At EB Coffee & Pub (EB), owner Justin Nichols and his team envision a vibrant community hub where every cup of coffee tells a story of quality, sustainability, and connection. From reducing waste with recyclable and reusable materials, to prioritizing local suppliers, and fostering partnerships with local community groups, the goal is to make sustainability an integral part of daily operations. EB Coffee & Pub demonstrates how small, local businesses can contribute to a sustainable future.
Middlebury College has positioned itself as a leading environmentally-conscious institution and is one of the first colleges/universities in the world to achieve carbon neutrality. A core part of the college’s mission statement emphasizes “addressing the world’s most challenging problems” – a vision that the community has actively pursued through its deep commitment to environmentalism and sustainability. By creating a roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality by 2016, this vision has come to fruition, though the journey hasn’t always been easy.
Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, is reimagining its campus grounds into a more sustainable one. After an 8 month long collaborative effort between Skidmore’s Sustainability Office, Skidmore’s Facilities Department, and a consulting group: The LA Group, a Sustainability Landscape Plan (SLP) was born. The SLP works in conjunction with two other informative Skidmore plans, the Campus Master Plan (2022) and the Sustainability Plan (2015-2025). The SLP helps pave a roadmap for future projects as the college continues to evolve.
On March 6, PAISBOA Sustainability Group met virtually to review the Sustainability School Survey results, now in its third year. The survey aims to document the sustainability practices and progress among PAISBOA schools, and enables individual schools to see where they fall in comparison to peer institutions. PAISBOA’s Ron Hill and Boyer Sudduth’s Mary Ann Boyer and intern, Fernando Leon Rueda, shared the survey findings.
Surrounded by 55 acres of lush green landscape, Dana Hall School is situated in the town of Wellesley, a suburb of Boston, MA. This independent boarding and day school for girls grades 5-12 is currently on an ambitious mission. Since July 2022, Dana Hall has been renovating their entire Upper School Building in a way that reflects their value for sustainability. Here is how this small school is tackling this big project.
On March 8, the PAISBOA Sustainability Group hosted a virtual panel discussion: “Leading Change: Environmental Sustainability at Your School.” Panelists included Lisa Carbone Warren, Director of Finance & Operations at Moorestown Friends School (MFS), and Carolyn Hapeman, Dean of Finance & Operations at Westtown School and Mary Ann Boyer of Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants.
So--you might have heard the term circular economy thrown around before, but what exactly does it mean for schools? Proponents of a circular economy hope to combat our cognitively engrained throw-away culture, and focus instead on keeping materials in use for as long as possible. Schools have ample opportunity to engage with the circular economy framework, and ultimately align their actions with their organizational values.
Educational institutions are instrumental in accelerating the transition to clean energy. As centers of scholarship, innovation, and technical expertise, they are well-positioned to lead the charge towards sustainability. Here are tools educational institutions can use to transition to clean energy as outlined in Environment America’s fact sheets, which can be found at https://environmentamerica.org. While written with higher education institutions in mind, much of the report’s guidance is applicable to K-12 schools as well.
With Earth Day around the corner, PAISBOA recently hosted a webinar on Leading Change: Environmental Sustainability. Sponsored by PECO Smart Energy, the program featured Mary Ann Boyer and Anne Sudduth of Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants along with Chief Financial Officers Frank Aloise from Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCH) and Miriam Fisher Schaefer of Friends Central School (FCS).
Since January, many cities around the world have been shutting down to slow the spread of coronavirus. In Philadelphia, the order to work from home issued by Governor Tom Wolf has forced all non-essential workers to remain home, which has been very disruptive to businesses and many people’s daily lives. However, the order is thought to have had a positive impact on the city’s air pollution.
PAR Recycle Works (People Advancing Reintegration), a nonprofit electronics recycler, provides transitional employment to people returning from prison. This Germantown-based organization diverted over 250 tons of electronic waste (or “e-waste”) from the landfill. E-waste contains materials that can be upcycled or reused if recycled properly, such as the copper in wires or the gold in computer motherboards.
The PAISBOA Sustainability Group convened at The Agnes Irwin School (AIS) on January 14th. Head of School, Dr. Wendy Hill, welcomed over 36 participants from 13 different institutions and highlighted how sustainability has been integrated into the buildings and classrooms at AIS along with a special focus on aquaponics.
We’ve been working on something new…
Since August 2018, Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants met to organize, brainstorm, and plan -- and then organize, brainstorm and plan again, with Reading High School students, teachers and staff to develop a vision for a project that would invigorate their environmental education and school sustainability. Now it’s time for the big reveal…The Living Learning Laboratory Project. Reading High School will transform their unused school courtyard into a vibrant, biodiverse space where students can engage in hands-on STEAM learning outdoors.
The Green Committee at Reading High School believes “This project will foster a generation of citizens who are prepared to become creative and innovative leaders, to take care of their environment, and to actively participate in their community for years to come.” We think so, too!
Reading High School’s Green Committee members
RHS’s Green Committee of faculty and students review design drawings by Structure Green’s Ann Sellers (pictured second from left)
A section of the existing courtyard at RHS which will be renovated into a new outdoor learning space.
Science teacher and Green Committee faculty leader, Jeannine Michel, with one of RHS’s courtyard inhabitants--Big Mamma
We are so excited to work with a talented group of people: the students of the Eco Club, Faculty Green Committee Lead and Environmental Science teacher, Jeannine Michel (pictured below), landscape designer Ann Sellers, and agriculturalist Kent Himmelright of the Berks County Conservation District to make this vision possible. On April 11, the School will have a “Green Between” event from 3 to 5 pm with area community partners to raise awareness about the plans for the Courtyard. We hope to break ground late spring and during the summer. Check back in with us as this courtyard, and the Reading High School community, transform.
By Emma Schlam, Sustainability Intern at Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants, and grad student at Clark University pursuing dual degrees in Master of Business Administration and Master of Environmental Science and Policy.
Fuse 19: Design Thinking for Educators – Atlanta, GA
June 5 - 7, 2019
Fuse19 exists at the intersection of business and education – it is a conference for exploring the possibilities of design thinking, the maker movement, entrepreneurship and innovation. Hosted by the Mount Vernon Institute for Innovation (MVIFI) and Mount Vernon Presbyterian School (MVPS), this multi-day experience brings together leaders from education and corporate industries from around the country, with the intent to inspire transformative impact and change. Participants gain hands-on experience to build capacity as learners and leaders within their organizations and innovation teams.
Cost: $175 – $895
School Garden Teacher Training – West Sonoma County, CA
June 17 - 21, 2019
July 8 - 12, 2019
OAEC’s School Garden Teacher Training supports schools in creating and sustaining garden-based ecological literacy programs and helps build a strong cohort of colleagues.This training is designed for individuals or teams of teachers, garden educators, administrators and core parent volunteers.
Cost: $950 per participant for individuals, $900 per person for members of school teams (2+ from the same school)
Walton Sustainability Academy – Missoula, MT
June 17-21, 2019
June 24-28, 2019
July 15-19, 2019
The Walton National Sustainability Teachers’ Academy is an intensive, five-day professional development workshop for K-12 teachers held every summer. Participants receive a thorough introduction to sustainability science through hands-on activities and lectures by experts in the field. Engaging field trips highlight sustainability in action at local business and other organizations. Through ample networking opportunities, teachers become part of a dedicated community of sustainability activists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and other educators.
Application deadline: March 15, 2019
Cost: $0
Each individual receives a $300 stipend for participating in the workshop. An additional $300 stipend is available after completing a project in their home school and/or district.
Project Based Learning World Conference – Napa Valley, CA
June 18 - 20, 2019
PBL World is a one-of-a-kind, multi-day event for Project Based Learning. Each year, it brings together educators - K-12 teachers, instructional coaches, and school and district leaders - who want to begin and advance their Project Based Learning practice, and connect with a community of their peers. The event is an immersive experience that actively engages participants in deep, focused, real work, in collaboration with peers.
Cost: $1,150 – $1,475
Environmental Literature Institute at Exeter – Exeter, NH
June 23 - 28, 2019
ELI is a transformative experience designed to expand thinking about environmental education and to revitalize work with students and colleagues. This week-long teacher training aims to cultivate a community of educators interested in environmentally-focused teaching and learning. It emphasizes how the methods and approaches of disciplines in the humanities can enhance environmental learning. The various workshops, speakers, and events offers rich ideas for teachers in all disciplines, including the natural and social sciences.
Cost: $1,500
Community Works Institute on Place Based Service-Learning and Sustainability – Brooklyn, NY
June 24 - 28, 2019
Participants include a diverse group of K-16 teachers and administrators, along with community based educators.
Cost: $899 – $1,289 (early registration rates available)
Education for Sustainability Leadership Academy – Shelburne, VT
July 8 - 10, 2019
Through the ten days of this program, we create a learning community exploring Education for Sustainability (EFS), systems thinking, and leadership for school transformation. We will engage participants with new ways of thinking, skills to create change and nurture themselves, and present them with innovative ideas & strategies to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the future. At the heart of this work is educators and a sense of hope, love and resilience.Cost: $1,500
Photo by Phil Kahler
Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week – Bremen, MN
July 14 - 19, 2019
Learn practical approaches and add inspiration to your environmental education curriculum during this action-packed program. Hog Island Audubon’s experienced and enthusiastic instructors share their favorite approaches, methods, and activities for engaging both children and adults with nature.
Cost: $1,045 – $1,445
CELF Annual Summer Institute – Multiple Locations, NY
Westchester County, NY – July 15 - 18, 2019
New York City, NY – July 29 - 31, 2019
An intensive multi-day workshop that enables teachers to integrate the concepts of sustainability into their existing curricula. The Institute equips K-12 teachers with practices and teaching methods to address the core concepts of EfS – the intersection of social, economic, and ecological systems – and how the balance of those three systems is vital to a sustainable future, and relevant to all subject areas.
Cost: Westchester County, $550 per person ($500 per person for school teams of 3 or more participants)
New York City, $500 per person ($450 per person for school teams of 3 or more participants)
Education for Sustainability: Summer Institute – Shelburne, VT
July 22 - 26, 2019
This week is part conference, part workshop, part retreat. Designed to be dynamic and democratic, the Institute offers teachers the time and space to develop projects of personal interest while providing opportunities to learn from colleagues and other leaders in field of Education for Sustainability. Interactive sessions will feature a blend of individual work time, peer-to-peer feedback, resource sharing, hands-on learning experiences, and large and small group discussions.
Cost: $60
Photo By Jaime Amling
Colorado Rockies Alpine Backpacking for Educators – Colorado
July 28 - Aug 4, 2019
This eight-day wilderness experience is designed to give primary, secondary, and college educators an introduction to the Outward Bound model of experiential education.
Cost: $1,895
Adult Courses and Outdoor Adventures at the College of the Atlantic
Field Botany: Plants of New England - July 28 - August 10, 2019
From Capture to Print: Digital Photography and Photoshop - July 28 - Aug 3, 2019
Plein-Air Watercolor Painting with Rob Finn - August 4-10, 2019
Our goal is to educate and inspire life-long learners through “hands-on” experiential learning by offering programs that appeal to both new and our ever-growing list of returning participants. Learning will include on-campus studio or lab work, informal discussions or lectures, and field trips out and about in Mount Desert Island’s picturesque Acadia National Park and the outer islands of Frenchman Bay.
Cost: Varied
Summer Curriculum Design Studio: Education for a Sustainable Future – Rhinebeck, NY
Aug. 5 - 9,2019
An immersive Introduction to Education for Sustainability (EfS) over the weekend and 5 Days of Curriculum Design and Coaching. Gain access to expertise, resources and tools required to design elegant curricula for use in the classroom, protocols for professional development, or action plans designed to implement EfS change initiatives in schools and communities. Onsite lodging and meals optional.
Cost: $445 for members, $495 for non-members
Updated as of March 8, 2019
Compiled by Maryana Dumalska, Sustainability Intern at Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants, and a junior at Boston College studying Environmental Geosciences and Economics.
