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Sustainability Action Plan

Sustainability at Durham Academy means fulfilling the school’s mission while safeguarding the natural environment for future generations. Starting in 2019, students petitioned the administration and Board of Trustees to make a commitment to sustainability that includes measurable goals and a timetable for meeting them. In December 2023, the Board of Trustees identified sustainability as a top-level priority and endorsed the four-year goals proposed by student and adult leaders.


By fulfilling this commitment, we will contribute to a positive environmental foundation for the lives that we envision for our students:
 

MORAL
Care for others, care for the world, and live with integrity. 
HAPPY
Find solace in nature and joy in improving the world around us. 
PRODUCTIVE
Take action to reduce the biggest crises of our time, climate change and biodiversity loss.

Goal #1: Educate for sustainability at every level and in every subject

Educating for Sustainability (EfS) is based on the premise that a healthy and sustainable future is possible. To contribute to that positive future, students need to see a path beyond environmental threats such as climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. They therefore learn about solutions as they learn about environmental challenges. They also develop age-appropriate skills and competencies reflected in these transfer goals.

Students will independently:

  • Develop a connection to the place where they live and learn
  • See themselves as members of the natural community
  • Recognize common resources, understand their histories, and protect their futures
  • Foster diversity and cooperation in ecosystems and human organizations 
  • Investigate root causes of problems; use imagination, determination, and empathy to seek solutions
  • Integrate individual rights and collective responsibilities
Preschool science teacher Dr. Theresa Shebalin helps a student sort compostable items.

“[In conducting interviews], I grew to understand the need for structural change. It made environmental justice more real. I can better put myself in others’ perspectives.”

Sara Lipsitch ʼ23
 

Goal #2: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25%

Upper School students learn about the STEM & Humanities Center's water heating system.

Upper Schoolers participating in a Business of Sustainability seminar explored the efficiency of systems used to heat and cool air and water in campus buildings.

In 2022–2023, Durham Academy emitted a total of 3,789 mT of greenhouse gasses. The sources of those emissions were varied:

  • 40% came from electricity
  • 21% from the commute to school
  • 11% from business travel
  • 7% from waste
  • 21% from other sources

From this 2023–2024 baseline, DA’s goal is to reduce emissions by 25% by 2028. Strategies for reduction include technical measures, such as converting older lighting to LED, and cultural interventions to increase carpooling and decrease the volume of waste.

“As graduates of Durham Academy, we will be the ones leading change, creating new products and systems, and restoring nature.”

Environmental Sustainability in Action class presentation to DA Leadership Team
 
 

Goal #3: Increase biodiversity of campuses by at least two acres

As the largest private landowner in southwest Durham, Durham Academy has an opportunity to restore plant and animal life on our properties and influence others to do the same. By June 2028, we seek to restore natural habitat on at least two acres of non-recreational, low traffic areas of our campuses.

This action will have added ecological benefits, including increased carbon storage, reduced stormwater runoff, better control of invasive species, and more shaded, vegetated spaces. It will also provide new spaces for outdoor education and quiet reflection. 

“By changing the ways we think about our campus, Durham Academy can strive to set the bar for biodiversity across the private school sector.”

Environmental Sustainability in Action class presentation to DA Board of Trustees

Third-graders plant in the Lower School Giving Garden.

As part of their Power of Pollinators unit of study, third-graders planted a variety of native, pollinator-friendly perennials around the Lower School Giving Garden.

Structure and Accountability

The commitment to sustainability requires a united effort by faculty, staff, administrators, students and families of Durham Academy; everyone’s participation is welcomed and needed. The sustainability coordinator organizes these efforts in conjunction with administrators and the Sustainability Leadership Team. 

Upper School students elect a Student Government Sustainability Committee chair each year. That person and the committee lead student activities including recycling, composting, and support for school events. They also lead the Sustain-In, an annual educational event for the whole school community.
 

View the Full Sustainability Action Plan
Including Action Steps & Metrics