My Green Lesson Plan|East Coast Education

July 12, 2010

Included in my recent travels to the Northeast from the Pacific Northwest were visits with my 13-year-old twin boys to some fabulous institutions of higher learning: Harvard, Yale, MIT, Parsons New School for Design and Pratt Institute. Wearing both my mom and my green hats, I felt like a “mystery shopper” of sorts as I queried a variety of folks at each of the schools.

Some of us may think that the grass is greener in other markets, but given its dominance here in Seattle, I was surprised to find that Sustainability was only a small part of the academic dialogue. Most Architecture staffers could tell me where their campus green buildings were situated, and the schools’ respective galleries of final projects underscored innovative green building and design concepts. Yet the average student, teacher, administrator and even campus policeman could not. I started thinking about simple strategies, beyond a green school banner or a website page, that colleges could easily employ to break through departmental silos and communicate their green initiatives and results to a much broader audience.

Informational Signage
At key pedestrian traffic points such as a Visitors Center, provide signage that not only proffers a catchy slogan but delivers some concrete initiative messaging. Examples include information about built-first LEED certified buildings on campus, in town, city or state; programs to utilize green power through utility or source energy through on-site renewables, and implementation of campus-wide re-use, recycle and composting programs.

Engaging Signals
Utilize “flashy” large recycle bins in easy-to-find locations as a reminder to recycle and minimize waste. This program might even serve as a revenue source, as area waste management or utilities might be willing to fund this effort.

Community Support
Find opportunities for students to engage in projects to enhance the regional community. Many of the schools we visited were relatively close to neighborhoods that seemed disconnected from the schools themselves. Consider planting a community garden or pea patch, beginning a neighborhood Farmer’s Market, or reclaiming an abandoned site into a playground or gathering space.

Enlist EcoAmbassadors
None of the students who were leading tours could give me specifics on programs, initiatives or buildings that support sustainability goals, nor could they tell me the location of the Office of Sustainability. Create an internal education program for those students that engage with school visitors. Not only will visitors and prospective students be informed, but these EcoAmbassadors can spread the eco-message throughout the campus and into the community, well beyond graduation.

Creative Competition
Stage a “waste not” competition and encourage students, teachers and administrators to look for opportunities to save resources throughout the school. Some campuses exceed the population of small towns, so minor changes can add up to big results. Encourage healthy green-it-up competition among programs, Greek systems and other regional schools.

Green Curriculum
Even without creating a new curriculum, think about opportunities to green up the existing class offerings. For example, could a design class look at Cradle-to-Cradle approaches? Could an art class reuse materials or select non-toxic materials, and could it work in a more integrated context (with architecture and engineering)?

Recycle Books
While not all textbooks are available yet in digital format, consider gently-used textbook swaps or create a school-wide online share program. For all those great novels and plays read in and out of school, consider a neighborhood book swap or organize a free “bookmobile” to areas that might have limited access to libraries and bookstores.

Green Talk
Lastly, as sustainability landmarks are achieved and new programs are created to align with the school’s mission, remember to share them on websites, social media platforms, and with local newspapers. Become teachers, mentors and partners to those that are not on campus but reside in the greater community.

Our environmental issues will not be solved by these steps alone, but they just may inspire the next generation of innovators who will help transition our culture into one of resourcefulness and restoration and not of waste and depletion. So ask yourself, your kid or your teacher, what did you do to help green the world on your summer vacation?

Happy travels, –alex

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Tags: east coast colleges, green ambassadors, green communication, green public relations, green schools, optimize green messaging, recycling, schools build community, signage, student engagement