Values/Walking the Talk
Our core values include responsibility to the community, environmental sustainability, and accountability. Here are some ways these values affect our everyday operations:
Thinking and Acting "Glocally" (globally and locally)
- We work locally in our home region of southeast Michigan while maintaining national partnerships with universities and organizations such as Purdue University and the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (NY).
- We support local, independent businesses for our core operations, including printing, copying, graphic design, accounting, and banking.
- 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.
Environmental Practices
- Our office is located in a refurbished, 1940s 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 in an office worm bin, collect rainwater in a barrel, and use this to care for the many native species surrounding the property.
- We reduce paper usage by printing on the backside of used paper.
- When hosting events, we bring reusable plates, and purchase compostable cups and forks when disposables are needed.
- We use paper products that are tree-free, or made with 100% post-consumer recycled content.
- We reduce energy usage by turning on equipment only when we use it. We keep thermostats low in winter, and turn them down to the 50s at night. In summer, ceiling fans and awnings on the south windows help keep us cool.
- 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.
- On-going evaluation and 360-degree feedback are a regular part of internal management, staff development, and employee-employer relationships.
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. Read more about accountability practices.