Climate Action Team celebrates Sustainability at Northwest
- 01/26/2026
- Category: Featured Environmental Sustainability
Environmental Sustainability has been an important core value at the Northwest School from its inception 40 years ago. And it remains a vital component of the school's mission and programs today.
Last week, our student-led Climate Action Team led the Sustainability Celebration to recognize and uplift some recent major wins for this important program, including: all-new electric vehicles on our transportation fleet, a $31,000 grant awarded to Northwest to fund energy-efficient facilities upgrades, and more!
This was also an opportunity to welcome back some of our previous faculty who shaped the Sustainability program and its legacy, including: Herb Bergamini, Jenny Cooper, and school co-founder Mark Terry.
"We didn’t use the term 'sustainability' back then," says Terry. "We said 'environmental' or 'ecological consciousness.' We tried to permeate the notion that everything we do has a consequence – every material, everything you discard."
Herb Bergamini echoes this sentiment and ties it to the student learning experience at Northwest. "Students need to get down on their knees and look at the floor carefully – the old growth fir floor," he explains. When they really look at what it is and how it came to be here, it can prompt them to think about how can we cherish and support these natural wonders for another hundred years.
We didn’t use the term "sustainability" back then. We said "environmental" or "ecological consciousness." We tried to permeate the notion that everything we do has a consequence – every material, everything you discard.
Herb Bergamini echoes this sentiment and ties it to the student learning experience at Northwest. "Students need to get down on their knees and look at the floor carefully – the old growth fir floor," he explains. When they really look at what it is and how it came to be here, it can prompt them to think about how can we cherish and support these natural wonders for another hundred years.
Northwest leverages local partnerships and funding opportunities to further our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability. For instance, a Building Decarbonization grant awarded through the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) is being utilized to fund design features and retrofits to reduce climate pollution and help school buildings reach upcoming emissions targets of the Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS).
Northwest students proposed a Carbon Neutrality Plan to reduce the school's emissions as much as possible without carbon offsets - and this prompted an initiative to purchase electric vans through the Seattle City Light Fleet Electrification Program.
As we look ahead to the next 40 years, one thing is certain: our commitment to environmental sustainability will continue to guide Northwest's mission and programs.
