Green Schools Summit a Great Success
March 01, 2010
Smoky Hill Education Service Center hosted a Green Schools Summit sponsored by Trane Commercial Systems on February 25th in Salina. Dozens of district administrators, school board members, and other educational leaders from across the state attended.
The purpose of the summit was to discuss how school districts are redefining success in turbulent times. Although the benefits of a better learning environment--higher student achievement, healthier students, and higher teacher retention rates--are undeniable, the question becomes is this a wise move in difficult economic times?
According to the presenters, the answer is a unanimous YES! Bob Kobet, the keynote speaker and president of Sustainassance International, said that one half of the school districts in the country think they cannot afford to take environmental issues, green building practices, and renewable energy into consideration when making educational decisions. The other half understand they cannot afford not to consider these factors.
Kobet gave numerous examples how this was being done around the world and challenged participants to believe that if it could be done in the places he mentioned it could be done in Kansas.
A common theme among all presenters was that once a movement was started--even if it was a small one--it would gain momentum and continue to grow across the district and throughout the local communities.
To illustrate this point, students from Clifton-Clyde USD #224 and Southeast of Saline USD #306 explained projects they had completed during the current school year and plans they have for future endeavors.
