EP: How many schools have you visited vs. how many are you targeting? Public schools? Private schools? National Schools? International schools?
KVH: Since our inception in March last year, we have worked with 3 private schools, and consulted informally with 14 schools, public and private included. We are working directly with schools in the Boston area, but educators read our blog across the country, and we receive e-mails and requests from schools nationwide.
Last May we conducted a Greenfox Schools National Market Survey, in which we polled hundreds of teachers, administrators, and educators across the country on the subject of greening schools. We were excited by the results that suggested a large percent are highly interested in sustainability. Teachers repeatedly noted that they want to make change but feel like they don’t know where to start or where to get the resources for their classrooms. Similarly, administrators responded that they didn’t know where to start in the process of “greening” their school, but wanted to make change happen through green building, operating systems, and student education.
Looking ahead, we’d like to help city school districts implement the Greenfox5. Our aim is to generate widespread change, and public school districts contain multiple schools.
EP: Is there a difference in perceptions or attitudes towards the importance of green education in private vs. public schools?
KVH: I have not observed a difference in attitude among public and private school teachers. Rather, students and teachers are both very excited and think going green is important. However it is harder among the administrations, because there is more red tape to cut through before schools can say “yes” and move forward with a sustainability initiative.
The good news is that it gets easier for administrators to say “yes” when they realize that a school-wide sustainability initiative not only benefits children and the environment but also saves money in the long-term.
EP: How easy or difficult is it to get teachers on board? Who supports you in this mission? The school administration? The State? The Dept of Environment? Parents?
Teachers are great. Like myself, most teachers are in the classroom in the first place because they care about children and are passionate about what they do. The teachers I know give so much energy and go above and beyond what is asked of them to make life better for children. It is no surprise then that some of the greatest advocates of green schools are teachers.
Overall various people—parents, children, teachers, administrators and city officials, support us.
[...] Read an interview with Kristen von Hoffmann as she talks about Greenfox Schools for Ecopreneurist in Reenita Malhotra’s article, “Greenfox Schools: Greening the Obama Generation.” [...]