Environmental Sustainability

Caring for our School Environment

Cross-graded teams led by seniors, faculty and students dedicate 10 minutes twice every week to campus beautification.

This important program:

• Develops Leadership: Seniors lead activities and mentor their younger peers.

• Strengthens Community: Collaboration between faculty and students fosters connections across grade levels.

• Promotes Environmental Responsibility: We build respect and pride in our campus environment while reinforcing sustainable practices.

Sustainability across the Curriculum

Environmental sustainability is woven into course curricula, which encourages students to consider sustainability from multiple perspectives.

Some examples include:

• Ceramics: Students create endangered animal sculptures to raise awareness about biodiversity.

• Language Classes: Students adopt a global perspective to explore sustainability concepts and vocabulary.

• Visual Arts: Students create environment-themed pieces using sustainable materials.

• Humanities: Students investigate how significant world events shape environmental and human outcomes.

Climate Action Team

Our student-led Climate Action Team drives sustainability efforts by reducing waste, improving efficiency, and educating our community. 

Examples of their projects:

• School-wide clothing exchanges

• Calculating NWS’s annual carbon emissions

• Letter-writing campaigns to promote civic engagement

Farm & Garden: Hands-on Learning and Leadership

This outdoor classroom offers opportunities for experiential learning, creative expression, and leadership development.

Examples include:

• Advisories and grade-level meetings that dedicate time to garden maintenance.

• Visual arts classes create garden-inspired projects.

• Science classes expand classroom learning to conduct experiments in the garden.

• Student managers oversee the farm and garden and guide their peers in learning.

Outdoor Program: Exploring the Pacific Northwest

Faculty lead outdoor trips that showcase the region's natural beauty, while fostering adventure and appreciation for the environment.

Past trips have included:

• Rock climbing

• Backpacking

• Geocaching

• Snow shelter building

• Cross-country skiing

Service Learning: Thinking Locally, Acting Globally

Students spend a year learning about social and environmental factors that affect critical resources - then they partner with community organizations to take meaningful action. This cultivates social responsibility at the individual, communal, and global levels.