Your school’s eco footprint: students grade it, then improve it
For teachers looking to help students master STEM concepts, the Building Learners program is a complete, data-driven package that uses your school’s eco footprint to bring lessons to life. Students sharpen their analysis and problem-solving skills and observe the benefits of their impact on the school’s sustainability performance.
Building Learners is a K-12 education program that uses the operations of a school building to teach students about sustainability and empowers students to use their building as a learning laboratory. Students collect, analyze, and conduct real-world investigations that inform improvements around waste, energy, water, health, and transportation at their school. Working with their school’s facility manager and a volunteer green building professional serving as a mentor, students also get exposure to sustainability careers and build positive relationships with members of their community.
Explore Building Learners
Use the school as a learning tool
The lessons included in the program (download the guide) teach students the science behind buildings and sustainability concepts, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to investigate and improve the eco footprint of their school. Review these free lessons first, to envision how Building Learners can help your students learn and apply real-world critical thinking skills.
Track and evaluate real-world data
Students collect and track their school’s water, energy, waste, transportation, and environmental health data using the Arc platform. Create your school’s profile using Arc for All and explore how the platform can help sharpen your student’s analysis and problem-solving skills.
Receive guided support and resources
Our professional development prepares teachers to connect student learning with the school building’s data. The teacher and facilities manager are also matched with a volunteer green building professional to mentor, support the class, and provide green career connections. Review the resources that will aide you in implementing Building Learners in your classroom.
Students, teachers and facility managers benefit from Building Learners
The core Building Learners team consists of three individuals: a green building professional to serve as a volunteer mentor, an educator, and a school facilities staff member. Mentors provide valuable, real-world insight and guidance and have an immediate impact on students as they learn about the possibilities for sustainability improvement at their school.
Students
Hands-on and project-based learning experiences
Data analysis and practical problem-solving skills
Exposure to green careers
Connections with green building professionals
Teachers
Engaging, standards-aligned STEM-based curriculum
Online professional development
Lesson planning tools to inspire students to design their own green solutions
Support from industry professionals
Facility Managers
Conserved resources as a result of student-led action projects
Buy-in for sustainability improvements
Dashboard to track and communicate school sustainability metrics
Building Learners in Action
“Students were excited to create real change in the school. They were excited to come to class and work on this project because they could see a measurable difference in the sustainability rating of our school...This experience motivated them towards becoming more active around environmental issues in general.” – Chris Donnelly, 10th grade CTE Environmental Science teacher, Boston, MA
Case studies
Videos
Webcasts
In our Building Learners webcast series, we hear from teachers, school sustainability staff, and mentors about how the K-12 program empowers students to use their own school building as a learning laboratory, while meeting learning targets and supporting career connections. Click the links below to view each recorded webcast.
Pricing information
|
Exploring the program |
Year 1 |
Each subsequent year |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Free |
Free |
Free |
|
|
Free |
Free |
Free |
|
|
Price for one class - full program |
$1,000 * |
$500 |
|
|
Price for each additional class at the same school |
$200 |
$100 |
*Scholarships are available for those participating in the cohort. Checkout our FAQ's to learn more about the implementation options and scholarships; and reach out to us at schools@usgbc.org with any questions.
Get Started with Building Learners
Our sponsors provide support for Building Learners so that the cost to schools remains affordable
