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Second Nature, a nonprofit organization advancing sustainability in the American higher education sector, has launched a new program, Advancing Green Building in Higher Education, to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III and V institutions to “build green” on their campuses.

With a three-year, $1.2 million grant from The Kresge Foundation, Second Nature will help these institutions learn about and use the financial and technical resources available to construct and renovate campus buildings in ways that save money, reduce negative health impacts, and serve as community models for environmentally sustainable construction. Forty fellowships will be awarded to senior managers from these institutions to facilitate this process; the application deadline is April 15, 2009.

“The timing of Kresge’s grant could not be more beneficial,” says Dr. Anthony Cortese, president of Second Nature. “With the Obama Administration making green building and green jobs a priority of the stimulus plan, this assistance will make sure these under-resourced colleges and universities participate fully in this national effort.”

Buildings account for an estimated 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, a major contributor to global climate change. In the higher education arena, many institutions are constructing high-performance, healthy facilities that reduce or eliminate harmful emissions and waste. At the same time, these facilities increase quality of life and productivity for their occupants.

However, many religious, community, technical, minority-serving and state-supported institutions have fewer resources to spend on bricks and mortar projects, less in-house knowledge about green building, and limited opportunity to learn from schools that have excelled in green construction. Many are unaware that environmentally responsible construction can result in 10 to 20 percent annual energy savings over the long-term.

As part of the Advancing Green Building in Higher Education program, Second Nature fellowships will assist college and university senior managers in acquiring the skills and technical information they need to be effective champions for green building at their schools. College and university campus planners, facilities directors, and vice presidents of finance or business are eligible for the fellowships. As fellows, they will take part in learning and networking opportunities, such as the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment Leadership Summit and Greenbuild 2009. For more information about the fellowship program and how to apply by the April 15, 2009, deadline, visit Second Nature.

A portion of the grant funds will provide 100 under-resourced schools membership discounts to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, a network of more than 700 colleges and universities working to advance sustainability in higher education. Visit Second Nature for more information on the membership discounts.

Additionally, Second Nature will help train contractors who work with under-resourced schools on green building practices; offer regional summits for networking and information-sharing among under-resourced schools; create a strategy document examining the integration of green building into academic curricula; and work to develop a new funders’ collaborative to support high-leverage projects to advance sustainability in higher education.

The Kresge Foundation is a $3.1 billion private, national foundation that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations through its support of nonprofit organizations in six fields: health, the environment, arts and culture, education, human services and community development. In 2008, it awarded 342 grants totaling $181 million.

Second Nature is a Boston-based nonprofit organization that works to accelerate movement towards a sustainable future by helping senior college and university leaders in making healthy, just, and sustainable living the foundation of all learning and practice in higher education. Second Nature is one of the supporting organizations of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which has been signed by more than 600 school presidents who are committed to eliminating carbon emissions on campus and training students to help society address the climate crisis. Second Nature also coordinates the Higher Education Associations’ Sustainability Consortium. For more information about the Advancing Green Building in Higher Education program and Second Nature’s other programs, visit www.secondnature.org.

For more information, contact:
Gina Coplon-Newfield, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or call 617-571-4523. Cynthia Shaw, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or call 248-643-9630.