Westtown examines curricular offerings and campus operations through the lens of sustainability, sets measurable goals, and launches initiatives to reach them.
- Curricular offerings: Advanced courses in Environmental Issues and Research Ecology; sustainability themes appear school-wide in a variety of subject areas.
- Sustainable Dining: Student-powered 1.5 acre organic mini-farm supports the dining room; food waste is composted; an increasing percentage of food comes from local growers.
- Campus operations: Electricity, oil, and natural gas consumption is tracked monthly; an Energy Policy governs heating and cooling of campus buildings; 44 kW solar voltaic array on the new Athletic Center generates 60,000 kWh/year; the school purchases 6% of its electricity from PECO wind.
- Land and Resource Stewardship: The school's 200-acre farm is leased for commercial vegetable production; No Vehicle Idling policy in place; lake restoration project in process; Invasive plant species eradication is ongoing.
- Administration and Finance: Sustainability efforts are supported by a Sustainability Coordinator and a Sustainability Committee comprised of trustees, faculty members, students, and parents, with funding from The Next Generation Endowment Fund, and the John Baird Sustainability Fund.
Helping students understand how human societies interact with the natural world doesn't end at the edge of our 600-acre campus, but extends far beyond it, inspiring alumni, parents, and the surrounding community.
...our goal is to create an environmentally literate and responsible community of students, faculty, staff, and families whose daily actions reflect care for the earth and its biodiversity.
From Westtown's Environmental Sustainability Mission Statement