Calhoun is an institution that cherishes nature and is committed to restoring the environment.

It is Calhoun's intention to cause no unnecessary harm, use educational opportunities to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental issues we face, and to operate in ways that are good for people and the planet. Calhoun's Office of Sustainability serves as a resource, a catalyst and an advocate for environmental sustainability at Calhoun. As ideas to promote more sustainable thinking emerge in the community, we facilitate their practical implementation in the school. The OOS works to:

• Enhance Calhoun's reputation as a leader in sustainability.
• Ensure that Calhoun's efforts in sustainability are comprehensive and focused on meaningful projects.
• Identify, evaluate and implement opportunities for leadership.
• Promote the strength of Calhoun's sustainability efforts, including those of the faculty and students.
• Actively seek collaboration opportunities with other leading independent schools, nonprofit organizations and community groups to help forward sustainability programs.
• Integrate sustainability issues into school and student life.
• Promote education on social, economic and environmental sustainability by building community, student, faculty and staff awareness.
• Work with interested faculty to develop meaningful class projects and support students in those efforts.
• Work with interested students on academic and extra-curricular projects.
• Work towards a net-zero Green House Gas emissions (GHG) campus through energy efficiency, conservation, on-site generation and strategic procurement of clean and renewable energy.
• Create superior places to study and work that enhance the health and performance of our community through sustainable planning, design, construction and operations.
• Create a local and organic closed-loop food system by observing sustainability criteria for all food purchasing, preparation and service, cleaning, waste disposal, and purchase of equipment and supplies.

Awards and Recognition

Top Green School
In August 2005, Calhoun was recognized as one of the top Green Schools in the country by The Green Guide (www.thegreenguide.com), for the school's Green Roof as well as for our "Eat Right Now" lunch program, which is committed to serving fresh, local produce, and teaching the value of healthy eating.

Green Roof Design Award
Calhoun and FX Fowle Architects, PC, were named recipients of the 2007 Merit Award for innovative learning environments by DesignShare, an industry resource in the area of school construction. DesignShare jurors called the four-floor addition a "courageous design," with special mention of the Green Roof as "an innovation in the architecture for learning."

Press
"Learning Gets a Green Face," NYU's Scienceline, August 2008, an NYU Science, Health & Environmental Report