Chicago Public Schools became the first district in the country to earn a new certification aimed at improving health and sustainability in schools, a move staff say will improve the education and well-being of its students.
The Healthy Schools Campaign launched the Healthy Green Schools and Colleges program in 2022, creating a point system for schools to measure their sustainability using indicators like indoor air quality, pest management and HVAC systems.
CPS was awarded a gold certification, the highest available under the point system. It was the first district to achieve certification in the nationwide program, which has around a dozen districts working toward certification, according to program director Sara Porter.
“They are really now kind of the leader in so many districts across the country,” Porter said. “We’re definitely very excited and hoping that this recognition also inspires other districts to take on the same challenge.”
Instead of focusing on large-scale sustainability measures like renovations or constructing new buildings, the program is geared toward making smaller-scale changes that will make an impact. For example, CPS switched its toilet paper brand and cleaning products in favor of more sustainable options.
“It’s great when a brand-new school can be built, but we have to look at the buildings that students are in everywhere and start there,” Porter said at a ceremony at Englewood STEM High School Friday celebrating the achievement.
In the year and a half since the district began working toward certification, its biggest undertaking was establishing written sustainability procedures for each school in the district to follow, Porter said.
Through the program, CPS took some sustainability procedures already in place at some schools and applied them across the district, Chief Operating Officer Charles Mayfield said.
“Every school is important, there’s no one that’s left out,” Mayfield said.
The certification is meant to be long lasting, Porter said, and the districts must maintain their score on the point system to keep their status. In the point system, districts need 60 points for a bronze certification, 75 points for a silver certification and 85 points for a gold certification. With 90 points, CPS earned the gold certification.
The focus on sustainability is also connected to maintaining a healthy and safe environment, which will further support students, Englewood STEM High School Principal Christopher Shelton said. The program will also allow students the opportunity to learn more about climate change and sustainability, especially at Englewood STEM, where Shelton says the next generation of climate scientists is being raised. It’s easier to educate students on sustainability when they can observe it in action in their environment, Shelton said.
“This is a STEM school, so there are innumerable learning opportunities for the next generation of innovators,” he said. “The implications of this are huge. I think it’s about educating them about the environment and that they take advantage of that.”