Awards and Honors, Institutional News

Princeton Review Ranks Bennington Among Most Green U.S. Colleges

The Princeton Review has recognized Bennington as one of the country's most environmentally responsible colleges, citing the College's new biomass heating system and expanded environmental studies curriculum in its first ever Guide to 286 Green Colleges.

One of four Vermont colleges to make the list, Bennington has worked to drastically reduce waste and increase recycling in recent years, while also adhering to green building practices and retrofitting existing facilities with energy-efficient appliances. Organizations such as the student-led Environmental Initiatives Committee and the newly formed Sustainability Committee—composed of students, faculty, and staff—meet regularly to propose and implement small- and large-scale sustainability projects across campus and beyond.

With a recent grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Bennington has also bolstered its environmental studies program, which is a facet of the new Center for the Advancement of Public Action (CAPA). Due to open next spring, CAPA features a number of "green" design elements including energy-efficient fixtures, a geothermal heating and cooling system, and the entire exterior, which will be clad with more than 6,000 pieces of reclaimed Vermont marble.

Read more in the Rutland Herald.