On October 1st this year, the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) flipped the switch on 5,000 solar panels installed on 14 different schools in the district.

Solar panels installed on the roofs of 14 schools in Colorado's Boulder Valley school district are now generating 1.4 megawatts of electricity while saving money for education.

Students get hands-on agricultural lessons

Boulder Valley School District and SolarCity last week announced that more than 5,000 solar panels will be installed at 14 schools across the district.

New Vista High School's Earth Task Force installed and planted a second garden front and center, by the school entrance, buying the curvy raised beds from the Kitchen Community, a nonprofit that's connected to Boulder's The Kitchen restaurant and is supplying garden kits to schools and community groups.

Boulder will hold an open house Thursday evening to get public opinion on a a proposal to mandate shoppers be charged a 20-cent fee for all disposable grocery bags.

School garden provides students hands-on lessons

School district rewards students for alternative transportation choices

Fifth- and sixth-graders at 20 Boulder Valley schools will learn how to perform basic bike safety checks and signal turns through a new bike training program.

Boulder Valley and St. Vrain School Districts participate in the ReNew Our Schools program in which middle and high schools compete in an energy reduction challenge to lower schools' operating costs along with their environmental impact. The schools that reduce their energy usage by the greatest percentage win up to $25,000 worth of renewable energy technology for the school. www.renewourschoolsenergycenter.com

About 20 local teachers assembled Wednesday on the banks of Boulder Creek, taking turns wading in to kick up the sandy bottom and overturn rocks, directing the dirt and debris into large nets.

Schools across the country are saving serious money by putting solar power to work.

Colorado Casey Middle School Achieves Top LEED Honor

Bus ridership increases through the Trip Tracker initiative.

CU Water Festival engages BVSD students

Students learn how to conserve and protect water.

Even helps students think critically.

Kids celebrate Earth Week on two wheels

Eco-Cycle employee helping make schools more green

Polis, Obama adviser celebrate LEED rating.

U.S. Green Building Council releases the list of top U.S. states for LEED-certified projects in 2011.

The Center for ReSource Conservation's ReNew Our Schools program is now promoting school-based energy competitions.

First School in Colorado to Achieve Top Level for Green Building Design.

The Center for ReSource Conservation’s Renew Our Schools Program, which has awarded schools in Boulder with solar arrays since 2007, is expanding.

The 2011 Green Prize in Public Education -- along with a $10,000 check -- was presented to New Vista during a schoolwide assembly

'Get Into Water' project teaches water science in Boulder Valley

A community open house is set for Thursday, August 11 at 6 p.m.

Aspen Creek, Broomfield High among 16 to get solar panels.

Trash doesn't just go away.

Net Zero, a student organization at Fairview High School, Boulder High School and Summit Middle School is working with New Era Colorado to lobby the city of Boulder for change.

Government Technology highlights BVSD's greening IT efforts.

InfoWorld's 2011 Green 15 Awards: Sustainable IT practices bring rich rewards.

National foundation gives $10,000 to Boulder school.

Seedlings will provide "salad feast" in May.

The four original "Green Star" schools - Douglass Elementary, High Peaks, Horizons K-8 and BCSIS - received the Boulderganic Award for sustainability.

ReNew Our Schools gives hands-on lessons in renewable energy.

Boulder County schools "Flip the Switch" on solar

BVSD's Green Star Schools program was honored for sustainability at the first-ever Boulderganic After Hours party.

Efforts of Monarch K8 eighth-graders spur interest in seeking a solar grant

A group of Fairview High students received the President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) for founding the Net Zero Club in 2007.

Net Zero group wins national recognition for their sustainability efforts.

The challenge of rehabbing an old school to LEED standards gets a boots from existing features.

Great Outdoors Colorodo (GOCO) grant and the city help BVSD build learning spaces.

BVSD students help organize eco-contest

CU-Boulder students spent the final week of winter break visiting K-12 schools to teach about energy conservation.

Boulder schools plan to start going green in the new year.

BVSD and Eco-Cycle expand zero-waste project.

Fortware on district's 7,600 desktops expected to keep 3,670 tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere.

Students at New Vista High School working on the sustainability campaign, Earth Task Force, were interviewed on KGNU.

New Vista students chosen to run a pilot "sustainability action campaign."

Fairview student club planted 59 trees around the school.

Solar walls stage a Front Range comeback

The 2006 Bond measure approval by BVSD voters has provided the district with the opportunity to build and renovate in a more sustainable way. (See pages 7-8)

District sends hundreds of old student desk and chairs to Arkansas-based recycling plant.

Many of the Boulder Valley schools that were renovated during the first phase of the district's $296.8 million bond project are now models of the newest eco-friendly technology and energy-efficient design.

Two buildings, Aurora 7 (BCSIS and High Peaks) and Arapahoe Ridge will get free 10kW photovoltaic (PV) systems installed as part of a pilot grant program called "ReNew Our Schools" begun this year by the Center for ReSource Conservation (CRC).

BVSD gets more students to bike or walk for Earth Day.

Geothermal system installed under football field.

System will cut school's utility bill in half.

Eighth-graders in Brian Slobe's Earth sciences classes at Monarch K-8 School in Louisville found that some $4,000 in electricity can be saved in one year.

BVSD working on sustainability project.

Seven schools to be celebrated at May 14 Board of Education meeting

Oct. 1 Flip the Switch Ceremony at Foothill Elementary

Casey is the first school in CO and one of only two middle schools in the nation to receive the platinum rating.

Strong mountain winds will power lights and science curriculum.

Reduction of car idling improves air quality around the school.

SolarCity selected to install 1.4 Megawatts of solar capacity on 14 schools in BVSD.

Worn out classroom furniture from BVSD's 54 school buildings will be recycled instead of sent to local landfills.

Funds raised through cell phone recycling offered by CenturyLink/Qwest

Essay about green schools and recycling chosen as exemplary

First ever S.U.P.E.R. Summit at Casey Middle School set for Thurs., Nov. 11.

District expects to save 3.9 million kWH, 3,670 tons of CO2, and roughly $300,000 a year.

The entire school community was invited to participate by walking, cycling or bus riding.

BVSD and Center for ReSource Conservation announce winners of ReNew Our Schools grant program

Earth Task Force students celebrate environmental sustainability achievements

Students at BVSD’s Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) are converting a vehicle with an internal combustion engine into the ultimate green machine…..an all electric vehicle, or “EV” for short.

The Center for ReSource Conservation (CRC) celebrated its “ReNew Our Schools” pilot program with partner Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) at a “Flip the Switch” event in January.

22 pallets of old school furniture were loaded up to be sent to Virco Manufacturing Corporation where they will be recycled into new furniture.

A new report by Boulder Valley School District details green building techniques.

Boulder Valley Board of Education approved a resolution that makes BVSD the third of four major organizations in the Boulder area teaming up to advance the cause of environmental sustainability.

BVSD and Center for ReSource Conservation announce winners of the first ReNew Our Schools photovoltaic grant program.

Sunflower Corporation installed the first Sundolier active daylighting system at BVSD.

EMC Engineers hosted an information meeting to discuss the geothermal system that is being installed at Casey Middle School. The system engineer gave a tour of the infrastructure that has been constructed to date and presented information about the system design and the cost analysis.

Two different features of the Bond project at Manhattan Middle School for the Arts and Academics are working to help reduce the school’s carbon footprint.

BVSD partners with Center for ReSource Conservation to lauch ReNew Our Schools photovoltaic grant program.

Winners represent a diverse portfolio of schools, includes 66 public and 12 private schools in urban and rural communities.

The Green Schools National Conference in Denver on Feb. 27-29 will shine a light on sustainability in K-12 education.

The green school movement considers student health and well being critical to producing a well-trained STEM workforce.

New Vista’s Earth Task Force win local ReWARD for Leadership in Youth Conservation from the Center for Resource Conservation.

BVSD received a Renewable Energy Trust grant that enabled the purchase and installation of a wind turbine at Nederland Middle-Senior High School.

New Vista High School and The Kitchen Restaurant host local lunch.

New Vista High School and The Kitchen Restaurant host Local Lunch 2011!

Earth Task Force re-thinks prom

Environmentally friendly schools seen as good for bottom line

The Earth Task Force partnered with Boulder Community Computers to collect and recycyle 1,488 lbs. of e-waste.

Grist.com highlights Rachel Gutter, head of the green schools program at the U.S. Green Building Council.

Here's a glimpse inot the Safe Routes to School activities at Superior Elementary. Local bike guy, Ryan Van Duzer, filmed and edited the YouTube video.

Nxtbook.com's online article about Casey Middle School

BVSD is getting greener every day.

Stamp-card based system encourages alternative transportation for students.

More than 70 students and mentors met on Nov. 11, 2010 to collaborate, celebrate and plan around sustainability at their schools.

Check out photos and a brief description of Casey Middle School's new library.

A behind the scenes look into school kitchens, specifically kitchens in BVSD. Be sure to click on the series info for additional articles about BVSD's School Food Project.

Watch a short video describing some sustainable use practices employed in the construction of Louisville Middle School.

Watch a short video describing the use of photovoltaic cells at Manhattan Middle School.

Growing Greener Schools Magazine article by Dr. Ghita Carroll

Cottonwood Institute blog entry

Cottonwood Institute blog entry

House bill offers low-interest loans for alternative-energy initiatives.