The Sustainable Design Blog

Lutz, Florida FL, June 7th, 2010 - Learning Gate Community School is first public school to achieve Platinum certification under the LEED for Schools rating system through USGBC (U. S. Green Building Council). LEED is the internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

"Learning Gate Community School should be congratulated on their remarkable accomplishment," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "Achieving Platinum certification under LEED for Schools demonstrates a strong commitment to ensuring all children have access to green schools within a generation."

Learning Gate Community School, located at 16215 Hanna Road, is an award-winning public charter school located in Lutz, Florida, whose mission is to prepare students to successfully participate in their family, school and community, through an educational program that promotes academic excellence, community service and environmental responsibility.

"It is an honor to be recognized at this level. Our school's mission and vision has always been green. When we envisioned this project, we knew we had to build Platinum and create an innovative teaching tool on our campus." said, Patti Girard, Founder and Principal at Learning Gate Community School.

"I am so pleased that we've received the nation's first LEED for Schools Platinum Certification for a charter/public school," said Charles Girard, Contractor on the project, President & CEO of Green Modular Solutions. "This prestigious award affirms our commitment to sustainable building practices. The work of innovative projects such as the Learning Gate Community School marks an important achievement in green modular building design. I am proud to have provided a healthy and energy efficient place for learning while also minimizing its impact on the environment."

Learning Gate Community School's motto, "Nature Is Our Best Teacher," exemplifies the natural spirit of the school and the focus of the environmental curriculum including global sustainability issues, organic agriculture and nutrition, water conservation, green design and construction, and renewable energy. Learning Gate has won the 2009 USGBC Green School Award and was a finalist in Governor Charlie Crist's Serve to Preserve Award 2009.