Going green isn't just a way of life for the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills, it’s a religious mission. Therefore it's no wonder the state designated it as one of Michigan's Green Schools.
The Academy has been making environmentally friendly choices, such as recycling and building energy efficient systems, for decades. Leaders of the Catholic school say the institution's mission centers on respecting creation and being stewards of the earth, making environmentally friendly choices easy ones.
"We see these types of activities as embracing all of the parts of our mission," says Sister Bridget Bearss, RSCJ, head of the schools at Academy of the Sacred Heart.
Although the school has been doing right by the earth for decades, it didn't seek recognition until it formed a green committee last year. It was little overdue according to Michigan Green School’s program administrator Kristine Moffett. Moffett noted the school's “impressive achievement," pointing out how the Academy is not only the first of the 85 Michigan Green Schools to use recycled carpeting but also the state’s first independent school to receive the green school designation.
Among the K-12 school's green credentials is building student awareness of environmental issues, supporting wildlife habitats on its campus, reducing paper use, recycling, conserving water and creating high-efficiency energy systems.
The Academy is also looking to restore its nature trail, create a farm on its 14-acre campus and possibly install green roofs on some of its buildings.
"I hope there are other schools that will join us in this mission," Sister Bearss says. "It will create more awareness for the future."
The Academy of the Sacred Heart is Michigan's oldest independent school, founded in 1851. For information on it, call (248) 646-8900.
Source: Sister Bridget Bearss, RSCJ, head of the schools at Academy of the Sacred Heart
Writer: Jon Zemke
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