Earlham College recognized for excellence in environmental sustainability

Earlham College is once again featured in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges for its strong commitment to environmental sustainability.

The Princeton Review annually recognizes institutions with robust curricular and co-curricular programs, including coursework, student leadership opportunities and ride sharing initiatives that address complex environmental challenges. Earlham earned a “Green Rating” of 90 on a scale of 60 to 99 points as part of educational resource company’s analysis of 840 colleges and universities.

Earlham offers a major and minor in environmental sustainability, as well as applied minors in outdoor education, sustainable agriculture, and sustainability and management. The College also offers a summer wilderness program in the Uinta Mountains for incoming students.

Students who major in environmental sustainability complete a capstone project that tackles environmental issues in real-life settings. Past projects have resulted in a prairie restoration initiative on campus and the development of a resolution that challenged local governmental leaders to develop a long-term plan to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The College’s Icelandic Field Studies program provides students with opportunities to conduct research related to climate change while a semester program in New Zealand takes students to a country distinctive for its progressive environmental policies.

Through the College’s Center for Environmental Leadership, students can apply for paid positions or volunteer at Miller Farm, a sustainable agriculture program on campus, or the Earlham Student Sustainability Corps. Through these opportunities, students can work on projects in areas such as waste reduction or running the Free Store, which takes donations for items to be reused on campus.

Earlham was one of the first institutions in the country to participate in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, or STARS. The College has earned a silver rating. STARS is a framework for all sectors of higher education and encompasses long-term sustainability goals for already high-achieving institutions, as well as entry points of recognition for institutions that are taking first steps toward sustainability.

Earlham is also committed to seeking LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) on new buildings and renovation projects. An initiative of the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED recognizes building practices that are environmentally and financially sustainable. Earlham has four LEED-certified buildings: The Center for Visual and Performing Arts and the Center for Science and Technology both have achieved gold LEED certification. Stanley Hall has earned LEED silver certification and Tyler Hall has basic LEED certification.