The community is invited to attend a panel discussion on green schools, hosted by the City of Falls Church Environmental Sustainability Council (ESC) at its next meeting, on Thursday, Oct. 19 starting at 7:30 p.m.

The panel will explore the value of sustainably designed schools for students, teachers and the broader community. Panelists will share practical implementation strategies and results from communities that have already built sustainable schools, with a particular focus on Arlington’s Discovery Elementary School.

The panelists are: Anisa Heming, Director, Center for Green Schools at the US Green Building Council; Sean O’Donnell, Principal & K-12 Practice Leader, Perkins Eastman; Cathy Lin, Energy Manager and Stormwater Program Administrator, Arlington Public Schools; Tony Hans, Vice President, CMTA Consulting Engineers (designed Discovery Elementary School in Arlington) and Wyck Knox, Principal, VMDO Architects (designed Discovery Elementary School in Arlington)

Regardless of the November bond referendum outcome, the Falls Church community will need to commit substantial resources to dedicate to school facilities going forward. The hope and aim of this panel is to engage decision-makers, the community and sustainable buildings experts in a discussion of how the Falls Church City Public Schools system can incorporate high performance, environmental design into its facilities, maximizing benefit to the students and the entire school community. The panel discussion will start shortly after 7:30 p.m., will last for approximately one hour, and will take place in the Dogwood Room in City Hall. For more information, contact Cory Weiss, Chair of the Environmental Sustainability Council, at cafirestone@gmail.com.