sustainability program in Ghana.

Diane's work in Ghana began when she took over for her friend Carol Gray. Carol was raising money to build an orphanage in the country when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. “I want to die knowing the orphanage can support itself, without always needing donations." Carol said to Diane, "You’re a management consultant. You teach at a business school. Could Bentley help?” she asked.

Cornell University Installing a Solar Array with the Help of NY State

Cornell University is one of several projects that will receive funding for solar installations as part of NY-Sun initiative, launched by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The state has awarded a total of $54 million to Cornell. The state's award will be added to $120 million in private investment designated for infrastructure projects.

Cornell University will instal 6,766 solar photovoltaic panels on a 10-acre Cornell property site adjacent to the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport. This is Cornell’s first large-scale solar project and it is expected to produce about 2.5 million kWh annually, or about 1 percent of Cornell’s total electricity use.

Innovative Approaches to Environmental Education: Taking School Outside

Schools are adopting increasingly innovative approaches to education that help to show children the value of the environment. Some schools are teaching children by bringing them out into nature and enabling them to do things like canoe down a river, hold a bird of prey, and rappel down a cliff wall. These types of activities are of immense value and offer far more than can be achieved in a classroom setting alone.

This is the unique pedagogical approach of WOLF (Wonders of the Ozarks Learning Facility) program. This novel education is the byproduct of a public-private partnership between the Springfield, Missouri public school system, Bass Pro Shops, and the Wonders of Wildlife Museum.

MBA Specialisation in Carbon Management at the London School of Business & Finance (LSBF)

London School of Business and Finance (LSBF) has unveiled a new MBA with a specialization in carbon management. The degree is designed to give students all the knowledge needed to pursue careers in the rapidly growing renewable energy sector. The MBA specialization will teach students about the principles of carbon management, it will highlight current and emerging issues from the sector at both national and international level. Students will also study project management and leadership, helping them to implement carbon management policies in businesses worldwide. These practical and academic skills will give students the opportunity to build their future in the rapidly growing and forward-thinking sustainability sector.

Energime University: Changing the World with Sustainable Education

Energime University is the world's first scientist driven entity dedicated entirely to teaching sustainable global resource management (Energy, food, water, waste). This school is composed of a dedicated and passionate group of some of the world’s foremost scientists and educators. Energime University is embarking on an ambitious quest to educate the world and provide the essential skills to forge a more sustainable world.

Classes and courses will be offered and taught live and over the internet by the visionary scientists, inventors, integrators, and business experts. These forums will cover the newest and most innovative transformative technologies, operational protocols, and ground breaking projects now in development.

Green Education and Ten Careers in Sustainability

A green education opens doors to a number of  high paying careers and helps to build a more sustainable world. The importance of a workforce schooled in sustainability is critical to the future of our planet.

Our environment is in crisis due to the ways we produce energy, grow food and manage water and waste. If we continue with business as usual a systemic collapse is inevitable and in many places it has already begun. People who understand the dynamics of sustainability can dramatically change the ways we do things before we pass irreversible tipping points that will condemn future generations to an environmental apocalypse.

The Princeton Review's 2013 Guide to 322 Green Colleges

The Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges profiles 320 institutions of higher education in the US and two in Canada. These schools demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.

To produce this book, they partnered with the US Green Building Council, a national nonprofit organization best known for developing the LEED green building rating system.

The guide is the only free comprehensive and annually updated guide to green colleges. 

To download Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Colleges click here.

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