Sierra Magazine Rates Evergreen Among the Coolest Schools.

The Evergreen State College named one of America’s Top 20 “Coolest” Schools by Sierra Magazine

Evergreen praised for green efforts by national magazine, ranks 9 on list

The Evergreen State College placed ninth on Sierra magazine’s fifth annual ranking of the nation’s top “Coolest Schools.” A salute to the efforts of colleges around the country helping to solve climate issues and operate sustainably, the cover feature spotlights the schools that are making a true impact for the planet, from UC Irvine’s energy-efficiency standards to Stanford’s commitment to maintaining undeveloped open space to Green Mountain College sourcing nearly half its energy from, yes, cow manure. The complete list is available online at www.sierramagazine.com /coolschools.

Sustainability initiatives at Evergreen include efforts to reduce waste, conserve energy, achieve climate neutrality, as well as the college’s work to provide learning resources through its salmon-safe certified organic farm, its distinct commitment to sustainability in the classroom, and sustainable living and food choice options in which students consciously choose a better way to relate to their natural world.

“When students take what they’ve learned in the classroom and proceed to get their hands dirty in the real world, they realize the potential they have to make a difference,” said Bob Sipchen, Sierra magazine editor-in-chief. “We’re thrilled to highlight these forward-thinking schools for emphasizing environmental responsibility, and for teaching, inspiring, and empowering students to affect real change.”

This year’s top schools prove that schools of all sizes – the University of Washington has 40,000 students, while College of the Atlantic has 321 – are taking dramatic action to help preserve the planet and its resources.

Sierra magazine’s top 20 schools of 2011 are:

1. University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
2. Green Mountain College (Poultney, VT)
3. University of California San Diego (San Diego, CA)
4. Warren Wilson College (Asheville, NC)
5. Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
6. University of California, Irvine (Irvine, CA)
7. University of California, Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA)
8. University of California, Davis (Davis, CA)
9. The Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA)
10. Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT)
11. University of New Hampshire (Durham, NJ)
12. Appalachian State University (Boone, NC)
13. Colby College (Waterville, ME)
14. Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA)
15. University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
16. University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT)
17. Clark University (Worcester, MA)
18. Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
19. Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME)
20. University of Maryland (College Park, MD)

Sierra also featured the stories of educators and students who are committed to immersive learning, and who take their lessons outside the confines of the classroom and into the real world, to places like Bali in Indonesia, New York’s Adirondack Mountains, and Utah’s Navajo Nation.

According to a 2010 Princeton Review report, 64% of prospective college students take a university's commitment to environmental issues into consideration when deciding where to apply and enroll. Students care deeply about green issues and are attracted to institutions that are taking the initiative to solve environmental problems. The complete rankings, with comprehensive descriptions of each school’s environmental efforts, are available online at www.sierramagazine.com/coolschools.

About Sierra magazine

Sierra is the official publication of the Sierra Club, America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 1.4 million members and supporters nationwide. The Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, go to www.sierramagazine.com.