The Greening of iD Tech Camps
What is the Greening of iD?
The Greening of iD is a major company focus aimed at continually assessing and addressing our impact on the environment and our communities. We are a family company comprised of forward thinking, conscientious people and we have decided as a company, and as individuals, to reduce the footprint we are leaving to our kids…and yours! In typical iD Tech fashion, rather than "just talk", we are actually putting words into action. Part of our company’s mission is to "balance profitability with our wholesome family values, enriching our communities by promoting scholarships, tuition assistance, environmental stewardship and volunteerism.” Talk is cheap. We’re doing something…
When we asked our summer staff to blog about what they were doing at camp, they went above and beyond the call of duty. They enlightened us about things we never even thought to ask—things like protein folding. Never heard of it? Check out the Fordham blog! Staff at UVA created a comic strip about recycling using Comic Book Creator. Staff members even wrote programs to automatically shut down computers at night and at lunch.
Like dominoes, once the conservation and do-good bug gets going, there is no stopping it. We look forward to pushing the envelope this coming season—empowering and acknowledging our summer camp staff, campers and parents.
What are full-time staff doing to make iD greener?
We’ve set up an incentive program for our employees to find creative ways to get to work, volunteer in our communities, recycle, and implement energy and environmentally friendly policies for our summer computer camps. Here are some things we’ve done since starting our initiative last fall:
- Pete, the CEO of iD Tech Camps, rides his bike to work 3 times a week, on average. “I love when, at the end of the week, I still have a full tank of gas—and my pants fit better too,” says Pete.
- Multiple full-time staff members have bought hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles.
- Recycling efforts have increased, up to 50% more plastic and glass products are taken to the recycling center each week.
- We have bought more rechargeable batteries and take any used batteries to a disposal site–keeping them out of landfills.
- We have reduced our energy consumption by turning off lights and computers when not in use.
- Tuition assistance and scholarships increased to $150,000 this season (up from $120,000 last season).
- This holiday season we will contribute time and gifts to the Family Giving Tree. Check back to the Greening Blog to find out more.
- We are planning our second annual February charity event. Last year we worked with a local school, planting and painting over graffiti on a pedestrian trail adjacent to the school. See photos and read more about this effort.
Want more information on what we are doing on a regular basis? Read our Greening Blog and keep up to date with the latest information.
Thank you for reading through these pages and thank you for helping us make our communities and environment stronger.
How can you help?
- Bring your old ink cartridges and cell phones to camp as part of the fundraising effort.
- Register with a friend for camp—then carpool. Check out our new carpool application!
- Be aware of your energy consumption, how much you drive and what you recycle. We can all make a difference. Start by being aware of the simple stuff like turning out lights, recycling cans and bottles, and taking shorter showers.
- Click on the links below and make a contribution to some respected charities.
The Nature Conservancy
The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent
the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.
World Resources Institute
The mission of the World Resources Institute is an environmental think tank that goes beyond research to create
practical ways to protect the Earth and improve people’s lives. Our mission is to move human society to live in
ways that protect Earth’s environment for current and future generations.
The Rainforest Alliance
The mission of the Rainforest Alliance is to protect ecosystems and the people and wildlife that depend on them by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior.
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