WASHINGTON, D.C.—During this global pandemic, we know that parents and educators working from home are trying to keep school-age children on track, using an enriched curriculum, and out of harm’s way. We commend your efforts and want to support you.

USGBC’s Learning Lab online education platform offers lessons and activities that are well suited for distance learning, and many that are ideal for implementing at home, while being academically rigorous and fostering sustainability literacy. Additionally, many Learning Lab Partners have mobilized to provide training and experiences that can help educators and parents succeed for the sake of students.

All Learning Lab lessons are aligned to standards, support hands-on learning and come with guidance for implementation.

Check out our recommended resources for K–12 educators and parents. Listed below are the lessons we have made available for free—simply log in with your existing Learning Lab or USGBC account or create one. Purchase an annual subscription for $40 to access Learning Lab’s 700+ lessons in English and Spanish.

Click here to review the Learning Lab offerings from the Center for Green Schools.

Jenny Wiedower leads the Center for Green Schools’ efforts to support teaching and learning as a key component of any green school. As K-12 Education Manager, she leads the development of USGBC’s K-12 education platform, Learning Lab.

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A school’s physical structure is a critical component to student success, according to a statement by the NSBA. As such, the Clean, Green and Safe Schools initiative also focuses on improving school safety and energy and cost efficiency to ensure school buildings continue to provide an optimal learning environment.

Studies have found positive correlations between building conditions and student performance, the organization noted in a statement. In 2010, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency found that that students who attend schools in poor condition score 11 percent lower on standardized tests than students who attend schools in good condition.

“School board members across the country believe every school-age child deserves the finest public K-12 education possible,” said Thomas J. Gentzel, executive director and CEO, NSBA, in a statement. “Striving to provide the highest-quality education — one that enables every student to achieve their full potential — is grounded in many factors including the learning environment.”

The organization also pointed to a 2016 report issued by the Center for Green Schools, which estimated that the country spends approximately $46 billion less annually on school construction and maintenance than is needed to maintain a safe and healthy learning environment. One in six people in America, according to the NSBA statement, spend their day in a K-12 school and schools represent the largest public building sector in America. However, the last Government Accounting Office evaluation of school infrastructure was completed in 1995, and the average American school is now 44 years old.

Gentzel noted in a statement that school board members are often forced to choose between maintaining the facilities and keeping teachers — a no win choice in which students ultimately lose.

“A challenge exists to upgrade facilities with capital budgets that are tight,” he added. “Fortunately, creative solutions exist to help school boards address these environmental and infrastructure conditions so they can focus on their primary goal: serving students.”

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