A recent tour of Temple’s Main Campus has high school student Catherine Hack seeing green: she envisions more trees, eco-friendly rooftops covered with lush plants, community gardens and more trash cans.

“Temple’s campus is full of possibilities for sustainable development,” said Hack, a rising senior at Julia R. Masterman High School. “Small changes like planting more trees and painting rooftops white to help cool buildings will help the campus save money and create a more eco-friendly environment.”

Hack was among 20 students from local high schools who participated in the Sustainable Environments Summer Academy; a five week program sponsored by the Toyota USA Foundation, which has provided funding for the last three summers.

The rising high school seniors, who all have an interest is creating a sustainable environment, took a college-level course in geography and urban planning and completed a research project where they explored ways to design a more sustainable campus. They presented their finding last week during a closing reception.

“Young people have so many ideas, I love seeing how the campus can improve from their perspective,” said Sandra McDade, director of the Office of Sustainability. “There ideas give me ammunition to continue to help shape a more sustainable campus.”

In addition to research and learning about the environment, the students had an opportunity to visit the Heinz Wildlife Refuge, the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, the Philadelphia Zoo, and the Landscape Arboretum at Temple University Ambler. The experience helped them better understand the problems facing the environment and how they can use their talents and interest in sustainability to help bring about change.

“As a group we’ve taken on a sustainability consciousness that will help us all make small changes that, over time, will help better the planet, said Wellborn.

For more information on Temple’s Summer Academies visit the Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies.