Celebrating Net Zero Buildings Week

It’s our mission to make net zero buildings feasible, affordable, and commonplace in Illinois. To support this goal, we’re joining the New Buildings Institute in celebrating Net Zero Buildings Week! In celebration, we’re introducing new resources, case studies, and a state of net zero in Illinois survey to advance the building industry. Join us by…

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Celebrating the Illinois Green Schools Project Mentors

This past school year, nearly 50 volunteers from Illinois’ green building community mentored a school in designing and implementing a sustainability project as part of the Illinois Green Schools Project. We want to extend a huge thank you to these Green Schools Mentors, who lent their expertise and time to educating students and supporting schools…

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Meet our Spring Communications Intern: Clare Zhang

Clare is a sophomore at Northwestern University studying journalism and data science. She is serving as the Communications Intern for Illinois Green Alliance for the spring. She works on a variety of projects, primarily providing narrative storytelling for the Illinois Green Schools Project. At Northwestern, she has been involved with the Knight Lab, Supplies for…

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Vernon Hills High School: School-Wide Zero Waste Strategic Plan

Students: 12 Staff: 4 Mentors: Damon Henrikson & Chris Philbrick Location: Vernon Hills, IL Grade Level: High School Vernon Hills High School’s project was unique in the sense that they had already begun a Zero Waste program at Vernon Hills High School in their student cafeteria, however, there was no strategic plan in place for…

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Uplift Community High School: Living Wall

Students: 75 Staff: 10 Mentors: Brian Meade, Jason Klinker, & Kelly McCaffrey Location: Chicago, IL Grade Level: High School Students worked with architects from FGMA to design a living wall installation in Uplift’s newly opened Innovation Lab. The wall is a collection of individually designed planter modules that interconnect for one watering system. The goals…

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Southside Occupational Academy: Southside Monarch Butterfly Conservation Program

Students: 48 Staff: 8 Mentor: Kristen Dimas Project type: Habitat Restoration Location: Chicago, IL Grade levels: all students Southside Occupational Academy’s project won the Judges’ Choice award for the 21-22 cohort of the Illinois Green Schools Project. Southside Occupational Academy is a CPS transition school serving young adults with intellectual & physical disabilities, ages 18-22,…

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Murphysboro Middle School: Putting Waste in its Place

Students: 12 Staff: 2 Mentor: Aur Beck Location: Murphysboro, IL With a focus on energy conservation, the goal of the Murphysboro student-led Eco Action team is to educate students and staff about plastic pollution, waste reduction, energy conservation, and recycling while taking action to make change. Their project consists of improving the in-school recycling program,…

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Lockport Township High School: Learning and Living out ESG

recycling symbol

Students: 30 Staff: 4 Mentor: Eileen Whitemiller Project type: Waste reduction Location: Lockport, IL Grade levels: 9-12 Starting in the cafeteria, the school has created a share-table where uneaten food can be donated for those in need, reducing the amount of food waste generated and associated GHG emissions. Speaking of food waste, the school has…

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Libertyville High School: Whole-School Sustainability in Action

Students look at solar panel

Students: 102 Staff: 11 Mentors: Venkat Kumar & Heather Juhl Project type: Energy & Justice at School Location: Libertyville, IL Grade levels: 9-12 Libertyville High School won the Theme of the Year award for the 21-22 cohort of the Illinois Green Schools Project. Libertyville High School has engaged its students in environmental conservation & sustainability…

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Carruthers Elementary: A Year of Conservation and Creativity

Students: 475 Staff: 6 Project type: Energy Conservation Location: Murphysboro, IL Grade levels: 3-5 Carruthers Elementary School won the Creative Use of Resources award for the 21-22 cohort of the Illinois Green Schools Project. Carruthers focused on energy conservation, recycling, and being environmental stewards for bees and monarch butterflies. All of their students worked on the…

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