Sep 06
Every year, when faculty and staff assemble for opening meetings, we come with varying degrees of readiness but generally high hopes for the school year. Amid grand plans, training sessions, and endless details, we devote a day to professional development. This year’s topic, environmental sustainability, grew out of the Board of Trustees’ decision in December, …
May 31
The #1 thing we can do to stop global warming is talk about it! Most of us don’t talk much about climate change, but doing so is the best way to have a positive impact. If that seems strange, check with the experts: The Natural Resources Defense Council, climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, or the Oxford …
Dec 13
Join the conversation! Who or what gets you excited about sustainability? Students in the Environmental Sustainability in Action class share their thoughts. Replies and additional examples welcome! Please include your name and DA affiliation with your post. I believe that hope the most important thing in climate actions because it is the path to motivation …
Dec 01
“Should I stay or leave?” That is the question that Denise Robinson from the Environmental Justice Community Action Network (EJCAN) leading us through Sampson county asks herself every day. With the smell from the hog waste and landfill a constant presence, and accessing clean water and pure air almost impossible, it is an understandable question. …
Jul 15
Such positive, inspiring, highly informed, data-based and comprehensive content. Not just science-y stuff, as many anticipated. There’s an entry point for all participants. Andrea Caruso, US Science On October 2-3, DA will offer Jaimie Cloud’s Introduction to Educating for Sustainability. This workshop was first held at DA in August 2022, when some 45 members of …
Dec 14
What is sustainability and why does it matter? By Rasna Prakash, President, DA Parents Association The DA Parents Association was fortunate to hear from the Upper School sustainability students at our December meeting. Thomas Pollard ’24, Cana Yao ’26, Miller Roessler ’24 and Amelia Fay ’25 provided information to parents and caregivers about the opportunities …
Nov 17
By Kiersten Hackman and CJ Nwafor Last Wednesday, November 9th, 2022, was a Community Day for underclassmen and a mental health day for juniors and seniors, but to many in the Environmental Sustainability in Action class, it was an unprecedented opportunity to learn and engage with the greatest issue of our era: climate change. What: …
Oct 30
Last week I had a coaching session with Jaimie Cloud, who is advising DA about our curriculum and culture for sustainability. Our conversation was helpful on multiple fronts, but one detail particularly stuck with me. Jaimie mentioned the widely quoted finding that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. For …
Aug 31
Each year, Durham Academy kicks off our return to school with discussions of summer reading. Most folks think that summer reading remains a student experience, working through an assigned text to be ready to discuss it in first week English classes, but faculty and staff do summer reading, too! Usually we pick a focus for …
Aug 17
I have long read Seth Godin’s writings; each day, Seth sends me a message to my inbox with his thought for the day. Over the summer, I read about his work with the crew working on the book and website The Carbon Almanac. I have been reading a lot of books lately about Climate Change. …
