Frequently Asked Questions
What is a green school?
“Green School” is a term that can mean many different things.
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In Oregon it often refers to schools that are certified as green schools by the Oregon Green Schools Association. This state-wide program is focused on resource conservation, though Premier-level Green Schools often have many other programs in place.
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It also is commonly used to refer to the school building itself if it is a high-performance building.
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It also can generally refer to schools that are adopting environmentally-friendly practices, and to a variety of programs around the country designed to help schools with these efforts.
SOSI is focused on the larger overarching concept of sustainability and the entire school system. It entails all of the above green school concepts and more. SOSI’s efforts have the specific goal of achieving a sustainable equilibrium, and even moving beyond that point to restorative. It includes the social and economic dimensions along with the environmental aspects, applied to both the surrounding community and the global community.