Green Cleaning Award Program Launched with American School & University Magazine

by Claris Olson, HSC Environmental Health Specialist

Healthy Schools Campaign is pleased to announce American School & University’s Green Cleaning Award program, designed to recognize the outstanding efforts of schools around the nation to move forward with green cleaning.

We know that green cleaning reduces chemical exposures for children and adults, protects the health of staff who work closely with the cleaning products, extends the life of buildings, and even protects our environment. Now it's time to recognize the people who are embracing these concepts at schools.

American School & University's Green Cleaning Award, created in conjunction with HSC and the Green Cleaning Network, honors schools and their partners that embrace green principles and practices. Awards will be presented to exemplary programs and winners will be profiled in a special supplement of American School & University, a monthly magazine for education facilities and business professionals.

The awards could not come at a more relevant or important time. Our friend Steve Ashkin, author of HSC's Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools, explained it this way:

For those of us who have spent our careers in the facilities department, we often operate as though we are invisible.  We want the occupants of our buildings to enjoy the benefits of a healthy, safe, clean, high-performing and even inspiring building, and we want them to do so without giving thought as to what it took to achieve this. 

The downside of this is that we often go unrecognized for the efforts we expend on behalf of our occupants and guests.  One of the downsides of humbly working in the background is that it tends to limit our exposure to others, even in our own profession.  As a result, innovation and true leadership is often slow to be recognized.

Steve said that a similar award program launched by American School & University has become the "Academy Award" of school design, so we have high hopes for this award program and are eager to encourage schools to apply.

Learn more or submit information about your school's green cleaning program at the American School & University award page.

And if you don't already have your free copy of The Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools, click here to order it today!