Sign our Declaration

This Declaration and Call to Action was developed by the Wingspread Symposium Steering Committee on Healthy Schools by Design of the Funders’ Forum on Environment and Education (F2E2), and by the Building Educational Success Together (BEST) partners of the 21st Century School Fund.

All public school buildings, whether new, renovated or existing must be:

Supportive of teaching and learning: High performance school buildings accommodate the learning needs of students, support a rich and varied curriculum, and give teachers practical and stimulating teaching space. They also provide for school-based programs and essential services that reduce barriers to student achievement.

Healthy, clean, and in good repair: High performance school buildings are clean, safe and secure; with excellent indoor air quality; high levels of acoustic, thermal, and visual comfort; and large amounts of natural light. All physical systems and components are well maintained.

Environmentally Sound and energy efficient: High performance school buildings are sustainable. They integrate conservation and renewable energy strategies. They use energy efficient mechanical and lighting systems; socially and environmentally responsible site planning; non-toxic building and teaching materials; and water conserving design.

Community centered: A high performance school building is connected to its community. The public is meaningfully involved in designing the school and exploring possibilities for such shared uses as neighborhood health clinics, libraries, or recreation centers. Old and historic schools are renovated and modernized to continue to serve their neighborhoods.

Cost effective to build, operate and maintain: High performance school buildings are built to optimize public investment. They are operated and maintained efficiently and designed using a life cycle cost approach that reduces the total costs of ownership. A commissioning process ensures the facility will operate in a manner consistent with the design intent. LEARN MORE »

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