-By Jason Hartke

The future sinews of American economic strength run green. It is an outlook long shared by mayors, who have been advancing bold changes aimed at catapulting the United States into a position of leadership in the new green economy. From innovative green building programs to dynamic recycling initiatives, mayors have built a long, proven track record demonstrating that green initiatives spur innovation, save money for hard-working Americans, and create jobs.

Today, mayors have their sights and their enormous influence set on schools, which are a direct reflection of our communities. We know all too well that schools are the hearts of our communities. They represent the critical promise we make to future generations—a promise of learning and a promise of opportunity. Right now, that promise is in jeopardy. More than 20 percent of Americans go to school every day, often attending facilities that are unhealthy, uncomfortable, and hindering to learning. Now, more than ever—something recognized fully by mayors—we need to come together to reconfirm our promise to the health and learning of our children.

Mayors know that green schools are part of the solution. They offer a healthy, safe, comfortable, and productive learning environment that saves energy and resources. Green schools are also cost effective, saving $100,000 per year and freeing up funds for other meaningful improvements, like more teachers, more computers, or more books. As first responders, a coalition of mayors recognized this in 2007 when they unanimously passed a U.S. Conference of Mayors resolution calling for green schools for all children within a generation.

But to formalize this effort and to strategically harness the leadership and creativity of mayors across the country, nearly 20 leading mayors came together with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to create the Mayors' Alliance for Green Schools to promote and leverage the accelerated uptake of green schools, and to help drive our green schools vision to reality.

The Alliance, initiated by Mayor Manuel A. Diaz of Miami and Mayor Greg Nickels of Seattle in partnership with USGBC, recognizes that in order to provide a high quality education for children, the school environment must be safe, healthy, and supportive of excellence. The Alliance, which formed late last year and continues to grow, is working to promote leading efforts to deliver the benefits of green schools to their communities. For example, the mayors in Miami and San Francisco have partnered with EcoMedia, a media company that pairs with local and state governments to create advertising and sponsorship opportunities that build brands and deliver measurable programs that improve our environment, to leverage innovative initiatives that create new opportunities for green school projects. Mayor Franklin Cownie of Des Moines, Iowa, has worked with the local school board, promoting green school practices. And dozens of other mayors have made green schools a priority.

One cornerstone of the Alliance's agenda involves facilitating and developing joint public-private partnerships to enable schools to implement green roofs, solar panels, recycling programs, and other green features in their schools. Participating mayors working closely with USGBC's 79 chapters and affiliates will also work together to develop initiatives and strategies that promote the construction of green schools and related projects like safe biking and walking routes for students or the use of local produce in school cafeterias. The primary goal of the new Alliance is to make green, healthy schools a national priority, starting with coordinated local efforts. Already, mayors lifted green schools into the national dialogue by urging a significant investment in green schools as part of the economic recovery package being crafted on Capitol Hill.

By their very nature, schools are an investment in the future, preparing the next generation of leaders and paving the way for tomorrow's innovations. The Mayors' Alliance will highlight the many opportunities that exist to make our nation's schools greener, our students and teachers healthier, and our communities stronger.

Jason Hartke is the director of advocacy and public policy at the U.S. Green Building Council. He works to advance USGBC's policy agenda and oversees strategies to promote sound green building policy at all levels of government.