Monday, June 22nd served as the opening of the National Association of Independent Schools’ (NAIS) Institute for Leadership in Sustainability Conference at Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. Many of the points made at the conference could help any organization or institution develop a sustainability action plan. Stated goals and outcomes of the conference are to:

• Develop a practical sustainability action plan
• Engage in critical thinking and learning about sustainability
• Learn from experts and colleagues about core sustainability issues, resources, and strategies;
• Become inspired and a stronger advocate for sustainability
• Build a personal library of sustainability how-to resources

On Monday, NAIS’s Vice President for Government and Community Relations, Jefferson Burnett, and ILS leader Wynn Calder laid the foundation of the conference by providing a template for schools to develop a sustainability action plan. Many of the participants were looking at behavioral changes, moving past the “low-hanging fruit” of energy conservation. One question that encapsulated the debate was, “How to make sustainability systemic?” This came up from a number of participants when they were asked to share their personal goals for the conference.

Monday’s main message was “Planning is important”. There must be a plan in place in order to succeed. The first point on the list of goals and outcomes of the institute was to “develop a practical sustainability action plan.” The following steps were laid out to achieve this goal.

First, assess existing strengths and future opportunities. This includes the organization’s (school, business, non-profit, etc) mission, program, and facilities. Next, identify champions, potential players, and allies. Consider both bottom-up (grassroots) and top-down (administrative) support. From this point, assemble a team, sustainability committee, or a task force (with representation from all constituencies). Once this group is in place, design a plan and a set of goals that are realistic. Schools need to consider the following areas:

• Administration, mission and planning
• Campus/Facilities/Operations
• Curriculum
• Student Life
• Community outreach
• Marketing and communications
• Development and alumni relations

Take small, visible steps initially to demonstrate success. In the implementation phase set goals and time lines. Once the plan has been launched, maintaining momentum and assessing progress are essential. As with any initiative, it is important to anticipate obstacles that may arise. These could include a lack of time, resistance to change, ambiguous power, repealed promises, or (as is prevalent today) financial barriers. As with any initiative, communication is key. Sharing the information about the initiative with interested parties, as well as community members is essential. This lays the groundwork when the time comes to share successes.

- Eric Wilson

[image source: ToolMonger.com]