Green Cleaning Award 2008

For the second year in a row, American School & University magazine will present its Green Cleaning Award, created in conjunction with HSC and the Green Cleaning Network, to honor schools and their partners that embrace green principles and practices in their maintenance operations.

Judges from HSC and the Green Cleaning Network will evaluate proposals from educational institutions around the country.

Winning schools, which must demonstrate exceptional dedication to green cleaning, will be featured in an upcoming special supplement of American School & University magazine.

Applications are due by Sept. 12, 2008. Click here for details and an application.

The judging criteria for the award are based on the fives simple steps outlined in HSC’s Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools. Click here to order your free copy of the guide!

About Last Year's Winners

Last year's winning schools were featured in a special issue of American School & University. Check out the special Green Cleaning Award section [pdf] »

HSC Environmental Health Specialist Claris Olson was one of the contest judges, and as she discussed in her post-contest blog, the winning programs did more than use green products: they implemented systems that include thorough staff training and feedback from people who use the building. Claris says:

At Mayfield County School District in Ohio, the district is using vacuums certified by Green Label and has furnished the schools with high quality floor mats.  They also use Green Seal certified paper products.  I was really impressed with the training program for their custodial staff.  The staff attend a two-day training program accredited through their local community college.  The vendor provides a follow-up one-day in-service training that covers the importance of green cleaning and its impact on the districts’ staff, students and buildings.

At Hernando County Schools in Florida, the district also uses Green Label certified vacuums as well as color-coded microfiber cloths dedicated to specific areas. Hands down what won me over with this first place award winner was their constant evaluation and feedback program.  They have systems in place for daily and weekly feedback from teachers and the administrator, and even have self-assessments for the custodial staff. The maintenance/custodial supervisor conducts inspections at the school through out the day and evening and provides reports to the head custodian, principal and executive director of maintenance.  The reports allow everyone to see the achievements as well as areas for improvement. 

Questions about the contest? Contact Healthy Schools Campaign at 312-419-1810.