March 10, 2008

Dear Newly Admitted Students,

Congratulations on your acceptance to Phillips Academy! It is exciting to know that you have the opportunity of joining the Andover community this fall. My reason for writing is to tell you more about the Sustainability Office here at Andover.

The Phillips Academy community has recognized the need for unselfish strategies and policies to reduce Andover’s impact on the environment and to increase campus sustainability. Students, faculty and staff are working together to create an environmentally aware campus that recognizes its long-term impact on the local and global community.

Most recently, in February 2008, Andover and 30 other schools worked together to combat global climate change in the Green Cup Challenge (GCC). The GCC is a competition designed to educate the community about the environmental and economic impact of one’s actions, specifically in relation to global climate change and campus emissions of greenhouse gases. By challenging each other to reduce electrical use, the schools reduced their Carbon emissions by over 1.1 million pounds and saved an estimated $80 thousand dollars in utility costs. Prior to and during the GCC, student leaders worked hard to educate the community about global warming and provided ways to reduce campus consumption.

As part of our commitment to sustainability, we have invested in a number of exciting, high-impact, energy-saving technologies, including our state-of-the-art campus energy management system, cogeneration capability at our renovated power plant, and advanced control technologies to dehumidify our hockey rink using the available waste heat from the ice making system. For campus heating and electricity production, the power plant burns natural gas – the cleanest of all fossil fuels.

The Campus Sustainability Office is also happy to report that the ongoing renovation of Commons dining hall is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) project with the U.S. Green Building Council.

Most importantly, it is an exciting time for Andover students to be involved in campus action groups affecting real change. To raise awareness about environmental issues, the Eco-Action club has sponsored events and organized school-wide meetings in its encouragement of environmental stewardship. Students wishing to gain leadership experience in the area of sustainability may apply to the Environmental Stewardship Program, a program that trains students to raise awareness about ecological issues and encourage environmentally conscious behavior within the community.

The school seeks “to promote a balance of leadership, cooperation and service, together with a deeper awareness of the global community and the natural world.” To that end, the Sustainability Office seeks an environmentally conscious citizenry whose awareness beyond themselves promotes long-term sustainable living.

Again, congratulations on your acceptance to Andover.

Rebecca Bogdanovitch
Sustainability Coordinator