Walking the Talk

     Our mission is about sustainability and anti-discrimination. Here some examples of how these values affect our everyday operations:

Thinking and Acting "Glocally"
     We keep one foot grounded in our home community of Ypsilanti, MI while maintaining partnerships with organizations such as the United Nations Global Teaching and Learning Program and Redefining Progress (Oakland, CA).

• Locally, we work with students and teachers in the Ypsilanti Public Schools and are collaborating with the Eastern Michigan University School of Education, also based in Ypsilanti.
• We support local, independent businesses and feature our community through our programming. For example, a teacher workshop on sustainable communities featured Ypsilanti's Water Street Project, a pedestrian-friendly re-development initiative that maintains public greenspace, mixes residential and commercial space, and reflects the town's historic character.
• We're within walking and biking distance to downtown. Employees can hop on a bike or walk to the bank, post office, or food co-op.

Internal Environmental Practices

• Our office is located in a refurbished building in the heart of our city. We used a local builder to renovate the property and incorporated several sustainable features, including passive solar design, recycled carpet, energy-efficient windows, re-used office furniture, and gray water recycling.
• We compost all food scraps, collect rainwater in a barrel, and use both to care for the native plants surrounding the property.
• We reduce paper usage by printing on the back side of used paper.
• We use products with recycled content and tree-free paper when available.
• We reduce energy usage by turning on equipment only when we use it. We keep thermostats low in winter. In summer, ceiling fans and light-weight clothing help keep us cool. Air conditioning is used as a last resort.
• We maintain computers and upgrade as much as possible before buying new. When we do upgrade, old equipment is donated or disposed of properly at the Ann Arbor Reuse Center.

Employment and Management Practices

• CCES pays a living wage, offers flex time, telecommuting, and other policies to help employees strike a healthy balance between work and home.
• Our staff, board, and the people we serve are diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and other dimensions of diversity.
• We take our fiscal and legal responsibilities seriously. Our payroll taxes and fiscal reports are filed on time, every time, and we maintain more than the minimum required insurance.