Green schools in the Tropics: a toolkit for schools on a budget

Abstract

The global recognition of the benefits of green schools at an operational, educational, environmental, and community level is growing and reaching more educators and school administrators. This is true in both developed and developing nations. Nevertheless, most of the resources to date have been targeted for developed nations. This toolkit seeks to address the unique attributes and contexts of developing nations, specifically in tropical climates and focusing on easy-to-replicate and affordable green practices aligned with the Whole School Sustainability Framework. The examples and case studies presented in this toolkit are from a successful, low-funded private school in Costa Rica. These stories show that that a green school can be created even in geographically remote schools with limited funding. We hope that through this paper more school administrators and teachers who lack understanding and experience in green school strategies can be inspired and motivated to take the step into implementing Whole School Sustainability as a mean to integrate environmental and social literacy into an enhanced academic program and learning environment.