Sustainable Hearts
THE ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE: Rooted in our love and respect for God’s created world, Sacred Heart’s Sustainable Hearts Program is the manifestation of our active commitment to environmental sustainability and our living framework of curriculum integration, service projects and community partnerships through which we seek to inspire long-term change in our community.
Goal 3, Criterion 4 of the Goals & Criteria of Sacred Heart Schools in the United States and Canada states:
“All members of the school community accept accountability for the care of God’s creation, practice effective stewardship of the earth’s resources and work to alleviate the climate crisis.”
To get involved, contact:
Karen Dufour, Sustainability Coordinator
“If I could make a change in the world, it would be to try to stop pollution and plastic waste because I want our world to be nice and clean.”
-Keira '29
SUSTAINABLE HEARTS PROGRAM GOALS:
- Support the development and implementation of an environmental sustainability framework
- Form a collective intelligence in our community through partnerships
- Develop mindsets oriented toward inclusive solutions,
- Strengthen the communication skills needed to articulate issues and solutions around sustainability
- Build resiliency through knowledge and competency
- Empower our community as agents of hope with the tools of advocacy
Photos in slideshow:
Events of ASH students' commitment towards creating a sustainable environment for today and tomorrow.
Composting at ASH
ASH Plastic Problem Preventers
Sustainability Working Groups/Teams:
- Water
- Energy
- Accountability
- Curriculum
- Dining Halls
- Recycling
- Gardens
- K-12 Sustainability Club
- ASH Global Network
- Spirituality
- Sustainability Events
- Marketing
- Partnership
CURRENT SUSTAINABILITY PARTNERS:
- Coastal Education Program/CERF
- Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL)
- EMR Southern Recycling
- Greater New Orleans Interfaith Climate Coalition
- Glass Half Full
- Habitat for Humanity
- H2O for Life
- Instar Farms
- Keep Louisiana Beautiful/Love the Boot
- LSU Ag
- Molly Fay Flower Farm
- NOLA Tree Project
- Pontchartrain Conservancy
- Rebuild Together New Orleans
- The Composting Network
- The Great Delta Tours
- The Green Project
- The Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of New Orleans
- Tulane University Office of Sustainability
- UCLA Green Shots
- Water Wise NOLA
With Generous Support From:
Recent Academic Partners:
RECENT EXAMPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY CURRICULUM INCLUDE:
- Our Little Hearts students are learning how to cherish the beauty of God’s earth:
- Our Preschool & Lower School students continue to learn:
- Our Middle School students are engaged with:
- Our Upper School students are immersed in:
Our Little Hearts students are learning how to cherish the beauty of God’s earth:
Our Preschool & Lower School students continue to learn:
Our Middle School students are engaged with:
Our Upper School students are immersed in:
CONTINUING STRIDES IN BEING GREEN & CREATING AWARENESS OF OUR ACTIONS
In recent years, Sacred Heart sustainability initiatives include:
- Water conservation systems were installed to lessen water needs in our yards
- Well-kept landscaping including student help in gardens
- Refilling water stations installed to eliminate plastic water bottles
- Invested in innovative water management systems in the Rosary Gym with similar plans for the Nims Fine Arts Center
- Dining halls ceased purchasing plastic for hospitality purposes
- Continued sourcing of biodegradable or recyclable items for events
- Stainless-steel cutlery in dining halls and continued efforts of using reusable or biodegradable items
- Healthier food choices in our dining halls
- Actively reducing energy usage and exploring renewable energy options
- Continual transition to LED lighting
- Continued use of digital textbooks and paper reduction
- Students built portable gardens in iLab
- Planted edible garden on the Mater campus with planned composting
- Increased recycling efforts (reduce/reuse/up-cycle) including on-campus glass recycling events
- Reduced and measured food waste through student prototype program