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U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools Award Highlights CIMS-GB
LINCOLNWOOD, Ill. — The U.S. Department of Education has specifically identified ISSA’s Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) Green Building (GB) program as a valuable tool in helping K-12 schools achieve the department’s new Green Ribbon Schools Award. The Green Ribbon program recognizes organizations that create healthy and sustainable learning environments in a system modeled after the popular Blue Ribbon schools program, which acknowledges academic excellence.
“The recognition by the U.S. Department of Education is yet another example of the widespread adoption of CIMS and CIMS-GB as the industry standard,” said ISSA Director of Facility Service Programs Dan Wagner. “Schools that become certified under CIMS-GB now get the benefit of being eligible for public recognition— in addition to providing a safer environment for students.”
Employees of companies who have K-12 educational facility customers striving to create clean and healthy learning environments can become a CIMS “ISSA Certification Expert” (I.C.E). I.C.E. suppliers can then help their customers institute effective management systems and comprehensive green cleaning programs that they, in turn, can use to help their own customers increase efficiency, improve operations, and save money as well as prepare them to be eligible for a future Green Ribbon award.
ISSA and the U.S. Department of Education have extensive resources available online to help those who want to learn more about maintaining a clean and safe environment for students, including:
· ISSA I.C.E. Workshops: <http://www.issa.com/?id=certification_experts> Learn about the elements of a well-managed and sustainable green cleaning program.
· CIMS-GB Checklist: <http://www.issa.com/data/File/CIMS/2011-10-06_CIMS_Certification_Checklist.pdf> Determine how well they meet green cleaning requirements.
· Green Ribbon Overview: <http://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/resources.html> Understand the US Department of Education’s Green Ribbon program.
The U.S. Department of Education is the latest organization to validate CIMS and CIMS-GB value in identifying quality facilities and service providers. Others include: U.S. Green Building Council ‘s Center for Green Schools’ Road Map for a Green Campus, U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s Assistance for the Cleaning Industry, International Facility Management Association, APPA, and The Healthy Facilities Institute.
About CIMS/CIMS-GB
CIMS and CIMS-GB are nationally recognized certification programs that provide third-party verification for cleaning operations that seek to develop a comprehensive green cleaning program and offer sustainable cleaning services. The CIMS-GB framework is designed to improve performance in the areas of sustainable product usage, improved occupant wellness, asset preservation, and waste diversion. This all-inclusive green building and service standard provides facility managers, building owners, and service providers a concise framework for identifying and implementing a sensible and measurable green building operating system that is flexible enough to apply to all sizes and type of buildings. For more information about CIMS and CIMS-GB, visit www.issa.com/cims. <http://www.issa.com/cims.>
About ISSA
The leading trade association for the cleaning industry worldwide, ISSA has a membership that includes more than 5,900 distributor, manufacturer, manufacturer representative, building service contractor, in-house service provider, and associated service members. ISSA helps its members and
their employees make valuable contacts through the industry’s largest cleaning shows in conjunction with Amsterdam RAI, under the brand name ISSA/INTERCLEAN®, as well as the popular global Web site ISSA.com. It also helps increase professionalism and member success by offering business tools, educational products, industry standards, publications, and legislative and regulatory services that specifically focus on the professional cleaning industry.
The association is headquartered in Lincolnwood, IL, USA, with regional offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands; Leicester, United Kingdom; Monterrey, Mexico; and Shanghai, China. ISSA regularly works with more than 85 associations, alliances, advocacy groups, and government agencies around the world to promote the value of commercial and institutional cleaning. For more information, visit www.issa.com <http://www.issa.com> .
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