Antioch University New England was named the 2011 Cornerstone Award winner by New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility (NHBSR) at NHBSR’s 8th Annual Spring Conference at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, NH.
Governor John Lynch (middle) and NHBSR Interim Executive Director, Kate Luczko (right), present the 2011 NHBSR Cornerstone Award to Antioch University of New England, represented by Tracey Thompson (left), Vice President of Institutional Advancement. (Photo courtesy of Matthew Lomanno Photography)
“NHBSR is honored to present the 2011 Cornerstone Award to Antioch University New England,” said NHBSR Interim Executive Director Kate Luczko. “Antioch has been a long-time engaged member of NHBSR and has demonstrated their commitment to corporate social responsibility. They continue to strive to do more and they serve as a role model for other NH organizations to follow.”
Antioch University New England, founded in 1964, and based in Keene, New Hampshire, serves 1,000 students and is a dynamic, innovative institution offering scholarly, practice-oriented graduate study. They have a history of high academic standards, integration of work and study, commitment to bypassed populations, and learner responsibility all intertwined with the New England traditions of self-reliance, small-community values and private action for the public good.
Their community engagement efforts go well beyond that of their organization, but also include providing “transformative education through scholarship, innovation, and community action for a just and sustainable society.” Antioch University New England educates leaders who want to create or work in organizations that are successful, effective, sustainable, and socially and environmentally responsible. Their Green MBA, is ranked in the top 5 nationally by Net Impact.
Antioch has implemented numerous energy-saving measures not only in office areas, but academic spaces as well. This year they launched Community Garden Connections to work with local human service agencies to address problems of food security by supporting the establishment of community gardens and accompanying educational programming. Their Green MBA students engage in multiple projects through which students assist businesses in putting CSR practices to work, such as COOL MONADNOCK, a three-year project that is working to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in the Monadnock Region and the 10% Challenge, a collaborative effort between Antioch and the City of Keene, through which students assist Keene businesses in voluntarily reducing green house gas emissions by 10%. They currently have 30 businesses participating.
The two other finalists for this year’s Cornerstone Award were: Northeast Delta Dental and Sequoya Technologies Group.
The NHBSR Cornerstone Award is presented every year at the NHBSR Spring Conference to a company, organization or individual that exemplifies the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and promotes the concepts of CSR to the greater business community within the state of New Hampshire.
This year’s NHBSR Spring Conference, titled “Integrating Corporate Social Responsibility into Your Core Business Strategy,” focused on how businesses can fully incorporate more sustainable practices into all aspects of their organization including saving resources and creating a return on investment. The conference incorporated a variety of “green” elements including carbon offset, recycling, minimizing waste and sustainable menu choices.
Additionally, the conference featured an energetic and engaging networking session, numerous morning and afternoon educational breakout sessions, a CEO Panel Discussion, a Silent Auction, and a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability book store.