Green Apple Day of Service to benefit healthy schools

Green Apple is a global movement to put all children in schools where they have clean and healthy air to breathe, where energy and resources are conserved, and where they can be inspired to dream of a brighter future. On Sept. 29, 2012 1,256 service projects took place around the world, bringing together parents, teachers, students and advocates who worked to make our schools healthier, more sustainable places to learn. "The first annual Green Apple Day of Service has come and gone, and what a weekend it was. More than 1,200 communities around the world took a moment to think differently about where they learn, and participated in meaningful steps towards change. Events and school improvement projects happened in all 50 states, on every continent, and in more than 40 countries... Last spring I said if we got 100 events, I would be happy. On July 2 we hit that 100 project mark. Two weeks later we saw the 200th event register at mygreenapple.org, and from there we continued to pick up steam, with the "final" count as of Saturday morning (Sept. 29th) topping off at 1,256 commitments, events and projects. Partners, contacts, friends and colleagues came out in force to show their support of better schools, and I couldn't be more proud, thankful and inspired. Girl Scouts in Maine rallied in the rain to learn about recycling in their school cafeterias. High school students and volunteers in Detroit installed an outdoor classroom where previously there wasn't a safe place for students to gather outside. More than 30 events took place across Puerto Rico, including garden cleanups, mural paintings and renewable energy seminars. In places as diverse as they are far apart, including Ethiopia, Colombia and Jamaica, communities came together to learn about and implement strategies for composting, recycling and energy conservation. Day of Service marked a new milestone in our work, and today is Day One of a new era in our movement. It started with you, and it can only continue to move forward with all of us moving in the same direction. What was demonstrated this weekend only confirms that there is still so much to be done. Take a moment to congratulate one another on the incredible achievements of this weekend. But let's not stand still too long. Let's remember that the acts of service that took place this year should be a hallmark to what we can do every day. Just like the gardens and trees that were installed will require care all year round, so too does our mission to transform the learning environments of each and every student" said Emily Riordan, USGBC Grassroots Outreach Specialist A quarter of all Americans walk through the doors of a school every day. Yet instead of walking into places of opportunity, millions enter buildings where the air they breathe is filled with toxins and mold, where classrooms are poorly lit and overcrowded, and where resources are limited and outdated. Too many of our children are learning in buildings that are compromising their health and ability to succeed. Our kids deserve better. Where they learn matters. Mark your calendar for next year's Green Apple Day of Service happening on September 28th. Vince Capogna, LEED AP ID+C, GPRO: O&M, CM, is the executive director of the Long Island Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and principal of Synergy Green Building Group, Inc., New Hyde Park, N.Y.