What does sustainability look like in practice on a school campus? At the recent PAISBOA Sustainability Meeting hosted by Germantown Friends School (GFS), participants experienced firsthand how thoughtful design, campus stewardship, and student engagement can bring a school’s sustainability values to life.
What does sustainability look like in practice on a school campus? At the recent PAISBOA Sustainability Meeting hosted by Germantown Friends School (GFS), participants experienced firsthand how thoughtful design, campus stewardship, and student engagement can bring a school’s sustainability values to life.
Twenty-three educators, sustainability coordinators, and administrators from PAISBOA member schools gathered at The School in Rose Valley (SRV) for the PAISBOA Sustainability meeting, co-organized by PAISBOA and Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants (BSEC) on October 9th, 2025. This event provided a space for participants to share ideas, highlight campus initiatives, and strengthen connections around environmental sustainability.
On Wednesday April 30th, more than 30 educators, sustainability coordinators, and facilities staff from PAISBOA member schools came together for the group’s semiannual sustainability meeting, co-organized by PAISBOA and Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants (BSEC). This spring’s gathering was hosted by The Agnes Irwin School (AIS) and offered a space to share ideas, explore campus initiatives, and build connections around school sustainability.
Every day, the average American produces 4.9 pounds of trash — a staggering amount that contributes to overflowing landfills and environmental harm. A significant portion of this waste comes from food. In fact, 30-40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted, the equivalent of bringing home three grocery bags and tossing one straight into the trash.
By making small changes, we can reduce waste, save money and help protect the planet. Let's make every day Earth Day, starting with what's on our plates.
At Abington Friends School (AFS), sustainability isn’t just a concept, it’s something that students are actively engaging with and exploring. Under the direction of Middle School science teacher Virginia Friedman, 7th-grade students took on a hands-on sustainability challenge: identifying areas where the school could reduce waste and become more environmentally responsible.
Did you know the average American produces nearly 5 pounds of waste per day (EPA, 2024)? Schools generate a significant amount of waste, from lunch trays to classroom materials, much of which could be diverted from landfills.
To better understand their impact, 7th Grade students at Abington Friends School conducted a waste audit, sorting and analyzing a school day’s worth of trash.
At EB Coffee & Pub (EB), owner Justin Nichols and his team envision a vibrant community hub where every cup of coffee tells a story of quality, sustainability, and connection. From reducing waste with recyclable and reusable materials, to prioritizing local suppliers, and fostering partnerships with local community groups, the goal is to make sustainability an integral part of daily operations. EB Coffee & Pub demonstrates how small, local businesses can contribute to a sustainable future.
Middlebury College has positioned itself as a leading environmentally-conscious institution and is one of the first colleges/universities in the world to achieve carbon neutrality. A core part of the college’s mission statement emphasizes “addressing the world’s most challenging problems” – a vision that the community has actively pursued through its deep commitment to environmentalism and sustainability. By creating a roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality by 2016, this vision has come to fruition, though the journey hasn’t always been easy.
Fallen leaves provide crucial winter protection for insects and invertebrates like butterflies, moths, and beetles. For example, wooly bear and great spangled fritillary caterpillars rely on leaves for warmth and food. By participating in the “Leave the Leaves” campaign, schools can support these ecosystems on their own grounds. Imagine designating a section of the schoolyard as a “wild zone” where leaves are left undisturbed, creating a living laboratory for students to observe changes throughout the seasons.
On October 17th, the PAISBOA Sustainability Group gathered at Norwood-Fontbonne Academy (NFA) for a meeting focused on integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into school curricula. Hosted by NFA's Media Science Teacher Megan Stotz, the session titled “Using United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in Your Curriculum” attracted representatives from eight PAISBOA member schools.
Last month I sat down with Colleen Falicki, on her Speaking of Sustainability podcast, and Founder of Back to Earth Compost. We discussed 3 ways individuals can reduce their environmental footprint including reducing food waste. Here’s a link to the podcast.
Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, is reimagining its campus grounds into a more sustainable one. After an 8 month long collaborative effort between Skidmore’s Sustainability Office, Skidmore’s Facilities Department, and a consulting group: The LA Group, a Sustainability Landscape Plan (SLP) was born. The SLP works in conjunction with two other informative Skidmore plans, the Campus Master Plan (2022) and the Sustainability Plan (2015-2025). The SLP helps pave a roadmap for future projects as the college continues to evolve.
AIM Academy’s Jeff Fetterman stands next to a whiteboard drawing at a recent PAISBOA Sustainability Meeting with area schools. AIM hosted the event. “Here’s an example of how students can learn about bike geometry,” said Fetterman as he referred to a sketch of a bike with various arrows, labels, and angles. “Today, we studied the geometry of the bike design by comparing the old-style bikes to the new.” Check out the blog article to read more.
People Advancing Reintegration (aka PAR Recycle Works) is a Philadelphia-based non-profit electronic waste (or e-waste) recycler that provides transitional employment to people returning from incarceration and reintegrating into the workforce. It is the perfect balance between important environmental goals and an equally key social mission.
On March 6, PAISBOA Sustainability Group met virtually to review the Sustainability School Survey results, now in its third year. The survey aims to document the sustainability practices and progress among PAISBOA schools, and enables individual schools to see where they fall in comparison to peer institutions. PAISBOA’s Ron Hill and Boyer Sudduth’s Mary Ann Boyer and intern, Fernando Leon Rueda, shared the survey findings.
Surrounded by 55 acres of lush green landscape, Dana Hall School is situated in the town of Wellesley, a suburb of Boston, MA. This independent boarding and day school for girls grades 5-12 is currently on an ambitious mission. Since July 2022, Dana Hall has been renovating their entire Upper School Building in a way that reflects their value for sustainability. Here is how this small school is tackling this big project.
