Campus Greening at Green Mountain College a Democratic Process

POULTNEY, VT--(Marketwire - February 17, 2009) - Ewire -- Students at Green Mountain College are frantically filling out applications and applying for financial aid. It's a common scene on college campuses across the country as students look ahead to summer internships or graduate school. But in this case, a successful proposal will benefit future undergrads at GMC more than the applicants themselves. These students are making their pitch to the 2009 GMC Campus Greening Fund, a program that puts campus environmental improvements in the hands of students.

The Campus Greening Fund is designed to put into action greening initiatives that increase environmental awareness and decrease the school's ecological footprint. The program, which started in 2004, is funded through a $30 allocation from each student's annual activity fee. Proposals are evaluated by a student committee and awards are based on a student vote.

"We review the proposals and help the students get feedback and advice from local community partners," said senior Christina-Alexa Liakos, a co-director of the fund and one of five students on the committee. "We also make sure to coordinate with the campus facilities department and the land use committee, to make sure the projects can be done in the most effective and timely manner. It's green democracy in action."

This year, eight projects were funded with $25,611 set aside for implementation. 2009 Greening Fund Projects include a campus ecolabel program, a green bike program, tree canopy restoration, and a planting program for fruit-bearing trees on the College's Cerridwen Farm.

"Sustainability permeates our campus culture, so students really buy into having part of their activity fee go towards making environmental improvements," said Amber Garrard, Green Mountain College's sustainability coordinator. "The program shows that small investments can have big social benefits for the entire campus community."

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Contact Information: CONTACT: Kevin Coburn Green Mountain College One Brennan Circle Poultney, VT 05764 800-776-6675