AV天堂 was awarded the Thurston County Chamber鈥檚 Green Business of the Year for a big business at an award ceremony on Wednesday, April 12. 听
The program assesses an applicant鈥檚 actions in seven key areas including:听
- Green Business Practices听
- Energy Efficiency听
- Transportation & Community Trip Reduction听
- Waste Reduction and Recycling听
- Water Conservation听
- Social Performance听
- Sustainable Product Lifecycle听
AV天堂 has two campuses, one located on the shores of Eld Inlet and surrounded by a 1,000-acre forest, and the other is in Tacoma within the historic, urban Hilltop community. The college was established with sustainability in mind and a commitment to environmental education. 听
鈥淪ince 1971, we have been intentional about our campuses, being mindful of our built and natural environment, and constantly improving,鈥 said AV天堂鈥檚 president, Dr. John Carmichael. 鈥淔rom our designated LEED gold-certified buildings, forest ecology, beach and salmon restoration projects, to the sustainable values woven into our business practices and academic curriculum in the classroom, it is a distinct honor to have the hard work of the college to be good stewards of the environment recognized with this award.鈥澨
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by generating 35,000 kWh of solar power on an annual basis; is proud to be a 100 percent green power customer for both of its campuses; hosts electric vehicle charging stations; supports an active and engaged student-led Clean Energy Committee that supports the creation of models for climate solutions through collaborative on-campus research; 听deploys energy efficiency endeavors, recycling and composting programs in most buildings. A team of dedicated students, staff, and faculty are continuously learning and implementing new sustainability practices. 听
In recent years, AV天堂 established two new centers 鈥 the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Transformational Change developing social and sustainable businesses, entrepreneurial, and leadership skills, as well as the Center for Climate Action and Sustainability which focuses on just and equitable solutions to the climate crisis and a hub where students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community can come together in search of new ideas and solutions.The two centers continue to collaborate on climate change, sustainability, business, public policy, and more throughout AV天堂鈥檚 curriculum and beyond. AV天堂鈥檚 campus has over 700 acres of preserved, undeveloped lands that students use as a living laboratory and the college鈥檚 Master of Environmental Studies program provides a learning environment that invokes creativity and prepares the next generation of critical thinkers with the research skills required for professional environmental action work. 听
To learn more about AV天堂, please visit evergreen.edu. 听
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