Page 55 - spaces4learning, Fall 2023

the improvements that are most necessary.
Sustainability can Enhance Learning
There’s nothing more motivating to education leaders than the chance to improve students’
affordably. Schools that are already facing specific man- dates can use digital systems to streamline and monitor compliance and track and re- port against key sustainabili- ty goals.
The bottom line is that sustainability needs to be a top priority for to- day’s education leaders, but they don’t need to figure it all out on their own – they can lean on outside part- ners with expertise in both sustainability and education and take advantage of innova- tive technologies to pave the path forward.
learning experience and ac- ademic outcomes. Sustain- ability projects in individual schools and across districts can improve everything from indoor lighting, air quality, temperature, noise levels, etc., to provide students and teachers with more comfort- able and productive environ- ments for learning. When the environment is more comfortable, students will be focused and productive aca- demically – not to mention more physically and emotion- ally healthy.
FOR THESE REASONS, IT’S ESSENTIAL THAT EDUCATION LEADERS BUMP SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE TOP OF THEIR PRIORITY LISTS AND LEARN HOW TO OVERCOME COMMON CHALLENGES IN MODERNIZING THEIR BUILDING SYSTEMS AND FEATURES. HERE 􏰀RETHREETR􏰁THS􏰂EHIND􏰃-􏰄􏰅 SUSTAINABILITY MANDATES THAT LEADERS NEED TO INTERNALIZE AND ACT ON TO CREATE HEALTHIER LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR THE FUTURE.
The Gulf County School
District, headquartered in
Port St. Joe, Florida, has seen
firsthand how sustainability
learning and wellbeing. When the district was hit by Hurricane
Cheryl Aquadro is the Ver- tical Market Director, K-12, Sustainable Infrastructure for
Johnson Controls.
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/DRAZEN ZIGIC
Michael in 2018 and then the COVID pandemic a few years lat- er, they turned these crises into an opportunity to rebuild more resilient learning spaces. District leaders partnered with John- son Controls to develop a project roadmap and implementation plan, and to leverage alternative funding solutions like grants and performance contracting. Over just 22 months, the district made $20 million upgrades to seven buildings, including a full replacement of equipment in the district’s central energy plant. They saved nearly $8.3 million in utilities, maintenance, op- erations and capital costs – but more importantly, the schools are now safer, more comfortable and future-proofed to weather what’s ahead.
Sustainability is Achievable
with Small Steps
Sustainability projects can feel intimidating to education lead- ers who don’t know where to start. A natural response can be to kick the can down the road, especially for schools or districts that are not yet facing formal building performance standards from their state or local governments. This practice might result in deferred maintenance, which can lead to health hazards and costly repairs, and all schools will be accountable to state or municipality mandates soon enough, so it’s much more logical (and affordable) to meet these standards proactively instead of battling deadlines later down the road. It all comes down to taking small, realistic steps.
Luckily, there’s an ever-growing array of solutions to address different sustainability challenges – it’s simply about learning what’s possible and matching the right tools to the job. Wheth- er education leaders are looking for climate-control equipment, better lighting, more advanced safety and security features or anything else – there’s a solution that exists and can be financed
initiatives can enhance student
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