Scouring the web this morning for information and projects to go along with this month's journal, I found quite a lot with regards to schools embracing net-zero construction. The concept of becoming energy-neutral, and even carbon-neutral, is gradually increasing its hold within the US. It makes sense then that one of the groups taking a proactive stance is that of the students and their community.

One example of this is Portland Community College, one of the top 20 community colleges of its size in the nation. Starting with the Sylvania campus, it will begin to retrofit all existing buildings to reach net-zero with the help of the Department of Energy's Net-Zero Commercial Building Initiative. From there it will focus on its Newberg Campus, currently being constructed with net-zero in the plan from the beginning.

Instead of learning about efficiency and sustainable design techniques within textbooks and projects, students can now embrace these ideals all around them. It's not just higher education that is embracing this either, but all levels of learning. Project FROG, a modular construction firm out of San Francisco, specializes in net-zero modular classrooms. These provide a safe, well-lit environment that teaches kids important lessons about daylighting, green materials, and more in an enclosure that takes no electricity from the grid!

I am very interested in hearing more about projects in education as next month we are focusing on Green Schools. Let me know of your experience with these types of projects in the comments below!