This agreement provides funding to center for green schools at the U.S. Green building council (CGS-usgbc)

This $6,525,894 project grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Air Act program (CFDA 66.034) provides funding to the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (CGS-USGBC) to build capacity among school district staff in low-income, disadvantaged, and tribal communities to establish and implement indoor air quality (IAQ) management plans and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions plans.

Key activities include hiring five regional coordinators to foster peer connections, expanding fellowship programs and providing mini-grants, hosting interdisciplinary convenings, and providing technical guidance and education. The grant also supports an IAQ and GHG reduction training and education campaign, including regional and national in-person training, professional credentialing for school district staff, and hiring and training of 40 emerging professionals. In total, the project aims to train at least 1,000 additional staff serving priority communities and impact approximately 2 million students by developing at least 400 district-level IAQ and GHG plans. The grant includes subawards of $20,000 to five districts annually and a $300,000 subaward to the National Environmental Health Association for educational training development.

Specifically, the recipient will build capacity among school district staff in low-income, disadvantaged, and tribal communities to establish and put into practice indoor air quality (IAQ) management plans and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions plans by connecting school district peers regionally, providing focused coaching and professional development, providing mini-grant funding to overcome initial barriers to action, making training and education widely accessible to staff, and ensuring that more members of the workforce have experience with successful IAQ and GHG planning within school systems. This work builds on long-running and successful support that the center for green schools has provided to hundreds of school district staff, who collectively serve 9.3 million students. Approximately 69% of the schools in these districts are title 1 eligible (approximately 60% of schools are title 1 eligible, nationally). The proposed program places direct emphasis on making capacity building and training activities more accessible to school district staff serving low-income, disadvantaged, and tribal communities. This proposal leverages and expands on CGS-usgbc existing successful program to provide training to at least 1,000 additional school district staff serving low-income, disadvantaged, and/or tribal communities (henceforth referenced as 'priority communities') to update or create at least 400 district-level IAQ and GHG emissions plans, impacting an estimated 2 million students. In the process, CGS-usgbc will hire and train 40 emerging professionals, building the workforce capable of supporting this work at schools. CGS-usgbc will increase public understanding of IAQ and GHG emissions planning at schools by reaching an estimated 175,000 people with published resources; 25,000 people with virtual training; and 850 million people through media outlets.activities:this proposal leverages and expands on CGS-usgbc existing successful programs to provide training to school district staff serving low-income, disadvantaged, and/or tribal communities (henceforth referenced as 'priority communities'). This agreement provides funding that will support activities in two of the nofo four project areas: 1. IAQ and GHG reduction capacity building targeting facility management staff, health officers, and key decision makers at k-12 schools and/or school districts in low-income and disadvantaged communities. - objective: increase k-12 school districts with comprehensive IAQ and GHG management plans. - activities: o hire five regional coordinators. O foster regional peer connections. O expand fellowship programs and provide mini-grant funding. O host multisector interdisciplinary convenings. O provide accessible technical guidance and education. 3. IAQ and GHG reduction training and education campaign for facility management staff and health officers at k-12 schools and school districts in low-income, disadvantaged, and tribal communities, and/or the development of qualified k-12 school staff necessary to execute comprehensive IAQ and GHG reduction plans. IAQ and GHG training and education campaign - objective: enhance skills of facility management staff and health officers in priority communities. - activities: o conduct regional and national in-person training. O support professional credentialing for school district staff. O hire and train 40 emerging professionals. O publish accessible information and increase national media attention on IAQ and GHG issues. Subrecipient:there are activities to be implemented through subawards. Subawards of $20,000 to five (5) districts/year x 3 years to defray costs of assessment, monitoring, or planning $300,000 subaward to national environmental health association for development of educational training CO