Submitted for 1.5 LU|HSWs AIA CES credit approval we are excited to showcase local green building and sustainability projects; and climate and racial equity actions presented by an array of St. Louis area green building professionals and leaders.

Accelerate your company, your profession, and your networks in the transition to green buildings, cities and communities at the must-attend green building event for the Midwest is here!

When: May 12, 2022 from 8:00 am - 6:30 pm

Where: Saint Paul RiverCentre, Saint Paul, Minnesota

Cost: $199 for USGBC members | $99 for emerging professionals!

Experience, in-person networking, 6.5 CE hours, green building sessions for real world issues, the future of LEED, and amazing keynote speakers, such as Winona LaDuke (Honor the Earth), Channon Lemon (Intent Energy, LLC), Monte Hillman (St. Paul Port Authority), and

This Saturday, May 7, 2022 starting at 12:00 pm meetup with your community at St. Vincent Greenway in Ruth Porter Mall Park and take on the Life Outside Challenge - 2022 Spring edition!

Complete at least 10 of the 20 Great Rivers Greenway Life Outside challenges until May 15, 2022 and win an outdoor adventure prize! Then, get back outside Fall 2022, starting September 1st.

and any knowledge of the Materials and Water Petals of the Living Building Challenge to help push this EarthDance Organic Farm School project of a new waterwise restroom facility to be net positive energy, water, and waste!

Tuesday, May 17, 2022 @ 4:00 - 6:00 pm - we will tour the farm in Ferguson Missouri and project site, hear from EarthDance about goals for the project and begin discussing the waterwise restroom facility.

Tuesday, May 24, 2022 @ 4:00 - 6:00 pm - at Clayco Inc. we will apply sustainability and Living Building Challenge best practices and develop the building and infrastructure design for the waterwise restroom facility.

USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter (USGBC-MGC) is soliciting a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for website design and brand refresh services.

To effectively and dynamically support the Missouri Gateway region in making every building a green building - we need a new website equipped to make that happen for our members and the broader community with direct brand recognition of who we are and what we do.

Please consider sharing this RFQ opportunity with your networks and organization.

Qualifications are due next week, Thursday, May 12, 2022 by 5:00 pm CT and can include both qualifications, or be submitted separately, one for Website Design and one for Brand Refresh.

Including the RFQ: Website Design & Brand Refresh Services is our project timeline, draft website table of contents, specific website needs for a CRM system, and our current Missouri Gateway Green Building Council brand components.

"In a world where sustainable solutions feel like an additional weight on the shoulders of teachers like me, this Quest puts the solutions and research on students and gives them a chance to show off the amazing changes that are capable of demanding for their future. I love what I/we fight for, and I love who we are fighting for even more."

- Britt Tate, Columbia Elementary and Bryan Hill Elementary

Thank you GSQ Mentors!

Our volunteer Green Mentors play a huge role in this program – supporting schools in a variety of ways, from helping with project ideas, providing technical expertise, connecting schools with community resources, or simply lending an ear and helping with timeline reminders.

Learn more about all of the 2021-22 GSQ participants’ projects by watching the 2021-22 GSQ Project Showcase & Winners video!

We cannot wait to honor 3 elementary, 2 middle, and 1 high school projects as division winners each with a trophy and $300 prize and the spotlight award winners with $100 each, learn more by reading the 2021-22 Green Schools Quest Winners & Projects article!

Celebrated at last weekend's St. Louis Earth Day Festival and honored by Congresswoman Cori Bush, two Missouri schools were recognized by the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for exemplifying what it means to be a green school with:

LEADERS at the local level - ADVOCATES in the community - PROVIDERS of green building knowledge - VOICES in the conversation.

Listen or watch Coffee Break ILFI Series: Living Building Challenge - Water & Materials Petals with featured guest Madeline Smith!

Madeline Smith, Senior Associate, Sustainable Development Manger, Clayco enterprise

The following article was written by Dan Rafter, March 9, 2022, posted on rejournals.com for Women in Construction Week 2022: Clayco's Madeline Smith.

As an environmental studies major, I was looking for a role where I had the greatest potential for influence in improving the environment. Construction has significant impact on the environment and many avenues for mitigating its impact. Sustainability consulting for buildings seemed like a perfect fit for my career goals.

A quality I love about my job is the wide diversity of jobs and tasks. Depending on the enterprise needs, I may be assisting an owner on sustainability goals for a project, educating a subcontractor on the sustainable requirements of a job, brainstorming internal enterprise sustainability goals, working with estimating on accounting for all costs related to sustainability, or interviewing for a project pursuit. The variety of tasks keeps me engaged and excited about the job.

The largest obstacle has been costs related to sustainable design and construction. Generally, we all are motivated to “do the right thing,” but willingness to pay varies substantially. Acceptable payback periods are typically short and anything without a tangible payback can be an uphill battle.

My favorite construction project to date is the Centene North Carolina headquarters. It is our largest WELL project, and the design integrates nature throughout the space. The team is motivated, communicative and engaged, which makes the work enjoyable.

Other than the diversity of work, the most redeeming part of my job is the change it is making in the industry. I am very proud to support project teams that want to make their buildings more sustainable. Despite the challenges, it is rewarding knowing that this work is improving the environment.

Women’s participation in construction has drastically increased over my time in the industry. I expect this to continue until the gender ratios are equivalent to the population.

Seek out other women in the industry to have as mentors and collaborators. Construction is a fast-paced job and having women peers to learn from and consult with will help your career immensely.

The above text was written by Dan Rafter, March 9, 2022, posted on rejournals.com for Women in Construction Week 2022: Clayco's Madeline Smith.

Tell us what you think about this month's USGBC-MGC article written by Ben Freiman, Missouri Green Schools AmeriCorps VISTA:

University City School District and Principia School Honored as 2022 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools.

Ready to renew your USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter membership? Check your membership status.

Learn more about Sponsorship Benefits and become part of our vision to make every building a green building!