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About
Sustainability
Stewarding a Sustainable Future
CSW is committed to fostering a sustainable future for our students and the planet. Through innovative practices, energy efficiency, and renewable energy solutions, we strive to create an environmentally conscious campus that promotes green living and responsible resource use.
By integrating sustainability into our curriculum, extracurricular activities, and daily operations, we empower our students to become thoughtful stewards of the environment, instilling in them the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to lead the way toward a more sustainable world.
By integrating sustainability into our curriculum, extracurricular activities, and daily operations, we empower our students to become thoughtful stewards of the environment, instilling in them the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to lead the way toward a more sustainable world.
Sustainability Committee
The Sustainability Committee is comprised of students and adults in the CSW community working together to create and support a systematic and ongoing sustainability culture on campus, developing clear plans for making CSW a more sustainable community. Each class elects representatives to serve on the committee, and two students from each dorm are elected as Sustainability Stewards, supporting sustainable practices in the residential community. Meetings are open to all.
Sustainability Initiatives
List of 6 items.
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Green Construction
In 2007, the Garthwaite Center for Science and Art was designed to LEED Platinum standards and constructed using sustainable building materials. The 21,000 square foot facility features passive solar design, a high-performance heating and ventilation system, a living green roof, composting toilets, and high performance lighting. It was once named one of the nation's Top Ten Green Projects by The American Institute of Architects' Committee on the Environment. -
Charging Stations
CSW is an idle-free campus, and is home to 20 electric vehicle charging stations. -
Community Gardens
Campus is home to two teaching community gardens, one of which is comprised entirely of native plants. -
Dining Hall Composting
CSW partners with Black Earth Compost to manage pre-consumer and post-consumer food waste from our dining hall. This effort helps to reduce the school's trash load (and cost) and reduces greenhouse gas emissions related to food waste. -
Food Waste Audits
The Student Sustainability Committee conducts annual food waste audits, weighing and tabulating the food waste from the dining hall to look for trends and opportunities for improvement. They also advocate for reducing post-consumer food waste by taking only what we will eat when getting food from the dining hall. -
Photovoltaic Panels
The Board of trustees recently voted to install photovoltaic panels on campus, which will allow the school to move away from fossil fuels and offset nearly a quarter of annual electricity consumption. They also approved a proposal to install a battery backup system for the Warren Dorm, allowing for critical load electricity during power failures.
25-Year Sustainability Goals
List of 4 items.
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Eliminate Diesel Emissions from Blackout Generators
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Manage and Reduce Electricity Costs
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Reduce Total Energy Consumption
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Transition to Clean Energy
Courses with a Sustainability Component
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.