Sustainability Program Overview
Curriculum and Co-Curricular Programs
Educating for Sustainability Curricular Framework developed by faculty:
Curriculum Framework
Sense of Place
Those moments in our curriculum where we explore the natural, cultural, and historical identity of this specific place and discover a knowledge of home that defines us and for which we are responsible.
Interdependence and Community
Those moments in our curriculum where we explore the qualities that sustain healthy local and global communities: diversity, cooperation, collaboration, interconnectedness, and caring.
Ecological Thinking
Those moments in our curriculum where we apply the basic principles of ecology to our thinking. We encourage systems or contextual thinking (how parts relate to the whole), notice networks, cycles and nested systems.
Stewardship and Service
Those moments in our curriculum where we practice a care for one another and the commons, and nurture a sense of responsibility for individual and communal actions and their consequences.
Visionary Thinking and Transformation
Those moments in our curriculum where we learn to rethink the fundamental assumptions around which our knowledge is based and to create new paradigms required to design sustainable societies.
A few curricular highlights:
- Fully integrated garden education program in Lower School
- 4th and 9th grade pond studies
- 6th grade sustainability class
- Garden and outdoor classroom used by all grades
Co-Curricular Programs:
- Lower and Middle School Food & Garden Clubs
- Upper School Garden Apprentice Program
- Upper School Energy & Climate Scholars program
- Green Panther Certification for classrooms and offices
- Harvest Dinner and Garden Festival
- Upper School Environmental Action Club (EnACT)
- The Great Giveaway (collection of used school supplies at end of year go to local charity)
Buildings and Grounds
We work continually to reduce our environmental footprint. Some highlights of our efforts are below. Here are our Sustainability Guidelines for Building and Grounds passed by the Board of Trustees: link
Energy Efficiency
- LED lighting
- Highly programmed building control system for HVAC
- High efficiency boiler and chiller
- CO2 occupancy sensor control of outside air heating and cooling
- Double pane, high insulating windows
- Regular maintenance on our HVAC system
- Energy audit and greenhouse gas assessments
Water use reduction
- Low flow toilets
- Water bottle refilling stations
- Improved field irrigation
Waste reduction, conservation, and purchasing
- Composting of all table and food scraps (about 15,000 lbs/year) into our organic garden.
- Successful recycling program including paper, cans, bottles, chip bags, florescent batteries, Greenware packaging, Styrofoam, markers, crayons
- Stationary paper 60% Forest Stewardship Council
- Green cleaning supplies certified
- Recycled paper products in bathrooms
- Most publications online
- IT: soy based toners, 100% recycled copy paper, sustainable used computer recycling and donations
Grounds and Maintenance
- No mow zones
- Longer grass
- Integrated pest management system
Food
Partnership with FLIK Food Services
- Three-star Green Restaurant Association certification
- Fresh food prepared by chefs
- All reusable plates, cups, and flatware
- 19% local food purchases
- No disposable single serving packaging in food service and catering
- PDS garden food in cafeteria
- 100% post-consumer recycled paper napkins
- Corn starch compostable cups/plates/snack containers in snack bar
- “Cage free” eggs and local dairy products
- Menu choices low on the food chain
- “Healthy Me, Healthy Planet” Tuesdays promoting a low impact, nutrient dense lunch
- Monthly “Low Impact Lunch” (no ovens or units that heat used that day to prepare or serve food)
- Almost no single serving containers