1. Building a Sustainability Plan
Craig Westcott, Darrow School Jefferson Burnett, NAIS
NAIS Institute for Leadership in Sustainability June 23-27, 2008
For titles and subtitles each word capitalized except articles and prepositions and conjunctions for four or fewer letters. Title and subtitle text appears black on clear/white backgrounds.

2. Fundamentals for Success
Leadership from the top
Real Time for Real Work
Buy in from multiple constituencies
Student involvement
Partnership with local communities
Willingness to change as an organization

3. Program-Curriculum Curriculum mapping Technology Teacher training
School visits
Connect with community
Specifics
-Earth Day
-”Green Cup”

4. Facility Sustainability Audit “Green” facilities Master Plan
“Green” the Buildings and Grounds committee
Install Energy Monitoring Equipment
Create Alternative Energy Plan
Signage that communicates sustainable attributes of campus

5. Food Create organic farm/herb garden
Establish target percentages for organic and local content
Establish composting
“Fair trade” policy
Research biodegradable products for dining services
Reduce food wastes at all meals
Connect with local farms/gardens, etc.

6. Operations Create School Sustainable Practices Manual
-Facility Management
-Purchasing
-Recycling
-Energy Use
-Building Practices
-Transportation
Regulate building temperatures throughout year
Establish target percentages for paper use reduction and post-consumer content use
Establish protocols to reduce emissions on campus
Hire Sustainability Coordinator
Institute speaker series
Consider Board level commitment

7. Recycling Coordinate campus recycling plan
Create school recycling center and collection, etc protocols
Create, purchase, market school “brand” items that promote sustainability
-water bottles
-grocery bags
-travel mugs
Buy in bulk and reuse creatively when possible

8. External Relations: Fundraising for and Communicating Green Initiatives…
is not about

9. External Relations: Fundraising for Green Initiatives
What to think about…
Connect and coordinate with your school’s advancement and communications teams!
Articulate what you want to raise monies for and why (mission/education value/financial savings)
Be realistic, establish clear expectations, address project staffing (going green may not equate to saving money)
Know where green fundraising initiatives fall within the total development plan (competing projects and initiatives)
Understand your constituencies—parents, alums, friends, corporations/foundations—and develop appropriate strategies (diff strokes/diff folks)
Involve the school community and use green initiatives to promote school-wide sustainability
What to remember…
Fundraising for green initiatives is still nascent; not all will give simply because its green
Not everyone is a green champion
Those that are champions will give green for green (garden roof)
Those that aren’t may give for other reasons (naming opportunities)
Everyone is asking corporations and foundations but with mixed success
If you build it, they may not come…until later…and for reasons other than what you think
Greenness doesn’t have broad constituent value yet

10. External Relations: Communicating Green Initiatives
What to think about…
Why promote? Inform, persuade, motivate, inspire…
Integrate into existing communications:
Articles in parent newsletters, alumni bulletins, website
Display the recycled paper and sustainable forests logos
Reference and link
Head presentations/school updates
Seek media coverage
What’s noteworthy: novel or part of a larger trend
Healthy menu (organic/local); solar powered hockey rink, LEED building
Logos: subtle reminder that helps to engender value and creates sense of pride in your school
Alum Mag: might generate donations because the alum likes the school’s direction and commitment

11. External Relations: Communicating Green Initiatives
Share with your community at-large
Engage neighbors and forge partnership
Invite to green events/new buildings
Demonstrate public purpose, educational value, leadership