Student-led Initiatives

Scripps Student Garden

Located behind Browning, the Scripps Student Garden features seasonal fruit trees, planting beds, student murals, and study areas. Two student garden coordinators maintain the space and host workshops, field trips, harvest meals, and oversee the dorm composting program. They also organize a weekly volunteer program with Huerta del Valle at their 4-acre Ontario farm, where students learn about organic agriculture and food sovereignty.

Dorm Composting

In 2016, students initiated a pilot project for composting in all residence halls. It continues to be student-run and overseen by the Garden Coordinators.

Ongoing Programs

Scripps Sustainability Fair

Each April, we host the Scripps Sustainability Fair in celebration of Earth Day. This event aims to build community by bringing together 5C student clubs, organizations, and local groups doing work around social and environmental justice, climate resilience, local food, and education.

Scripps Olive Oil

Annually, the olive trees surrounding the Humanities Building are harvested by the community and milled into Scripps’ award winning extra-virgin olive oil. The Olive Oil Project is the culmination of faculty, student, and staff efforts to turn Scripps’ edible landscape into a virtual classroom for hands-on learning and embrace an ethic of sustainability. This project is organized by Joya Salas and is made possible by support from the Grounds Department.

Scripps Scrapps

Scripps Scrapps is a campus-wide resale program. At the end of Spring semester, students can donate books, mini fridges, décor, electronics, school supplies, kitchen items, and other salvageable items. These items are resold to students at the start of Fall semester, diverting over three tons of goods from landfills.

Green Bike Program

Launched in the fall of 2011, the Green Bike Program loans, fixes, and repairs bicycles. Some bikes are raffled off on loan for the semester, and others can be borrowed for the day. The Green Bike Program centers student needs and accessibility and is run for students, by students.

Campus Design

Landscape

Scripps campus has over 23 varieties of edible plants including grapefruit, avocado, pomegranate, oranges, and kumquats. There are also native and pollinator-friendly plants integrated throughout campus, as well as a dedicated native plant garden created in a collaborative effort between students and Grounds staff. Take a virtual campus botanical tour

Green Building

The newest residence hall, Schow Hall, is Scripps’ first LEED Gold certified building. Sustainability features include low-flow water fixtures, LED lighting, ENERGY STAR® appliances, drip irrigation, and a storm water retention system that encourages percolation and ground water recharge.

Check out our Self Guided Sustainability Walking Tour

Energy Efficiency and Conservation

Building meters are fitted with MelRok IoT devices, allowing us to monitor real-time building energy consumption.

Solar PV arrays are located on Garrison Fine Arts Building, Lang Art Building, and Schow Hall. Energy-efficient LED bulbs are in use throughout campus. The pool at the Sally Tiernan Field House uses a variable speed drive pump so that energy supply never exceeds demand.