#wherewelearnmatters

#wherewelearnmatters
Ottobre 1, 2014 MDS

Rick Fedrizzi, president of the U.S. Green Building Council, visited last Friday the primary school of Romarzollo, Arco (Trento) – Italy.

«This is the most beautiful school I’ve ever visited» said Rick Fedrizzi, president of the U.S. Green Building Council, the nonprofit association that developed the LEED rating system, during his visit to the primary school of Romarzollo in Arco on September 26th. In 2012, this school achieved LEED certification at the highest level: the first LEED Platinum School in Europe!

The welcome was amazing, 200 children seated in the central atrium sang a welcome song in different languages and gave as a gift to the president a postcard with a drawing of an oak leaf, logo of USGBC.

It has been a unique event, organized in a very short time thanks to the collaboration between USGBC and Paola Moschini of Macro Design Studio, contacted by Rick Fedrizzi’s staff a few days before his arrival in Italy to attend Rebuild, an international convention on regeneration and real estate sustainable management.

Thanks to the full availability of the municipality of Arco, of the school head, of the design team and the work of teachers and alumni, what seemed an impossible challenge has become a preview of the September 27th, Green Apple Day of Service, a worldwide event organized once a year by USGBC to highlight sustainable practices that children learn at school and share with their community and families.

Fedrizzi, whose family is originally from Trentino, has enjoyed the visit of the K-12 school following a delegation of about ten students that have showed him their classrooms, gym, cafeteria, garden and laboratory, explaining both in English and Italian, the building features and some usual activities. The visit concluded with the explanation of the “pedibus” service that has aroused much curiosity in Fedrizzi. All this took place in an atmosphere of joy and vitality with the children playing the main role.

Before leaving the School of Romarzollo, Fedrizzi took a photo of himself in front of the school entrance, with the postcard received by the students in his hands and the wonderful view of the mountains in the background.

Thank you Rick for your amazing visit !

‘If all schools were like Scuola Romarzollo Arco no one would play hooky’ .- Rick Fedrizzi, President & CEO of USGBC