Local high school students recently explored sustainability efforts at Colgate University through the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program.
Colgate University Associate Provost for Sustainability John Pumilio and Assistant Director of Sustainability Julia Spark led students on a walking tour around the university while teaching them about some of the sustainability initiatives on campus.
“Many thanks to John Pumilio and his colleagues for hosting the Herkimer BOCES Honors students,” Herkimer BOCES Honors Program Coordinator Deborah Schoff said. “In our short visit to Colgate University, students were exposed to many wonderful programs and sustainability initiatives. I am hopeful their curiosity and interest in sustainability has deepened.”
Eighteen students in grades 9-12 attended the Herkimer BOCES Honors Program trip to Colgate University on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Students attended from the school districts of Central Valley, Dolgeville, Herkimer, Poland, Richfield Springs and West Canada Valley.
At Colgate University, students learned about renewable energy and green buildings, waste minimization and recycling, Colgate’s land and forest stewardship, sustainable transportation and the bike rental program, the community garden and composting, and Colgate’s internship program. Students also visited the Robert M. Linsley Geology Museum, the Ho Tung Visualization Lab and the heating plant.
“Students were amazed to learn that Colgate’s commitment to sustainability has been ongoing for well over a decade, and that in 2019, Colgate became the first institution of higher education in New York state to achieve carbon neutrality,” Schoff said.
The Herkimer BOCES Honors Program is open to students in Herkimer BOCES component school districts and is designed to support the potential of students in grades 3-12 who have above average interests and abilities in a particular area. Programs allow for interaction with like-minded peers. Students learn by engaging in educational activities with presenters who are noted in their field. Exploration and programs provide for different learning styles and include topics in the arts and sciences as well as literature and history. Ongoing evaluation of all programs by teachers and students assures their relevance and quality.
In front, Colgate University Associate Provost for Sustainability John Pumilio (center) and two of the sustainability department’s interns pose with Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program students (in back). Pumilio and the interns led a tour and question-and-answer session with the students on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Colgate University.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program students visit the heating plant at the heart of the Colgate University campus while visiting on Tuesday, Oct. 7, to learn about sustainability. Pictured speaking to students, Eric Salsburg, a member of the heating plant team, explains how Colgate is able to heat the campus with wood chips. Students toured the heat planting and learned about the process.
