Middlebury Study Abroad Going Green
Guide for Schools Abroad Directors
“Every person is the right person to act.
Every moment is the right moment to begin.”
-Jonathan Schell, author, Fate of the Earth
Going Green
Middlebury College is an environmental leader, renowned for its program in environmental studies
and for the leadership of our students, faculty, and staff in the environmental arena. Our mission
statement emphasizes integrating environmental stewardship into the curriculum and into our
practices on campus.1 Our strategic plan devotes an entire chapter to the environment, including
recommendations around the issues of renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and land
management, energy efficient buildings and more.2 In April 2007 the Board of Trustees endorsed a
plan to become carbon neutral by 2016 and voted that Middlebury become a signatory of the
American College and University President’s Climate Commitment.3 In September 2007
Middlebury was one of just four institutions nationwide to win the Association for the
Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)’s Campus Sustainability Leadership
Award.4 Further, Middlebury students are becoming known throughout the nation for their
leadership in the grassroots environmental movement.5
Middlebury has a student body of 2350 undergraduates and 1200 faculty and staff in Vermont and
around the world. Around 60% of our junior class studies abroad each year at nearly 100
universities in about 40 countries on every continent. More than 100 graduate students in
Middlebury’s Language Schools study abroad each year at Middlebury’s Schools Abroad, and the
Monterey Institute of International Studies, an affiliate of Middlebury, sends students around the
world on its International Professional Service Semester and may soon send students to
Middlebury’s Schools Abroad.
What does it mean to be green? One definition: To be mindful of and sensitive to the natural
environment in one’s daily life.6 At Middlebury we are committed to being environmentally
responsible, and we believe that our study abroad programs should reflect this belief. As a
consequence, we are committed to making our programs as green and sustainable as we possibly
can. We are also aware that at some of our sites, there is even more attention paid to the
environment than there is on the home campus in Vermont, given greater environmental
sensitivities outside the United States, and we hope to take advantage of these “best practices” back
on the Vermont campus.
Directors and staff abroad play a vital role in encouraging environmental awareness both at our
Schools Abroad and in Vermont. We hope that this guide will serve as a starting point to help you
identify ways in which your program and you, your faculty and staff, and your students can
augment what you are currently doing in this area to engage in sustainable practices and ‘be green,’
and how you might provide new ideas that the Vermont campus might be able to implement. We
are certainly aware that at some sites, you are already doing many of the things identified here, and
may have further suggestions for this guide, which we would certainly welcome. Many of the ideas
contained here are common sense, and may seem overly simplistic (indeed they are); in bringing
them up here, we are simply trying to make sure that they are all being discussed. Overall, this
guide includes ideas for greening your office and activities you can implement on your program, as
well as considerations regarding programming decisions and sustainability. Finally, it has
suggestions for educating students about these issues. We realize none of the points in this guide
are a one-size-fits-all and that some may not be relevant to your particular site or country (and, of
course, you know your site far better than we do!), but the hope is that this guide will inspire you to
find concrete ways to incorporate additional sustainable practices into the Schools Abroad.
Greening your office and program facilities

Reduce, reuse, recycle! If recycling is not practiced at your university or program facility,
perhaps you or your students could be motivated to start a recycling program.

Adopt an office/program policy on green practices. Put your policy in writing and make
sure your faculty, staff, and students are aware of it.

Lighting:
o In the US compact florescent lightbulbs (CFLs) are getting a lot of publicity. If
possible, switch lightbulbs to the florescent energy-saving bulbs. This can result in a
significant energy/cost savings, and the bulbs last up to ten times longer than
incandescent lightbulbs.
o It seems like an obvious suggestion, but turn off the lights when you leave a room,
and educate students about this, too.
o Install motion detectors to turn off lights when a room is not in use. These can be
inexpensive and easy to install. Consider this option for office space, computer
rooms, hallways, etc.

Office equipment:
o Computers and monitors: In the US it is estimated that if all computers were shut
down at night, the nation could shut down eight large power plants and avoid nearly
seven tons of C02 emission every year.7 Make sure all computers and monitors are
shut down at night and go into sleep mode when not in use during the day.
o Energy Star® appliances are available in some countries; look into this in your
country. Energy Star® certifies that the equipment is as energy efficient as possible.
o Printers: Make sure all your printers automatically print double-sided and that
double-sided is the default setting (you may even decide to make student printers
only print double-sided as the only option). Make sure printers also have a sleep or
standby mode when not in use.
o Copiers: Like other computer equipment, copiers can have a feature that enables
them to turn off after not being used for a period of time. Copiers with duplexing
capabilities can save lots of paper (and trees!).
o Fax machines: Like other office equipment, faxes use energy even when not in use,
and this is not something you typically turn off when you leave the office for the day.
Make sure your fax machine is energy efficient and has a sleep or standby mode that
uses less energy when not in use (such as Energy Star® models).

Energy use:
o Heating and Cooling: Turn off/down heat/air conditioning when not in use. You
may want to have one person in charge of the temperature control and/or not make
the controls accessible to everyone. On the Middlebury campus a decision was made
to set all thermostats at 68°F (20°C) instead of 72°F (22°C), resulting in a significant
energy savings (an adjustment of a degree or two can cut heating/cooling bills by
two or three percent; extending that to three or four degrees can cut bills by ten
percent or more!). You may also wish to consider a programmable thermostat that
can automatically turn down heat at times when the building is not occupied.

Paper:
o Although we cannot have a completely paperless office, we can all reduce paper
usage and keep electronic copies of documents instead of paper copies wherever
possible.
o Draft documents on screen instead of multiple re-prints.
o Share documents by email instead of printing and passing around.
o Use reusable inter-office envelopes.
o Consider buying recycled paper/paper with post-consumer recycled content and
unbleached and uncolored paper.

Water:
o Consider the impact of saving water: in many places you pay for your water more
than once: to buy the water, to heat it (hot water), and to get rid of the water
(sewage).
o Low-flow faucets in kitchen and bathroom sinks and low flush toilets can cut water
consumption considerably.
o Make sure hot water heaters are the appropriate size for the building and that
temperatures are not set too high (less than 49°C).

Chemicals:
o Find out what cleaning chemicals are being used in your office/building and how to
encourage the use of non-toxic cleaning supplies.
Resources:
Working 9 to 5 on Climate Change: An Office Guide:
http://pdf.wri.org/wri_co2guide.pdf
Other Green Office Guides:
http://www.egeneration.co.uk/centre/modules/green_office/12_getting_started.asp
http://www.egeneration.co.uk/centre/modules/green_office/
http://www.energyrating.gov.au/library/pubs/greenofficeguide.pdf
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/SUS/docs/Green_Office_Guide.pdf
7 Key Steps to Reducing your office’s Contribution to Climate Change:
www.climatebiz.com/sections/toolsresources_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=39750&Section=Tools%20%
26%20Resources
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainable Living Guides
for Colleges and Universities:
http://www.aashe.org/resources/living_guides.php
Activities you can implement in your program

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Enact an environmental service day for students, staff, and faculty – plant trees, volunteer
for an organization working on an environmental project, etc.
Challenge students to volunteer for organizations working on climate change, poverty
alleviation, social inequity, etc.
Develop opportunities for students to undertake independent projects, internships, volunteer
opportunities that engage them in environmental projects (they may be eligible for a grant
through Middlebury). Expand internship/volunteer/service learning opportunities with
NGOs and other organizations working on these issues. See the Resource section following
for sample student research topics (from Ithaca College’s Global Footprint Grants).
Encourage students to participate in the Green Passport Program (see the Appendix and
www.abroadview.org/green/ for more information).
Network with faculty at universities in your country who are in environmental disciplines.
Investigate opportunities for students to work with these faculty members in some capacity –
e.g., independent projects, research assistants, etc.
Tell International Programs and Off-Campus Study about sustainability projects students are
involved in so we can highlight their work on the Abroad View web site.
Encourage students to write articles, take photos and videos, and make podcasts related to
the environmental projects in which they are involved, and submit them to us for the Abroad
View web site.
Resources:
Resources for internship/service learning/volunteer opportunities:
www.idealist.org
www.volunteerabroad.com
www.transitionsabroad.com
www.cie.uci.edu/iop/voluntee.html
Independent Projects Sample Suggested Topics:
Ithaca College’s Global Footprint Grant topic ideas:
www.ithaca.edu/oip/OIP%20Global%20Footprints%20Grant%20-%20Intl.pdf
Abroad View: Better Travel for a Better World
www.abroadview.org/green/
Programming decisions and sustainability
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Consider holding teleconferences instead of traveling for in-person meetings if possible.
Consider travel alternatives and choose public transportation for program-related activities
wherever possible.
Encourage students, staff, and faculty to use public transportation rather than individual cars
whenever possible (which is the norm in many of your countries anyway). Better yet, bike
or walk. Consider creating incentives for more sustainable transportation choices.
Buy locally produced products and services and support programs that benefit the local
community.
Educating students
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Educate students about reducing their footprint (see Resources Section for more information
and articles on responsible travel).
Find opportunities to educate students about environmental issues in your country/city and
how they can be involved.
Instruct students about the impact on host families with sustainability issues; e.g., water and
electricity use in their homestays.
Consider posting, either on a prominent bulletin board, or better yet electronically in a place
they will read it (in language of course!) guidelines for students such as Ethical Traveler’s
Guidelines (www.ethicaltraveler.org/guidelines.php) or Sustainable Travel International’s
Sustainable Travel Checklist
(www.sustainabletravelinternational.org/documents/gi_travelchecklist.html), as well as the
information in the point above regarding their water and electricity usage at host family
homes. Also post your program’s green/sustainability policy.
Think about this – educating students now about their environmental impact will have a
lifetime effect on the choices they make in regards to sustainability…
Resources:
Abroad View: Better Travel for a Better World
www.abroadview.org/green/
Article: Sustainable Travel and Study Abroad:
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/studyabroadmagazine/2006Fall/sustainable_travel_a
nd_study_abroad.shtml
Transitions Abroad Responsible Travel Handbook:
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/responsible/responsible_travel_handbook.pdf
Ethical Travel Guidelines:
http://www.ethicaltraveler.org/guidelines.php
Sustainable Travel International:
www.sustainabletravelinternational.org
What is a carbon footprint?
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=footprint_overview
Calculating your carbon footprint
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=myfootprint
Footprint of Nations reports:
http://www.ecologicalfootprint.org/
“Travel has become a thorny problem now for environmental reasons. In the last few years, as
we've learned about the extent of climate change and global warming, it's gotten much harder to just
blithely dismiss getting on an airplane and flying around the world. That one airplane trip to
wherever you are going requires the consumption of more fuel and more carbon than most people in
the world will use in a year for all the tasks of their daily life—not to be taken lightly.”
-Bill McKibben, Middlebury Scholar-inResidence in Environmental Studies
(Interview by Sherry Schwarz and Stacey
Woody Thebodo: www.abroadview.org/green/)
Appendix: Green Passport Information
(www.abroadview.org/green/passport.htm)
Green Passport Executive Summary
ORIGINS OF THE IDEA
Rodney J. Vargas
Assistant Director for Latin America, Africa and the Middle East
Study Abroad Office, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Many years ago, while visiting a national park in Costa Rica I saw a sign that read: “Take only
photos and leave only footprints.” The sign was part of a national campaign to prevent visitors from
taking home “live souvenirs,” such as plants, birds, frogs, etc., which was a harmful common
practice that was depleting the parks of their biodiversity. Since then, I have been very concerned
about the impact of the increasing number of students that go to study all over the world.
Then, in 2007 Daniel Greenberg, Executive Director of Living Routes, created the “sustainability
abroad” listserve with the idea of exchanging information around the theme of sustainability in
study abroad. When I saw the ongoing discussion, the issues were scary and mind boggling: one
million students studying abroad, gas emissions, carbon offsets, peak oil, internal vs. external cost,
alternative energy, etc. But, I wanted to do something at a smaller scale. I was feeling a bit helpless
because I do not have control over what kind of fuel the airlines choose to use or the cost of airline
tickets and all of those complex issues. I wanted to have control over something that everyone
would benefit from. I was thinking that we would be fine if at least the majority of the students
traveling on our programs stayed within some boundaries, which would benefit both the
environment and the people in the communities they visited. Then, the idea of creating a Green
Passport came to mind. What if we give our students guidelines for respecting and improving the
environment wherever they travel and study? What would happen if we help our students to leave
the world a better place after they visit? These were the initial questions that I had.
Fortunately, the idea landed in a most fertile organic ground with Astrid Jirka, Daniel Greenberg,
Sherry Schwarz, and Stacey Woody Thebodo. Together we crafted a definition, format, code of
conduct, and suggested guidelines for the Green Passport Program, which will be piloted in the fall
of 2007.
DEFINITION
Created as an incentive for all students going abroad, the Green Passport (GP) is a tool that provides
recommendations to encourage students to behave in a socially and environmentally conscious and
responsible way while studying abroad, i.e. to have a “green” study abroad experience. The GP is
being developed in order to educate study abroad students on “sustainable travel” concepts and to
teach them about their roles as “global citizens.” As such, it seeks to educate students about the
interconnectedness of the world’s people and the environment and to relate this learning to concepts
of sustainability.
FORMAT
The Green Passport will exist virtually as part of a national repository on the Abroad View
Foundation site. Students will sign up for a Green Passport before studying abroad by agreeing to
the Green Passport code of conduct. They then will be given a user page to upload their photo and
bio. These students will be asked to keep track of actions they take abroad that are within the
guidelines of a responsible traveler and/or which seek to make connections regarding sustainability
concepts, as outlined by the GP guidelines. Thoughts and unique best practices, as well as area and
project-specific practices will be encouraged for submission. Students can document their actions
while abroad or after returning home. The GP is completely based in the honor system and students
participate on a voluntarily basis. However, a future practice may be to ask students for an incountry witness to sign off on their actions.
RECOGNITION:
Each issue of Abroad View magazine will dedicate one of its front-of-the-book pages to feature a
Green Passport holder, as selected by the Abroad View Editorial Staff and reviewed by the
Sustainable Study Abroad Advisory Committee.
As the Green Passport Program develops, the Abroad View Foundation may work to forge
connections and partnerships with socially and environmentally responsible companies that will
award Green Passport holders’ efforts with donations on their behalf that better the environment or
local communities abroad (e.g. Sustainable Travel International and carbon neutrality donations).
The purpose of this is to recognize students efforts’ while not contributing to the production of more
material goods. This non-material award will be consistent with the Green Passport’s creed to give
back.
Individual colleges and universities may wish to offer special recognition to students who
participate in the Green Passport Program as well.
IMPLEMENTATION
A. Pre-departure Orientation: Students will be encouraged to agree to the GP Code of Conduct
and sign up for a GP. They will be provided with the GP guidelines.
B. While Studying Abroad: Students, on their own choosing, comply with the guidelines and
make entries into the GP virtually while abroad or upon returning home. If they do not have access
to a computer abroad they may wish to keep a journal documenting their practices.
C. Re-Entry Follow Up: Students can/should be recognized for their achievements and listed in
their campus publications and in Abroad View. The best ones are encouraged to send a description
of what they did abroad to a national magazine. Green Passport holders returning from abroad are
also encouraged to help educate future study abroad students about the benefits of studying abroad
“green” and to help coordinate educational events and activities for their campus community as
related to sustainability in study abroad (e.g. “Green Passport Corps”).
The Green Passport Pilot Program will take place in fall 2007 with the following participating
institutions:
Living Routes
Ithaca College
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Middlebury College
Allegheny College
Beloit College (Betsy Brewer, brewere@beloit.edu)
The School for International Training (Ross Colgate, Director of Enrollment and Student Services:
ross.colgate@sit.edu)
CODE OF CONDUCT to which Green Passport holders pledge/agree before studying abroad. The
Green Passport recognizes socially and environmentally responsible travel. Acknowledging the
interconnectedness of the world’s people and the environment, Green Passport holders agree to:
• Minimize their impact on the environment
• Act in culturally respectful ways
• Engage with locals and immerse themselves in the local community
• Give back to their host communities
GREEN PASSPORT SUGGESTED GUIDELINES—Actions You Can Take In-Country:
• Get involved with a community project abroad to help clean up the environment.
• Use public transportation whenever possible.
• Reduce, reuse and recycle.
• Turn off all electricity before leaving the room/apt./bathroom, etc.
• Get involved with a local educational institution to teach about sustainability.
• Write an article for a local journal on a subject related to sustainability.
• Measure carbon emissions: minimize them and then offset the remainder.
• Use accommodations and restaurants owned by local families instead of multinational chains.
• Consume food (preferably organic) products from local communities.
• Get involved with a community project abroad that serves “underprivileged communities.”
• Write an article for a local journal on a subject related to sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH AND REPORTING
The following pertains to students who wish to go a step further to research and report on a specific
aspect of sustainability in their host country(ies).
Sustainability covers a wide array of fields. Sustainability topics would include anything that looks
at ways of reducing the human impact on the global environment and on energy consumption. We
are interested in students conducting research on what is being done overseas in terms of
sustainability initiatives that could be useful information for students at their home campus and
elsewhere. Students are encouraged to work with themes with which they are already familiar in
order to have a basis for comparison and a knowledge base from which to work. Just about every
major can find topics related to their field of study and/or ways that they can be helpful in
communicating with others about sustainability themes. If students need help materializing a
research topic, we encourage them to contact faculty within their institution’s Environmental
Studies Department or they may contact a specific member of the Sustainable Study Abroad
Advisory Committee.
Examples of research and reporting topics include:
1)
What is the average home size in the country/community where you are? How are homes
constructed? How does it compare to U.S. home sizes and what are the implications for
sustainability?
2) Are there particular communities or organizations that are working on sustainability
initiatives? What do those initiatives look like and what can we learn from them?
3) Is there a consciousness of the need for energy conservation? How is this manifested and
what could be done to change it?
4) What do the people in the country where you are studying eat and where does their food
come? How does that compare to the U.S. and what can be learned in terms of sustainability?
5) What does the health care system look like? Is there a traditional medicinal practice still in
use? How does that practice depend on the natural environment and its conservation?
6) How are people in the country where you are studying generating power? How does that
compare to the U.S. and what can be learned in terms of sustainability?
7) How are media such as film, newspaper, theater, and/or music being used to educate about
sustainability or the need for resource protection and conservation? How does that compare to
the U.S?
8) What kinds of transportation do people use and how do they use it? How does that compare to
the U.S. and what can be learned in terms of sustainability?
9) What is the family structure like? How do families work together to consolidate resource use?
How does that compare to the U.S. and what can be learned in terms of sustainability?
10) What are innovative technologies that are being used in order to reduce energy consumption?
How does that compare to the U.S. and what can be learned in terms of sustainability?
11) Are children being educated about the need to be conscious of the earth’s carrying capacity
and their role in caring for the earth? How does that compare to the U.S. and what can be
learned in terms of sustainability?
12) How are local businesses taking leadership in their community to educate about the need for
sustainably produced products? How does that compare to the U.S.?
13) What is the role of poverty, equality and justice in our ability to reach a sustainable global
lifestyle? What do you see around you that can inform you of this?
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Green Passport Letter to Middlebury Students:
Dear Study Abroad Students,
I am writing about an exciting new opportunity that will enable you to “green” your study abroad
experience. Middlebury is working with “Abroad View,” the global education magazine for
students (www.abroadviewmagazine.com), on a new nationwide initiative called the “Green
Passport Program,” designed to promote socially and environmentally conscious studying abroad
experiences. This fall we are piloting the program with “Abroad View” and a few other colleges and
universities. Our goal is to recognize students who are making a positive difference when they study
abroad. We will profile students who participate in the Green Passport Program on Abroad View’s
new website, which will launch on September 1. Some of the Green Passport holders will also be
included in the spring 2008 “Abroad View” magazine, which is distributed to a national audience of
more than 20,000 students.
Here is how you can participate in this new and important initiative:
All you have to do is keep track of actions you take abroad that are within the suggested guidelines
of a responsible traveler (see below) and/or which seek to make connections regarding sustainability
concepts. Your recordings can be as simple as bulleted descriptions about what you do to minimize
your footprint on the local environment and culture; or, you can report on area- or project-specific
environmental practices that you learn about abroad or in which you participate. You will have the
option to either write in your virtual Green Passport from abroad or when you return home. The GP
is completely based in the honor system.
If you are interested in participating during your fall study abroad experience, please e-mail me
(sthebodo@middlebury.edu) and Sherry Schwarz, director of the Abroad View Foundation
(sherry@abroadviewmagazine.com), specifying where you will be studying abroad. Sherry will
then respond to you with a request for your photo and bio, and she’ll provide you with the few easy
steps you will need to create your Green Passport before you go abroad. It then will be up to you
whether you prefer to report on your green experience from abroad or when you return home.
If you want to get even more involved by writing an article, making a podcast or video—or if you
have other ideas—please let us know. We look forward to your participation in helping us establish
this critical new initiative.
Thank you!
Stacey Woody Thebodo
Assistant Director of International Programs and Off-Campus Study
Middlebury College
Sunderland Language Center
Middlebury, VT 05753
tel: (802) 443-5745
fax: (802) 443-3157
www.middlebury.edu/academics/ump/sap
GP Suggested Guidelines: Actions You Can Take In-Country:
• Get involved with a community project abroad to help clean up the environment.
• Use public transportation whenever possible.
• Reduce, reuse and recycle.
• Turn off all electricity before leaving the room/apt./bathroom, etc.
• Get involved with a local educational institution to teach about sustainability.
• Write an article for a local journal on a subject related to sustainability.
• Measure your carbon emissions: minimize them and then offset the remainder (contact us if you
would like more information about offsetting your carbon emissions).
• Use accommodations and restaurants owned by local families instead of multinational chains.
• Consume food (preferably organic) products from local communities.
• Get involved with a community project abroad that serves “underprivileged communities.”
Green Involvement When You Get Back:
There may be opportunities for you to join a Green Passport Corps when you return home by
helping us educate future study abroad students about the benefits of studying abroad “green.”
Abroad View magazine also encourages you to write about the green aspects of your experience
abroad for its magazine or webzine.
This guide was written by Stacey Thebodo, Assistant Director of International Programs and OffCampus Study, with guidance from Jeff Cason, Dean of International Programs, Nan Jenks-Jay,
Dean of Environmental Affairs, and Jack Byrne, Campus Sustainability Coordinator.
1
Middlebury College Mission Statement: www.middlebury.edu/about/handbook/general/Mission_Statement.htm
Middlebury’s strategic plan “Knowledge Without Boundaries:” www.middlebury.edu/administration/planning/
3
Middlebury’s commitment to carbon neutrality:
www.middlebury.edu/administration/enviro/initiatives/climate/New+Target+-+Carbon+Neutral+by+2016.htm
4
Middlebury News: www.middlebury.edu/about/pubaff/news_releases/2007/pubaff_633247687047222331.htm
5
Just a few examples of Middlebury students’ extensive involvement in environmental issues:
www.middlebury.edu/supporting/hillcrest/students.htm
http://stepitup2007.org/
www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_15/b4029071.htm
www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/03/19/early_critic_of_warming_steps_up_activist_role/?page=1
www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/07/11/the_cool_club/
6
www.bates.edu/Prebuilt/Bates%20Little%20Green%20Book.pdf
7
www.oregon.gov/ODOT/SUS/docs/Green_Office_Guide.pdf
2