Wellness, Sustainability and Learning at the Second Annual Green Schools National Conference

By Mark Bishop, HSC vice president of policy and communications

Next week, the HSC team is packing our bags and heading to Denver for the Green Schools National Conference. From February 27-29, sustainability and education supporters from across the country will come together at this second annual conference. 

The conference has more than 100 breakout sessions and panel discussions to share important information that shapes healthy school environments. Keynote speaker U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will discuss the development of the Green Ribbon Schools Award Program, an awards program recognizing schools that are creating healthy and sustainable learning environments and teaching environmental literacy. We recently shared our excitement about the vision for this program.

Healthy Schools Campaign joins more than 30 organizations in spreading the word about the event. During Wednesday’s breakout session "Greening Your School Food Service," I will share milestones in our work to promote green cleaning programs in schools. Additionally, I’ll discuss the development of our new healthy food service guide, a handbook to put sustainable practices in place. This work further demonstrates how integral a healthy school environment is to wellness and learning.

I anticipate that participants will take these shared ideas to amplify the green school movement from coast to coast.

To learn more about the Green Schools National Conference, visit www.greenschoolsnationalconference.org.