Event Description

School facility and custodial staff members are unsung heroes in the quest for healthy and high-performing school buildings that contribute to thriving environments for students. GPRO O+M training for building operations and maintenance equips facility and custodial teams with practical, actionable, and affordable strategies for improving energy efficiency, reducing water use, and improving indoor air quality. This three-day course will help facility teams identify ways to reduce energy and water demand and cut utility costs as well as create healthier indoor air quality by addressing cleaning products, chemical use, pest management, ventilation, air filtration, and more. Content includes information that facility members of any building type will find useful, as well as customized information especially relevant to preK-12 school teams. 

This course – which focuses on preventative maintenance and data-driven decision-making – not only offers best practices developed by green building and facility experts in the field but also offers an opportunity to share lessons and questions with peers. Many past participants have maintained relationships with their classmates. By the end of this training, school facilities participants are able to: 

• Evaluate building energy and water performance

• Identify actionable next steps to improve the energy and water efficiency of your building and address the causes of poor IAQ

• Articulate the costs and benefits of efficiency measures

• Earn an industry-recognized professional certification, GPRO O+M, upon completion of the course and exam. 

This GPRO training was developed by the Urban Green Council and is offered in Western Pennsylvania by the Green Building Alliance, whose staff has been teaching the class since 2016. Through the generous support of the Grable Foundation, GBA is able to offer this training at no cost to K12 school staff.