FALL 2009

Schools coalition turns competition into cooperation

Successful initiatives at a few schools in Princeton, New Jersey, are turning colleagues green — but envy has nothing to do with it. Instead, schools of different sizes with students of different ages are learning from each other how to promote sustainability through a coalition of 17 schools called OASIS — Organizing Action on Sustainability in Schools.

Princeton Day Schools English teacher Liz Cutler founded OASIS in 2007 to promote and support school sustainability efforts in the region. Member schools share knowledge, experience, and resources.

“We realized it was silly for everyone to be reinventing the wheel, when we were all working toward the same goal at our schools and could be learning from each other,” said Cutler. “Originally, the idea was to create a learning group, but people wanted an action-oriented group. They wanted to do something.”

A look at the sustainability movement at Princeton Day School shows how making incremental changes can have lasting effects. Within three years of launching its grassroots effort, Prineton Day won the 2009 Green Cup Challenge — a contest to see which school can save the most energy over a month. The school was also recognized by Kiwi magazine for integrating sustainable practices into its food services, and had a sustainability initiative endorsed by the board of trustees.

Cutler approached school heads to encourage them to join OASIS, and several schools signed on. The group has grown and now hosts regular meetings and has encouraged participation in events like the Green Cup Challenge.

The coalition also hosted a two-day conference for teachers, a one-day forum for school administrators and facilities managers on improving sustainability on campus, created a working group for facilities and business managers and hosted Richard Louv, a nationally recognized speaker on environmental issues.

Cutler and her allies also leverage the friendly competition among independent schools to create momentum for change. “Nobody wants to be left behind,” she said. “You think of competition as negative, but it can have very positive effects. With sustainability, we’re all winners.

Krystal Knapp is a freelance writer and Michelle Ruess is director of communication at Princeton Day School (New Jersey).