FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gina Coplon-Newfield, 617-571-4523, gcoplon-newfield@secondnature.org

Second Nature Launches Fellowship Program 2010
Deadline for Application: March 15, 2010

Second Nature, a national nonprofit organization advancing sustainability in the higher education sector, is seeking applications for the 2010 Kresge Fellowship Program created to address some of the challenges faced by under-resourced schools to "build green" on their campuses.  The Fellowships will provide free registration, accommodations, and travel expenses (up to $2000/fellow) for fellows to attend one national green building-related conference.  Facilities directors, campus planners, and vice presidents of finance and business will be eligible for the fellowships through which they will be funded to take part in learning and networking opportunities, such as the 2010 Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference and the US Green Building Council's Greenbuild Conference.  Fellows will also become members of the Kresge Fellowship Network.

In 2010, Second Nature will be awarding fellowships to 25 under-resourced institutions. For more information regarding the program guidelines, application form, and other details, please click here.  The application deadline for this program is March 15, 2010. Final decisions will be announced on April 15, 2010.

In 2009, Second Nature awarded fellowships to 15 senior managers of under-resourced higher education institutions.  "I want to let everyone connected to Second Nature and The Kresge Foundation know what a wonderful, eye opening experience I had at Greenbuild 2009 [attended through the Kresge Fellowship Program]. I can't tell you, thank you, enough," said Ron Brooks, 2009 fellow who is an Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management at Tennessee State University.  

"Our research indicates that there is a great need in the higher education arena for capacity-building for green building," said Amy Seif Hattan, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Second Nature.  "We are pleased to provide decision-makers at these schools with the opportunity to learn about the resources and networks available to construct and renovate campus buildings in ways that save money, reduce environmental and health impacts, and serve as educational tools."

Buildings account for an estimated 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, a major contributor to global climate change.  In the higher education arena, many institutions are constructing high-performance, healthy facilities that reduce or eliminate harmful emissions and waste. At the same time, these facilities increase quality of life and productivity for their occupants.  However, many religious, community, technical, minority-serving, and state-supported institutions have fewer resources to spend on bricks and mortar projects, less in-house knowledge about green building, and limited opportunities to learn from schools that have excelled in green construction.  Many are unaware that environmentally responsible construction can result in 10-20% annual energy savings over the long-term.  These fellowships will assist college and university senior managers in acquiring the skills and technical information they need to be effective champions for green building and sustainability at their institution.

With funding provided by The Kresge Foundation, Second Nature launched the Advancing Green Building in Higher Education initiative in January, 2009.  It is designed to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges, and the US Department of Education's Title III and V institutions to build green on their campuses.  In addition to the fellowships, Second Nature runs the CampusGreenBuilder.org web site geared towards under-resourced colleges and universities and works in partnership with the United Negro College Fund to organize workshops on sustainable building practices for professionals and students at minority-serving schools.

Additionally, Second Nature recently announced that colleges and universities in states with low numbers of green building projects are invited to apply for Campus Green Building 101 Technical Assistance Grants of up to $2000 each. Schools will use the funds to send external building professionals (construction contractors, architects, designers, etc) who work with their schools to attend green building training opportunities. The deadline to apply for the Green Building 101 grants is February 12, 2010, whereas the deadline to apply for the Kresge Fellowships is March 15, 2010.

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The Kresge Foundation is a $2.8 billion private, national foundation that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations through its support of nonprofit organizations in six fields: health, the environment, arts and culture, education, human services, and community development. In 2008, it awarded 342 grants totaling $181 million.

Second Nature is a Boston-based nonprofit organization that works to accelerate movement towards a sustainable future by helping senior college and university leaders in making healthy, just, and sustainable living the foundation of all learning and practice in higher education.  Second Nature is the lead support organization of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, which has been signed by more than 665 school presidents who are committed to eliminating carbon emissions on campus and training students to help society address climate change.  Second Nature also coordinates the Higher Education Associations' Sustainability Consortium.  More information is available online about the Advancing Green Building in Higher Education initiative and other Second Nature programs.

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