Sustainability - Montclair Kimberley Academy

MKA's Commitment to Environmental Sustainability

We believe that MKA must foster among all community members a sense of responsibility for environmental sustainability. We must inspire resource conservation, preservation, and regeneration to help ensure the long term viability of humanity and address environmental and related social justice issues to promote health and quality of life for all.

Fundamental to our mission to provide students with a transformative education and inspire them to lead lives of noble character, purpose, and distinction, MKA must ensure that students gain the knowledge, vision, and integrity to develop habits that enable them to make responsible stewardship decisions and contribute to a more sustainable and just world. MKA must model clear sustainability principles and practices through all dimensions of school life and school operations, most specifically our physical place, organizational culture, and educational program. As we strive to achieve these sustainability ideals and to serve as a model for other schools and communities, we will hold ourselves accountable for acting consistently with the values articulated herein.

To recognize our responsibility as citizens, to cultivate intellectual independence, and to promote personal engagement with the world, as MKA’s mission states, MKA has made the below environmental sustainability commitments.

Awards & Grants

2022 - International Green School Award

2021 - Earned 2nd Eco Schools USA Green Flag Award

2020 - Received NJ DEP It Pay$ to Plug In grant to install electric vehicle charging stations at all 3 campuses

2020 - Earned Eco Schools USA Silver & Bronze Awards

2019 - Earned 1st Eco Schools USA Green Flag Award

2016 - LEED Silver Award for Johnson Academic Center

2015 - Won the Mid-Atlantic division of the Green Cup Challenge

Educational Program

We commit to intentionally integrating sustainability principles and best practices into both curricular and co-curricular programming, thereby helping students to develop their knowledge, skills, and interdisciplinary systems thinking to address sustainability issues.

Primary School

Our Reggio-Emilia approach in Pre-K and Kindergarten has deep roots in nature. Students are taught not to be wasteful and that beauty can be found everywhere. They frequently use natural and recyclable materials in art and math.

In grades 1-3, students address environmental issues in terms of wants vs. needs. The third grade visits the Highline (in New York City) to explore the greenway and the repurposing of the old railroad.

The Outdoor Classroom emphasizes the importance of being outside and teaches students to have empathy for nature, the first step of environmental awareness. This space encourages creativity, play, and wonder.

Middle School

Middle School students have curricular and co-curricular opportunities to learn about sustainability and lead several sustainability initiatives, including recycling, gardening, and Meatless Mondays.

Fourth grade students learn about the importance of recycling and share this message with the school community. They also learn about sustainable architecture during a hands-on STEM project that includes a visit to the US Green Roof to help them while working on their own green building designs.

Fifth grade students learn about where their food comes from and goes to, tend worm compost bins, and grow their own food in outdoor garden boxes as part of an interdisciplinary curriculum.

Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students learn about Climate Change and strategies for improving our impact on the environment, which frequently lead to students presenting at school assemblies.

As part of their study of air pollution, eighth grade students watch the film The Sacrifice Zone, which documents the environmental impact and injustice of the trash incinerator in Newark where all Essex County waste is sent to be burned. As a result, many students choose environmentally related topics for their individual science research projects in eighth grade.

Several FLEX offerings have an environmental focus. For example, students in the student-led Green Group collect data and create videos, posters, and assemblies to teach the MKA community about where our waste goes, how we recycle, and steps we can take to make a difference. Through Walk in the Woods, students visit and hike in nearby Mills Reservation and participate in the Audubon hawk watch there. The Nature Art group uses natural, found materials.

During advisory lessons in all grade levels, students learn about and reflect on their impact on the environment and suggest ways that they and MKA can reduce their impact on the environment.

Upper School

The Green Roof on the LEED Silver Certified Johnson Academic Center is utilized by members of our community for education, recreation, and as a laboratory area. Environmental Science and AP Environmental Science classes use the green roof to study biodiversity. The student-led Environmental Action Club (EnAct) uses the green roof to grow vegetables for the cafeteria, compost, and hold events.

Sustainability and Climate Change are interwoven into the Upper School curriculum. Environmental Science and AP Environmental Science classes study the environment and how humans are changing living conditions on Earth. Physics classes study energy production and its impacts, thermodynamics of natural systems, and do a home energy audit. French classes do a project studying pollution in various parts of the world. Art classes create a sculpture using found pieces demonstrating the concept of upcycling. All classes can use the Green Roof as an outdoor classroom to collaborate and be inspired by nature.

Several student clubs have an environmental focus. The Environmental Action (EnAct) Club works to raise awareness, inspire more eco-friendly personal habits, and help to make the school more environmentally sound. They have twice earned the Green Flag Award from Eco Schools USA. Student leaders present environmentally topical information and recommendations for action to the student body via weekly communications. The Carbon Neutral Commitment Committee (CNCC) is a group of students working to move the school to a low or no carbon future. The Surfrider Club organizes beach cleanups in the fall and spring and educates the community about the importance of reducing plastic use and protecting our oceans.

Students participating in the Iceland Global Experience trip study how Iceland is impacted by climate change and utilizing clean energy solutions by powering 85% of the country with geothermal energy and hydroelectric power.

Green Initiatives

We commit to incorporating and holding ourselves accountable for prioritizing best practices in sustainability in the construction, renovation, and maintenance of our facilities and in all school operations.

Johnson Academic Center

The Johnson Academic Center is LEED Silver Certified, which means we went through a rigorous process, defined by the US Green Building Council, to ensure it is energy efficient, building materials are sustainable, and waste is thoughtfully disposed. The Green Roof that crowns the building helps to insulate it, reduces stormwater runoff, and provides space for classes to meet or for students to enjoy in their free time. Other sustainable features include a white roof that reduces energy consumption by reflecting sunlight, large windows that reduce the need for interior lighting by letting in natural light, and solar tubes that bring natural sunlight into the building.

Electric Car Charging Stations

LED Lighting

In 2012, MKA installed occupancy sensors (see photo) in all classrooms to automatically turn off lights when rooms are not being used. In 2014, MKA began replacing incandescent and fluorescent lights with energy efficient LED lighting. Today, over 90% of our lights are LED. These improvements in energy efficiency are helping MKA to reduce its carbon footprint and save money on electricity.

Refillable Water Bottle Stations

Sustainable Building Renovations and Maintenance

MKA looks to make sustainable choices when renovating buildings and replacing equipment. For example:

Replaced boilers at our Primary School (2019) and Middle School (2021) campuses with 95% efficient boilers. Investing in high-efficiency boilers lowers MKA’s consumption of natural gas. Burning less natural gas (a fossil fuel) helps MKA to reduce its carbon footprint and save money.
Tripled existing insulation when replacing Upper School gym roof (2021).
Installed maximum wall insulation during Middle School gym renovation (2021).

Organizational Culture

To foster a sense of environmental responsibility and urgency, we will strengthen our sustainable practices across the organization and demonstrate our commitment to environmental sustainability through our school values, strategic priorities, and investment strategies.

Education and Partnership

More Recycling = Less Trash and Pollution

Double and triple bins (instead of single wastebaskets) can be found throughout MKA’s three campuses and athletic facilities. By increasing our recycling, we are sending less trash to the incinerator in Newark, which is where all Essex County waste is sent to be burned. This reduces our fingerprint on the air pollution caused by the incinerator in the Ironbound section of Newark, which is an environmental justice issue.

Using Less Paper

School documents and communications (e.g, Student Handbook, Family Directory, report cards, enrollment contracts, letters from school administrators) are shared with parents/guardians electronically rather than in print via the mail. Campus printers use a “print management system” that only allows a job to be printed after entering a print release code. This practice has reduced the number of printouts that are never picked up.

Measurement and Benchmarking

Learn More About Sustainability at MKA

The Spring 2023 issue of the Review Magazine highlights the many ways sustainability is interwoven into our educational program, physical spaces, and organizational culture.

View the MKA Weather Station