The Collegiate Green Team started in the fall of 2008 as an after-school volunteer club. Their motto is "Conservation Through Education" and their message continues to be one of personal responsibility.
The commitment to conservation began with an energy audit conducted by the Advanced Placement Environmental Science students in January 2007. After benchmarking heating and electrical data on the energystar.gov website, the students made recommendations to the faculty, staff, and student body to reduce electrical lighting and increase natural lighting. From March of 2007 to March of 2008, the school saved more than $10,000 and 180,000 kilowatt hours compared to the average of the three previous years of data.
The energy usage continues to be monitored and new methods for conservation have been applied. Through grant funding, LED lights have replaced incandescent bulbs in EXIT signs, motion sensors have been placed in faculty restrooms and storage rooms, and a 10.4 KW solar array has been installed on the roof. The energy audit project has expanded within the district as Green Team members teach elementary and middle school students how to initiate conservation programs in their schools.