Green education

What are the educational opportunities for sustainable undergrad students? The number is steadily increasing as more and more schools make commitments to switch to alternative energy sources or offset their carbon usage. However, a few schools still stand out from the pack. There are plenty of colleges that have found their way into the headlines for their environmental practices. Several of them are listed below.

College of the Atlantic is located on Mount Desert Island, Maine’s largest island. The school’s population regularly hovers over 300 undergraduates, with less than 10 students currently in the master’s program. The only degree offered is in the field of human ecologythe study of humans’ relationship with their natural, social, and constructed environments. In 2007, COA was the first U.S. school to go carbon neutral, and its dining halls are entirely filled with local, organically produced food. The newest student housing options are built mainly from recycled materials and feature elements like wood pellet heating and compositing toilets.

The moment you see Evergreen’s motto (Omnia Extares“Let it all hang out”), you know the school is a little different. The college’s use of narrative evaluations rather than grades will turn off some students and parents, but its Organic Farm and environmental reserve are great examples of sustainability in action. The farm uses five-year crop rotation and species diversity to generate non-toxic protection against diseases and insects. The school also has a biodiesel facility and composting facility, and its environmental reserve is a frequent location for scientific research.

This school is known for its work-study program, in which each student attends school for free but is required to work at least 10 hours per week. The school features a Campus Environmental Policy Committee (CEPC), which is developing a series of benchmarks to measure the school’s journey toward ecological sustainability. Berea’s Ecovillage is a 50 apartment living and learning community that includes an environmental studies demonstration house, a permaculture food forest, and a wastewater treatment system. On the 2009 College Sustainability Report Card, Berea earned a B, placing it in the top 5 schools in the Southeast and the top 23 nationwide.

The oldest US institution of higher learning, as well as the first chartered corporation, is today also one of the most sustainable. The school hired a full-time campus sustainability professional in 2000 and began the Harvard Green Campus Initiative. This initiative has been transformed into the school’s Office for Sustainability, which features a full-time staff of 25 and a 12 million fund to launch and maintain energy and water conservation projects. On the 2010 College Sustainability Report Card, Harvard was one of only 27 schools to receive an “A-,” the highest grade awarded.