PISCATAWAY, N.J. (March 22, 2011) — The Green Building Program, a new and unique K-12 curriculum that teaches students about sustainable building, ecology, and the environment, has been launched through a partnership between American Standard Brands and the Green Education Foundation (GEF).

This K-12 curriculum allows students to use their school as a teaching tool to learn first-hand about green building attributes and benefits. Students will be provided with the educational resources necessary to understand, identify, and improve environmental inefficiencies within their own school buildings. Their work, in turn, will create a healthier environment both inside the school and out, and will help reduce operating costs for their schools well into the future.

American Standard has provided $300,000 to help fund the Green Building Program, assisting GEF in its development of an engaging, hands-on curriculum around water saving best practices and strategies for use in school and at home.

The Green Building Program is seeking pilot schools for the new curriculum to begin in September 2011. Interested schools can visit www.greenbuildingprogram.org for more information. The curriculum and its accompanying audit are aligned with U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) guidelines for what constitutes green building construction according to their LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system.

“The goals of GEF align well with our education efforts to advance water efficiency measures in homes and in the workplace," said Don Devine, president and CEO of American Standard Brands, citing the company’s broad selection of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense^®-certified toilets and faucets, the Responsible Bathroom Tour that showcases these products in use, and the water savings tools and information found on the company’s website www.americanstandard.com. “Providing schools with the tools to educate kids on how we can be better stewards of our natural resources without sacrificing performance and hygiene is a win for everyone. American Standard is proud to be part of this worthwhile initiative."

Victoria Water, GEF president and CEO, concurs. “We are delighted to partner with American Standard in educating kids and school faculty on the resounding benefits associated with reduced water consumption, as well as introducing schools and families to water saving strategies and technologies,” she said, adding, “This program also provides a perfect opportunity to shed light on the growing and critical water shortage affecting so many regions across the U.S. and the rest of the world.”

American Standard designed its Responsible Bathroom website and nationwide tour as part of an effort to educate the public on water efficiency by providing water saving facts and statistics to encourage environmentally-friendly behaviors. The company also committed $1 million to The Nature Conservancy in support of the non-profit’s global freshwater conservation efforts.

For more information on American Standard’s water conservation efforts and water efficient plumbing products, visit www.americanstandard.com, www.responsiblebathroom.com, or call (800) 899-2614.

ABOUT AMERICAN STANDARD BRANDS

American Standard Brands is a leading North American manufacturer of a wide range of high-quality building products, including faucets, fixtures, furniture, vitreous china fixtures, cast iron sinks, whirlpool tubs and other wellness products for the bath and kitchen as well as decorative panels. The company currently offers total project solutions for residential and commercial customers; employs more than 5,000 people in the United States, Canada and Mexico; and markets products under well known and respected brands, such as American Standard^®, Jado^®, Porcher^®, Safety Tubs^®, Crane^®, Eljer^®, Fiat^® and Decorative Panels International^®. American Standard Brands is an affiliated portfolio company of Sun Capital Partners. For more information, visit www.americanstandard.com.

ABOUT GREEN EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Green Education Foundation (GEF), a non-profit organization, is committed to creating a sustainable future through education. GEF provides curriculum and resources to K-12 students and teachers worldwide with the goal of challenging youth to think holistically and critically about global environmental concerns and solutions. GEF’s National Green Week mobilizes millions of students each year to participate in eco-challenges that empower school communities to achieve measurable and sustainable goals in waste reduction and energy conservation.  For more information visit: www.greeneducationfoundation.org.

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