We first met Mervin (Merv) Brewer when he helped the Salt Lake City School District earn the Green Cleaning Award Honorable Mention in 2011 when he was assistant custodial supervisor. He went on to become an integral part of the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges Program as one of our founding steering committee members, bringing
Steering Committee Member Merv Brewer Remains Dedicated to Family, Healthy Schools in Retirement
It’s Time to Lift Up Our Most Essential Workers: School Custodians
Our school custodians and facilities teams have always had the challenging job of cleaning up messes while protecting public health. During the pandemic, we have been asking school custodians to show up day in and day out to protect us all against COVID-19. We ask them to don PPE and enter classrooms where known cases
Educational Facilities Managers Reflect on the Most Challenging Year
Steering Committee Members Share Lessons Learned from 2020 The educational facilities managers interviewed for this article have led their schools and universities through many tough times in the past, with a commitment to green and healthy cleaning that has led the field. But there has never been a year like 2020, where the global COVID-19
The Unique Challenges Facing School Custodial Teams in the 2020-21 School Year
One thing we learned about K-12 school districts in the first half of the 2020-21 school year is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to pandemic schooling. Districts across the nation have chosen different methods for opening instruction amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, from fully remote plans, to hybrid schedules, to in-person learning, and a little
Honoring the Custodial Workers Who Keep our Schools Healthy
This blog was originally published on the Green Seal website. Right now, 15 states and 2 U.S. territories have ordered or recommended school building closures for the rest of the academic year due to concerns with the rapid spread of COVID-19. These closures have disrupted the formal education of approximately 55 million students across U.S. public and
Green Clean Schools Is Becoming Healthy, Green Schools & Colleges
For over a decade, Healthy Schools Campaign’s (HSC) Green Clean Schools program has been changing the way schools clean, with great benefits for students, staff and the environment. This multifaceted program has helped schools clean better, smarter and safer. Now, HSC is partnering with Green Seal to create the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges program.
Reflecting on an Exemplary Career in Green Cleaning Leadership
Keith Webb, Executive Director of Plant Services at Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) in Newport News, Va., has been a member of our Green Clean Schools Steering Committee for more than five years, but he has been leading the green cleaning movement for two decades. After a career spent building an award-winning green cleaning program
A Vast Majority of Schools and Universities Are Implementing Green Cleaning
Cleaning programs are a critical part of school and university efforts to provide students and staff with the opportunity to learn and work in a healthy, safe place. In order to better understand what schools are doing and determine the type of resources and tools schools need, we partnered with ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry
How We Grew the Green Cleaning Movement in 2018
This was an exciting year for our Green Clean Schools program as we considered our progress, highlighted current leaders and thought about the future of the movement. We Recognized Leading Programs The Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities recognizes schools with innovative programs that protect health and the environment while galvanizing the community around
A Great Green Cleaning Program Starts with Great People
When the green cleaning program at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis started five years ago, it was focused on using environmentally friendly chemicals. “Our whole green cleaning program sprang from there,” says Jim Walsh, the building operations manager. The program has grown to include using microfiber, certified equipment, supplies from agricultural byproducts and Green
