How Green Are You?

Bernadette Bechta: Blackboard Basics

It was nearly 40 years ago (April 22, 1970) when I attended the first Earth Day celebration at Belmont Plateau near Philadelphia hoping to stir an awareness of environmentally-conscious movements that included organic gardening, earth shoes, and solar energy; recycling wasn’t considered at this point. Progress has been continual since then but many young people today have been stirred after watching Al Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.” Colleges are reacting also and “going green” initiatives can be found on many campuses today. In fact, colleges feel these environmental movements can attract students and parents who see this involvement needed and necessary.

High School and College campuses are brimming with young people eager to make a difference. Princeton Review now has a category called “Best Green” colleges and Harvard tops the list. These campuses are going beyond recycling and energy efficiency and are staging Green Move-Ins and Green Move-Outs where recycling clothing, furniture, and food will benefit the communities and e-cycling is big: computers, batteries, CDs, etc.

What does this mean to you, the potential college applicant you might ask? Well, if you are involved on your high school campus in an environmental club, a bicycle co-op, a green initiative to save the trees, showcase it on your Academic Resume. Start a club, work with the local community, do some research, work with your Science Teachers. Colleges want to be enterprising in this area and you can help them. MIT now offers $20,000 grants for energy research. There are competitions for earth friendly resident halls. College Administrators are concerned about your quality of life while on their campuses. If this happens to be one of your passions too, let your favorite college know. It might be a difference-maker.

To learn more, check out these articles:

• Princeton Review: College Guides Open New Chapter With Green Rating
• CSE Live: Princeton Review College Guides Open New Chapter With Green Rating
  
• USA Today: Going Green Registers with Colleges

Bernadette Bechta serves as the main academic contact for all players and parents in Baseball Factory's Exclusive Program. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher and advisor at the high school level, Bernadette will provide families with guidance on topics ranging from application essays to financial aid. In addition, Bernadette’s two sons have both gone through the Exclusive Program so she knows the ins and outs of the process from a parent’s perspective.