Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability

Biology teacher Becca Leslie is one of the NMHers featured in “Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability,” a new publication from the Center for Ecoliteracy. The book, written by Michael K. Stone, attempts to answer the question “what does a green school or eco-schooling curriculum look like?” In pursuit of the answer, Stone offers a series of case studies, including a description of Northfield Mount Hermon and the school’s task force on sustainability.

Michael heard about Northfield Mount Hermon through the National Association of Independent Schools Institute for Leadership in Sustainability, said Leslie, who spends summers working at the NAIS institute.

After touring the NMH campus and talking to faculty and staff, Stone wrote a chapter called “Northfield Mount Hermon: Ecological Accounting.” He described the school’s task force on sustainability, work job program, and Green Cup Challenge, using NMH as an example of how schools can monitor their own energy consumption and, hopefully, reduce it.

“The ambitious sustainability goals and the decision to undertake such a thorough and public review of school operations reflect an institutional commitment to environmental stewardship,” he wrote.

Other profiles examine schools that have made their campuses more eco-friendly, modified curriculum to teach energy conservation and rethought such norms as school food. “Smart by Nature” is published by Watershed Media and is available this fall from such online retailers as Borders and Amazon.