Please Note: The Healthy Sustainable Schools: Guide & Assessment Tool was produced in 2007. Therefore, information in this publication may be outdated, and may better serve as a historical reference.
With a goal of helping Minnesota K-12 schools reduce operating costs, reduce environmental impacts and promote a healthy indoor/outdoor environment for students, the MPCA produced this document as a free online and printed resource that provides a:
Guide (65 p.) to the many physical/operational aspects of a school that can be changed.
Assessment Tool (60 p.) - a checklist - for walking through school buildings and documenting what needs to be done to make improvements.
Aimed at motivated parents and school officials committed to making improvements, the Guide helps advocates for change sell their recommendations by summarizing the many benefits of a healthier school, which include:
Enhanced student health and performance
Higher performing school buildings with reduced operating & maintenance costs
Reduced environmental impacts
Increased student attendance
Increased staff satisfaction
The Guide covers the following topics under the headings of Buildings & Operations, Reduce / Reuse / Recycle, Health & Wellness, and Toxicity Reduction:
Green building; energy and water conservation
Smart growth; building location / community adjacencies /size
Environmentally preferable purchasing; green cleaning
3R options; paper and food waste reduction; composting
Indoor air quality; integrated pest management
School bus emissions; mercury, lead, chemicals management
Nutrition
The Assessment Tool for Change includes these chapters:
Free Topic Experts and Resources
Getting Started
Establishing a Team
Building Awareness and Support (includes model policy statements)
School Assessment Forms
Final Tips
View the Guide and Assessment Tool at http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=2368.
If you're interested in a printed copy of this document, contact the MPCA's Library at 651-757-2120. Note: We are unable to check out items directly to the general public. However, visitors are welcome to use the collection in-house or borrow items via interlibrary loan. To arrange an interlibrary loan, consult your local library.
Healthy Sustainable Schools: Guide & Assessment Tool
Posted: September 11, 2019 by MAEE Administration
Category: Sharing Environmental Education Knowledge (SEEK)
Please Note: The Healthy Sustainable Schools: Guide & Assessment Tool was produced in 2007. Therefore, information in this publication may be outdated, and may better serve as a historical reference.
With a goal of helping Minnesota K-12 schools reduce operating costs, reduce environmental impacts and promote a healthy indoor/outdoor environment for students, the MPCA produced this document as a free online and printed resource that provides a:
Aimed at motivated parents and school officials committed to making improvements, the Guide helps advocates for change sell their recommendations by summarizing the many benefits of a healthier school, which include:
The Guide covers the following topics under the headings of Buildings & Operations, Reduce / Reuse / Recycle, Health & Wellness, and Toxicity Reduction:
The Assessment Tool for Change includes these chapters:
View the Guide and Assessment Tool at http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=2368.
If you're interested in a printed copy of this document, contact the MPCA's Library at 651-757-2120. Note: We are unable to check out items directly to the general public. However, visitors are welcome to use the collection in-house or borrow items via interlibrary loan. To arrange an interlibrary loan, consult your local library.