The path to sustainability is a journey. But what does it mean to move beyond the low-hanging fruit to create transformational change? How can we manage the tension between sustainability performance and campus growth?

On April 16 and 17, the Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference (SSCC) brings together attendees who are working to answer these, and many more questions. Attendees include directors and staff from sustainability, facilities, health & safety, campus planning and business offices, as well as business partners and other education stakeholders.

Unlike other conferences, SSCC sets itself apart with in-depth presentations to higher education communities who are on the sustainability journey. Most sessions will be 80 minutes in length allowing for dialogue and discussion. (Click here for the conference schedule.)

Keynote Speaker, Leith Sharp, Sustainable Futures Academy, will cover "Who Are the Change Makers?" —  The last two decade of effort and progress achieved by the higher education sustainability movement has revealed several key insights into how we can unleash a profound acceleration of the transformation process, driving sustainability into the core business of higher education. This plenary will share several of these insights with attention given to the day-to-day reality of how our organizational function and how the individual can be a change maker.

Also, Doug McKenzie-Mohr, an environmental psychologist and author of “Fostering Sustainable Behavior,” will offer a post-conference workshop on Fostering Sustainable Behavior.

The Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference will be held in the Marriott Inn & Conference Center at the University of Maryland. Named the country’s first environmentally friendly hotel and conference center, this College Park hotel has received its LEED certification from the US Green Building Council. Every facility in the hotel, from the meeting facilities to the guest rooms, uses recyclable materials and energy-saving systems to ensure minimal impact on the environment. Local produce is incorporated into the meals and all organic waste is composted.

Click here for additional information, including registration.