At King High School, a team of teachers, administrators, and building engineers has already been meeting as a facilitated discussion group to work out facilities issues in the building. Green Schools is an excellent expansion of this initiative, bringing knowledge about the concepts that give rise to the issues to students, teachers, and all the building users. At Prince Hall Elementary, there is an emphasis on environment and technology, and the Green Schools Project is expected to fit well into these existing areas of instruction and action. The kick-off training for Philadelphia teams will take place on two Saturdays in November 97. The program parallels Green Schools in its focus on integrating energy efficiency concepts into the curriculum objectives, using an after-school club rather than a classroom format.
Indian schools use very little energy compared with their American counterparts.
There is no need to heat schools, and even though temperatures get as high as 115o F during the hot season, there is virtually no air conditioning in schools. A few lights and fans plus small equipment and appliances make up school energy consumption. In spite of these differences, we hope that Indian students and American students will be able to discuss their common experiences in achieving energy efficiency in their schools and communities. We will post on the web a set of questions that students in all five pilot sites and in India can use to share information. If you need a hard copy, we would be glad to supply it.