Sustainability at Earlham
Students with an interest in sustainability can participate in coursework, internships, events, clubs, experiential learning opportunities at Miller Farm, or live in themed residential houses while pursuing a degree. From making the campus a more sustainable place to live and learn to studying through the lenses of the environment, social justice and economics, sustainability at Earlham is about doing what needs to be done to create a better world for all of us.
Princeton Review – Green School
Earlham College’s sustainability efforts have been recognized by the Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Schools. Every day, we work toward creating a more sustainable campus and experience for our students.
Sustainability at Earlham is not fixed and static but will be an ever-changing orientation to the question of “how we should best live” both on campus and in our wider social and ecological communities of interest and influence.
Green initiatives
Earlham College is engaged in multiple efforts to balance the environmental, economic and social impacts of campus operations. From recycling to energy conservation to the use of safer cleaning products, these efforts reflect collaboration among many different offices on campus to achieve Earlham’s sustainability goals.
Green buildings
Earlham is committed to seeking Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design certification on all new buildings and major renovation projects.
Recycling and composting
Earlham provides single-stream recycling in all buildings on campus as well as collection of compostable wastes.
Bike share
The EC Bike Share offers students daily use of bikes at no cost and operates out of the Public Safety Office.
Free store
The Earlham Free Store works to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in the landfill by giving unwanted items a second life.
Sustainability in the classroom
Earlham College faculty engage students in the academic study of sustainability in a variety of ways. Much of this study occurs outside traditional classroom walls as experiential learning on campus, in the local community, and in international locations. In addition, courses in sustainable agriculture are offered at Miller Farm each semester.
During the spring semester of their senior year, environmental sustainability majors engage in a collaborative research project, often with a community partner. Recent projects include Playground with a Purpose and an update to Earlham’s Comprehensive Sustainability Plan.
Academic programs
Earlham offers multiple ways to study sustainability, like our environmental sustainability major/minor, sustainable agriculture applied minor or sustainability and management applied minor. You can also get involved with the Earlham Center for Environmental Leadership.
You can also take student-led courses in sustainable agriculture practices. These are offered each semester at Miller Farm, Earlham’s student-run farm.
Get involved on campus
Students can get involved with sustainability at Earlham in many ways, from paid positions with the Student Sustainability Corps to living on the Sustainability Floor to volunteering at the Free Store.
Many of Earlham’s sustainability initiatives are coordinated by members of the Student Sustainability Corps. Open positions with the SSC are advertised via Handshake, our campus’s job and internship platform. Gain great experience working on real-world problems on campus by joining the SSC.
Learn more about the Student Sustainability Corps →
Several options exist to live in sustainability and/or environmentally themed housing on campus. For first-year students, consider the Sustainability Floor. For second through fourth years, other options include Foster House (Outdoor Education), Fry House (Sustainable Agriculture) and the Co-op Floor. See Living-Learning Communities for additional information.
Miller Farm has a long history of experiential learning and experimentation in sustainable agriculture practices. The Farm is located on back campus, just beyond the Suzanne Hoerner Equestrian Center. Check out what’s happening at the Farm by coming out for a Farm Day (Saturday mornings).
Many opportunities exist right on campus to enjoy the beauty of nature. Go hiking in Earlham’s back campus, explore the Whitewater Gorge, or bike the Cardinal Greenway. Incoming first-year students should consider Summer Wilderness, a pre-orientation program that includes an 11-day backpacking experience in the Uinta Mountains of Utah or canoeing experience in the Wabakimi Provincial Park. Students also can enroll in courses in Outdoor Education to improve skills in rock climbing, backpacking and canoeing