Environmental Stewardship

We are committed to school-wide practices and policies that minimize the use of energy, water, and other resources as well as the production of waste. Our sustainable actions now support improvement of the long-term viability of the institution. 
This is done in part by implementing some of the following.

• Design and construct energy efficient buildings.
• Regularly assess use of energy and an accurate assessment of the school’s carbon footprint.
• Apply sustainable food practices such as using compostable bioplastic, decreasing food waste, serving locally produced options, and a trayless dining hall.
• ‌Modify purchasing policy to include more green choices and assess costs and availability of carbon offsets (ie, community safety electric vehicles).
• Reduce campus water use, improve waste reduction, and recycling.
• ‌Analyze the environmental impact of grounds maintenance procedures.
• Implement guided education and resources for new employees.
   

We provide students with opportunities to appreciate connections between local actions and global consequences.

Some of the ways students make an impact on campus are through programs, clubs, and events.

• Conservation Proctors Program is a student task force who educates the Choate community on sustainability practices on campus and developing programs and conservation events.
• Student clubs like Environmental Action Coalition and Students Advocates for Environmentalism make it their mission to emphasize the importance of our actions on the environment.
• Green cup challenges aim at reducing electrical consumption & Hydrocup challenges reduce water usage during each dorm competition.

Environmental education gives students the ability to understand the natural world, and to critically examine policies and predictions of impacts that humans have on the environment. Choate’s curriculum offers sustainability-focused courses like Environmental Ethics and Climate Change: From Knowledge to Action that fuel student’s ability to advance their environmental literacy in all facets. More sustainability-related courses include Geology Sequence, Contemporary Issues, and Architectural Design to allow students to explore how to think about our influence on the earth.

The Environmental Immersion Program at the Kohler Environmental Center is a yearlong intensive program for students who have a passion for learning ways to preserve our natural environment that go beyond the primary curriculum.