Goshen College receives anonymous donation to support its sustainability efforts
$50,000 each year will be coming into Goshen College to fund its climate initiatives. The annual funding comes from an anonymous donor.
Goshen College has increased resources to continue its efforts in sustainability thanks to an annual gift of $50,000 from an anonymous donor. The funding has already been allocated to two climate initiatives on campus and will support Goshen College’s desire to educate students and the community on sustainability.
According to an article on Goshen College’s website, Dan Barwick, Sustainability Coordinator at Goshen College, shared his thoughts on the continual efforts the college makes toward sustainability. He is quoted as saying, “As a Goshen College student, it was always nice to see prairies being planted and food waste being composted. As a graduate and employee, I am happy watching solar panels be put in and hearing a commitment to electricity being supplied by 100 percent green energy. I am ecstatic that the college is continually working with our community to do even more in the future.”
The two initiatives that will benefit from the anonymous funding are the Study-Service Term and the Climate Leadership Initiative. The Study-Service Term funding will pay for speakers to come to the school and present to students about climate strategies, as well as carbon offsets to match the carbon footprint of travel and education during each unit. The Climate Leadership Initiative is seeking innovation for sustainability and climate education in higher education.
Jerrell Ross Richer, who is a professor of economics at Goshen College, commented on the gift’s impact on Study-Service Term, saying, “For the last five years, students in my environmental economics and sustainability courses have researched the environmental impacts of the Study-Service Term, estimating the carbon footprint of travel to places like Peru, China, Senegal and Tanzania. We are committed to global engagement, but understand the urgency of offsetting our emissions of greenhouse gasses by planting trees, protecting forests and investing in renewable energy.” He continued, “For the first time this year, SST students can travel to Indonesia and Ecuador knowing that their experiences will be climate positive as we strive to go beyond net-zero – funding carbon offsets, interacting with experts on a national level and engaging in hands-on immersive experiences with local organizations.”
For more information about Goshen College, visit the school’s website.