The Whole School Sustainability Framework was produced through years of research by the Institute for the Built Environment at Colorado State University and was produced and published by the Center for Green Schools. It Illustrates how every school can establish the conditions necessary to support their journey toward sustainability. The framework is organized into three components of schools—organizational culture, physical place, and educational program—and is supported by literature and case studies from social science, business, education, and building sciences.

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The Green Schools Investment Guide for Healthy, Efficient and Inspiring Learning Spaces is a free downloadable resource for K-12 schools and communities that demonstrates how schools can implement healthy and resource-efficient building improvements. The guide is the first product of a joint initiative of Architecture for Humanity and the Center for Green Schools.

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Outlines a national action plan that mayors and local leaders can use as a framework to develop and implement green schools initiatives. The report also provides a comprehensive review of the benefits of green schools; a summary of local, state and federal policy solutions; leadership profiles of green school advocates; and case studies from both large cities and small communities. Together, these resources serve as a roadmap on the journey to green schools.

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A toolkit and comprehensive guide for state lawmakers who are developing policy solutions that improve the health, productivity, efficiency, and fiscal responsibility of schools in their state.

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The Paid-From-Savings Guide to Green Existing Buildings is a guide to help building facilities managers and energy service companies (ESCOs) leverage utility cost savings to fund comprehensive green building retrofits. The resource provides detailed information on how to aggregate green improvement measures to optimize project economics and achieve LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance certification.

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Jointly released with McGraw Hill Foundation, this paper is an accessible account of current research connecting school buildings with student health and performance. It also includes a summary of research needed and how individual groups (teachers and students, design professionals, government agencies, etc.) can help in the effort to draw connections between where students learn and their well being. Anyone who needs clear, defensible research to support the need for better, healthier classrooms will find the summary of research into how students breathe, see, hear, move and learn useful.

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The first in a series of research publications about sustainability professionals, this report was released with McGraw Hill Global Financial Institute and reaches well beyond the world of schools and colleges. The paper examines how the community of sustainability professionals can begin to make a stronger case for the profession and its impact on organizations across sectors.

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The second in a series of research publications about sustainability professionals, this report summarizes the role and expectations for sustainability directors in K-12 school districts. Drawing from extensive surveys and interviews with the Center for Green Schools’ network of sustainability professionals, the research concludes with important lessons for those managing and performing in this role.

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