Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Workshop and Summit in D.C.

Image: Benjamin Banneker High School tour

Thank you to the 100+ school staff, IAQ researchers, and other organizations who participated in the IAQ workshop and summit in Washington, DC. The event, led by the Center for Green Schools and in collaboration with the Efficient and Healthy Schools Campaign and U.S. EPA IAQ Tools for Schools, provided free in-person training for school staff on developing and strengthening their IAQ management plans. We are especially grateful to Montgomery County Public Schools for sharing lessons learned from implementing a continuous IAQ monitoring program.

After a day of conversations on fostering partnerships between K-12 schools and IAQ researchers, we toured the Benjamin Banneker High School which leveraged a net zero energy design with features to enhance the learning environment through daylight, acoustics, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality.

Supporter Corner

ASHRAE's School Partnership Pilot

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE’s) School Partnership Pilot with the Efficient and Healthy Schools Campaign kicked off in 2023. The Partnership Pilot is leveraging local ASHRAE members' expertise and support to help schools access tools, resources, and funding to upgrade facilities, lower energy costs and emissions, and improve indoor environmental quality. The schools partnership is particularly focused on reaching schools in underserved and rural areas, with the ASHRAE schools team engaging in capacity building with participating chapters.

Currently, ASHRAE’s Schools Leadership Team is working with local chapters, conducting one-on-one meetings to discuss needs and assess challenges and successes as outreach to local educational agencies (LEAs) gets underway. If you are in one of the areas below and would like to reach out to your local ASHRAE chapter for support or collaboration, please email GovAffairs@ashrae.org.

List of involved chapters: Alaska, Baltimore, Central New York, Central Oklahoma, Detroit, Florida Gold Coast, Houston, Memphis, Miami, Minnesota, Rochester, Southern California, South Texas, and Utah.

Power of Partnerships Webinar Signup

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is hosting a webinar on Thursday, November 16th, to highlight different school partnerships such as community-based organizations, energy service companies, universities, and utilities that support school districts addressing energy improvement challenges. Learn what has worked well for these school districts and gain insights on how to identify and team with organizations in your community to get started on forming your own partnerships to address the energy challenges in schools. Register today for the November 16^th webinar to learn about the power of partnerships.

Registration

Join the Schools Teaming Partner List!

There is vast interest and opportunity for collaboration between school districts and industry experts willing to support them in meeting their energy goals. To facilitate such partnerships, and to help school stakeholders in the Renew America’s Schools Program, the Efficient and Healthy Schools Campaign, the Energy Savings Performance Contracting Campaign, and the Better Buildings/Better Climate Challenge connect and communicate, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is compiling a Teaming Partner List.

Join the Teaming Partner List to let prospective school districts know you are interested in working together. Please note that this is not an application for any DOE programs or campaigns.

Join the list!

Opportunities and Resources

U.S. EPA: $500 Million Clean

School Bus Rebate Program

$500 Million is available to fund school buses that reduce pollution, save money, and protect health. This year’s $500 million Clean School Bus Rebate Program, from the U.S. EPA, will provide a combined funding amount to cover buses, workforce development costs, and infrastructure costs for awardees requesting electric school buses. Applicants can request up to $345,000 per bus. Selectees may be eligible for Inflation Reduction Act tax credits applicable to their bus and infrastructure purchases.

Become a Green Ribbon School!

Image: Quail Lake Environmental Charter during the 2023 Green Strides Tour

The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) is a public engagement initiative for school sustainability that is structured as a federal recognition award. By highlighting schools, districts, postsecondary institutions, and early learning centers’ cost-saving, health-promoting, and performance-enhancing sustainability practices, ED-GRS celebrates these institutions and brings more attention to their work.

Each state is invited to submit up to five pre-K-12 school or district nominations annually. Interested candidates should contact their state education agency to request nomination by late fall/early winter. Deadlines vary by state.

See highlights from the 2023 Honorees and more success stories from the recently concluded 2023 Green Strides Tour in California.

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To learn more, visit

efficienthealthyschools.lbl.gov