Keystone Named to Princeton Review Green College List for Third Straight Year

La Plume – For the third consecutive year, Keystone College has been named as one of the most environmentally responsible institutions of higher learning in the nation by The Princeton Review, a leading national education publication.

Keystone was one of a select group of colleges and universities listed in “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges” compiled in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council. The guide profiles higher education institutions that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and student career preparation. The Princeton Review selected the schools based on a survey of administrators at hundreds of colleges who were polled about their schools’ sustainability initiatives.

The publication praised Keystone for its ongoing sustainability and environmental accomplishments.

“Keystone College, a small private Pennsylvania College, is proving to be just that – a keystone to the sustainability movement sweeping the nation! With 100 percent of the school’s energy consumption coming from renewable sources, Keystone is a lock when it comes to ranking the greenest colleges,” the Guide commented.    

Other Pennsylvania schools included on the green colleges list included Bucknell University, Dickinson College, Drexel University, Duquesne University, Franklin & Marshall College, Marywood University, Penn State – University Park, and the University of Pennsylvania.

“Once again, Keystone College is extremely honored to be named by The Princeton Review as one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the nation,” said Keystone College President Dr. Edward G. Boehm, Jr. “This is a tribute to our entire Keystone community. We strive on a daily basis to protect and preserve our environment and educate our students about the importance of sustainability on campus, in our nation, and around the world.”    

Princeton Review officials said that schools named in the guide are also doing their share to prepare students to become responsible stewards of the environment.

“Moreover, colleges train the next generation of leaders who will ultimately be responsible for putting green ideas into practice. By infusing sustainability principles into every aspect of higher education, there is a new priority for a whole generation of leaders, educated and trained, to make a greener world now,” the Guide noted. 

While Keystone’s commitment to the environment has been prevalent throughout its history, several initiatives in recent years have contributed to its excellent reputation as a leader in environmental responsibility.

In 2007, Keystone College was an initial signatory of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. A small group of college presidents, including Dr. Boehm, committed themselves to pursuing and accomplishing major sustainability initiatives. Since that time, hundreds of institutions of higher learning have joined the organization.

Soon after that, Keystone formed its Sustainability Committee, consisting of faculty, students, staff, and managers from Sodexo, the international company which maintains the college’s facilities, grounds, and dining services. The goal is to protect and preserve the college’s scenic 270-acre campus, which includes streams, forests, hiking trails, and a “college green” lawn area.

Additional initiatives have included:

• Installation of Energy Star compliant roofs on several dormitory and classroom buildings
• All of the college’s electricity is generated from renewable energy credits
• Use of an all-electric vehicle for on and off-campus travel
• Use of numerous environmental dining services initiatives, such as bio-degradable silverware and plates, chemical-free dishwashing products, and the recycling of cardboard, plastic, and fryer oil
• Elimination of hundreds of plastic water bottles by distributing reusable bottles to incoming freshmen students
• Establishment of the Professor Howard Jennings Nature Preserve
• Installation of a rain garden to ease water runoff
• Replacing CRT computer monitors with energy efficient LCD Monitors.

Keystone has also provided quality environmental education programs for more than 30 years and currently offers a bachelor’s degree in environmental resource management, including a concentration in petroleum and alternative energy.  

The college also operates the Keystone College Environmental Education Institute which, since its inception in 2004, has trained hundreds of elementary and high school teachers during summer environmental and science seminars.  

For more information on Keystone College and its numerous environmental initiatives, please contact Sharon Burke, co-chair of the college’s Sustainability Committee, (570) 945-8175.  

Photo: Keystone Professor Dr. Jerry Skinner gathers a class to travel to the Nokomis, an on-campus creek for hands-on learning.