"We may be far ahead of many other schools, but that's not enough!" Says Glenn Drew, Executive Director of the American Hebrew Academy. Some may feel that the American Hebrew Academy's campus is environmentally friendly "by accident." Truth be told, many on campus feel that there is something that drives the environmental commitment that cannot be quantified. The Academy is a long time leader in the Green movement, as the founder of the school, Chico Sabbah z"l was an agronomist and built the campus to closely coincide with his personal commitment to Tikkun Olam (repair of the world) and Baal Tashchit (not destroying things).

Here are 9 GREEN things you may not have known about our campus:

1. When the historic gift was made to start the American Hebrew Academy, Sabbah hired an environmental arborist to identify rare trees and plants throughout the breathtaking campus.

2. Architect Aaron Green (Coincidence? We think not!), was hired to create the campus using organic architecture, a design philosophy conceived by Frank Lloyd Wright in which local building materials are used, and buildings are integrated into, and become part of, the natural landscape.

3. In 2007-08, the kitchen, at the Academy switched from buying produce from around the globe, to using locally grown and often organic produce. For an institution which serves 20 meals per child per week; cost savings, better quality, and reduction in transportation costs are all benefits in "going green." Furthermore, students, staff, and parents all agree that the food tastes fresher, and the vegetarian options are both creative and delicious.

4. The campus includes 26 buildings, all built within nature. Each building is crowned with a skylight, also manufactured in Israel, that allows the influence of natural light, proven to save energy and stimulate emotional well being.

5. Five hundred feet beneath the schools soccer stadium and running track, (which is made of recycled rubber) is the world's largest closed loop geothermal heating and cooling system. This $3 million dollar investment, which includes over 750 wells, continuously recycles natural water to heat and cool everything from the kosher dining hall and its refrigeration units, to the natatorium. Student houses are heated and cooled each day, but the academic buildings and athletic center "sleep" at night, so energy is conserved while buildings are not in use. At that point, the Academy will be heating and cooling at a 40% savings annually over conventional methods. As the campus grows with more students, the efficiency of the system will grow increasing costs savings to as high as 60%, all thanks to Mother Nature. Because the geothermal system takes advantage of the earth's natural temperature, as well as recycling all of the water it uses, nothing goes to waste.

6. The geothermal pump house is one of several "living classrooms" on campus. Here, students can learn about geothermal energy and earth science, not to mention being reminded about the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam, the responsibility of each person to repair the world.

7. Between the Academic buildings, sit the "Gardens of Israel" which were designed by the students, and bloom with grapes, vegetables, and trees that are cared for by students and staff, and fed by compost created from kitchen waste.

8. It is likely that one of the greatest contributors to the decrease of the "carbon footprint" that the Academy is leaving is that nearly all of the 100 acre campus is restricted to pedestrian traffic. Staff members who need to get from place to place at long distances are issued electric vehicles.

9. The campus network and many of our teachers allow students to turn in assignments and term papers electronically. When printing is required, our printers' default settings are duplex (double-sided) and economy mode for reduced use of toner.