Green College Spotlight: Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont

Tucked into a small, rural Vermont community is liberal arts gem Middlebury College, a highly selective private school that prides itself on its environmental activism. Middlebury established the first Environmental Studies major back in 1965, and has since helped pave the way for colleges across the country to be more environmentally conscious from its sustainable agriculture and recycling programs to the green building techniques used in recent construction.

Middlebury’s dedication to environmentally responsible practices is apparent in nearly every aspect of daily operations. In fact, they’ve incorporated environmental stewardship into the college’s new mission statement, which reads in part, “The College’s Vermont location offers an inspirational setting for learning and reflection, reinforcing our commitment to integrating environmental stewardship into both our curriculum and our practices on campus.”

Middlebury was one of six colleges to receive a grade of ‘A-‘ from the Sustainable Endowments Institute on its College Sustainability Report Card 2008, the highest grade rewarded. It has also been named as one of the greenest colleges in the U.S. by Forbes, Grist, Alternet and The Daily Green.

The honors are due in part to the students’ incredible drive to be environmentally responsible. Middlebury spawned the ‘Step it Up’ protests against global warming, and lobbied hard for the $11 million biomass plant now being built, which will help the college meet its goal of being carbon neutral by 2016. They’ve demanded green programs at the school and have gotten them, from the sustainably sourced wood used for heating to the wind turbine that powers the college’s recycling facility. Produce from local farmers plus the harvests reaped from the school’s on-campus organic gardens provide a quarter of the student meals at the dining hall. Check out the video below showing the students participating in ‘The Green Finger Project’, where they write what they’re voting to protect on the palms of their hands.

Majors at Middlebury include classical studies, geography, history of art & architecture, international studies, molecular biology & biochemistry and political science, among many others. Prospective students wishing to take a tour of the campus can get that info, along with more about the admissions process, at the school’s website.

Link [Middlebury College ] + [YouTube]

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