WHO WE ARE
The Center for the Environment at Catawba College has been deeply involved in our state’s environmental issues since its inception in 1996. We strive to serve as a model to our region, lending our expertise on a wide range of issues – from air and water quality to land preservation and sustainable development.
OUR MISSION
To provide education and outreach centered on prevalent environmental challenges and to foster community-oriented sustainable solutions that can serve as a model for programs throughout the country.
National Environmental Summit
Three leading organizations – the Center for the Environment at Catawba College, Rocky Mountain Institute, and Environmental Working Group – are partnering to provide an opportunity for young environmental leaders to learn, create, share, interact, grow, connect, and build relationships.
North Carolina Green Schools
“Achieving certification as an NC Green School is a direct reflection of the passion and commitment of Salisbury Academy’s students, staff, and supporting community. We are grateful to NC Green Schools for guiding us in our path to sustainability and look with enthusiasm to further milestones on this journey.”
-Beverly Fowler, Salisbury Academy
About
The mission of Reading Riding and Retrofit: The NC Green Schools Program is to encourage, support and recognize the efforts of all NC P-12 schools that have taken strides to make their schools 21st century institutions of quality and sustainability.
News
Providence Day School (PDS) has received the NC Green School of Quality award for its ongoing sustainability efforts. The program, under the auspices of the Center for the Environment at Catawba College, recognizes both public and private schools in the state that promote sustainability.
Certification
The NC Green Schools Recognition Program recognizes North Carolina P-12 public and private schools that encourage cultures of sustainability in 5 designated areas. The NC Green Schools Rubric is an easy to follow guideline for earning recognition for the work you are doing at your school..
A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
The Center for the Environment’s 25th anniversary invites serious reflection on the many ways we have brought positive change to our community and our region – efforts that have laid the foundation for the next 25 years. We began in 1996 with a strong commitment to addressing the environmental challenges our region faced, a desire to serve as a role model for those who want to move toward sustainability, and a pledge to involve Catawba students and faculty in our endeavors.
That is why, from the onset, we have brought diverse people together – community members who realized the value of a beautiful greenway; developers who learned about the importance of green space and mixed-use development; parents who were concerned about the foods they served their families; grandparents who saw the horrifying effects of ground level ozone on their grandchildren’s asthma; bankers who offered financial support to the Clean Air Initiative because they knew it impacted our citizens’ quality of life. Those connections have generated changes that have benefitted our region. Read more…
John Wear
Executive Director