Students Take the LEED at InPro's 'School of Green'

Zoran Krecak, Education Market Manager and LEED Green Associate at , describes their 'School of Green' as a pilot program to educate kids on green building standards as well as to see what they already might know about sustainable materials.

In the wake of earth day, the timing was appropriate as St. Joe's Big Bend middle schoolers and on Monday business students learned about how recycling and other 'green' efforts have impacted standards for new buildings. These standards have dictated that it's no longer enough to be cost efficient, but also to be conscious that materials come from foresters that will replant trees, plumbing systems be 'low flow' to conserve water and energy come from 'free sources' like solar and wind power.

Krecak takes the information he gathers from the tests students take at the beginning and end of the class, as well as their evaluations of a hypothetical building plan, to incorporate into a white paper. He has been impressed with how well the first classes have done.

"They're doing very well on the first quiz they take, even at the middle school level, which tells me they're paying attention to what's being said," he said.

The quiz asks questions like what 'free energy' sources are, what the acceptable volume for water efficient toilets are and the best use of 'graywater.' After they take the quiz, they are handed a hypothetical building plan and rate it according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, or how 'green' the building and its materials are. There is a right and wrong score to give each of dozens of criteria, and professionals in the industry help the group with questions they have to help them arrive at a score.

The same quiz is taken again at the end of class, and invariably Krecak said they perform even better.

LEED standards require businesses to build with sustainable materials and provide energy and water efficient systems inside the building. InPro's building was constructed prior to LEED, but Krecak said the message is that there are still things businesses can do to change their present operations to be more responsible.

"For us, it was as simple as using double-sided paper, which if you think about it uses up to 50 percent less. We also changed our plumbing to reduce our water consumption by 17 percent," he explained.

Students for their part said the exercise was more difficult than they were anticipating, with one sophomore from MHS saying, "I didn't realize how many factors had to be considered to be 'green' so it was tougher for our group than we thought."

Nikki Billings, who teaches the 'Exploring the World of Business' class at MHS also said the day was also an eye-opener for students looking into a career in building and design.

"There's so much more to consider in regard to the types of jobs that are out there and where the industry is going, so I think today is a good way to illustrate what opportunities there are to look into," she said.

While it may seem a topic that middle and high schoolers may not be interested in, the results seen reflect a generation that has always known recycling, and remains in tune with 'green' as an initiative and not merely a color. (And for their parents who are wondering what gray water can be used for... the correct answer is irrigation.)