Sustainability

The Green Hub is a hands-on sustainability and innovation space on campus where students turn ideas into action. It includes organic garden beds, a tree nursery, a hydroponic growing system, a biogas unit that produces renewable energy from organic waste, upcycled wooden furniture designed and built by students, active beehives, and natural areas that support a variety of plant and animal species. Students research, design, plant, build, monitor, and improve these systems as part of their learning. The Green Hub is also a living laboratory, where sustainability, biology, entrepreneurship, and environmental responsibility come together in real life. It encourages problem-solving, teamwork, creativity, and a deep awareness of the connection between people and the planet. Many student-led environmental initiatives begin here and grow into long-term projects that benefit both the school and the wider community.

Project Oasis is a student-led initiative in engineering. They aim to produce 6 kilowatts of energy and 1,000 liters of water every day with zero infrastructure for every machine that is built. Ultimately, the school plans on mass producing these machines to significantly reduce global water shortages and provide clean water and energy in impoverished areas; all while being carbon neutral in operations.
The solution will continue to deliver benefits to students at the school for the next 50 years. Project Oasis aims to collect electricity and water from the air, simultaneously. The system accomplishes this using organic Rankine cycle and condenser technology.

Deforestation is a global challenge, and planting trees in the right way is essential for protecting our planet. EMIS partners with the Good Energy Initiative, a local NGO, to develop a Climate Forest that supports ecologically responsible and socially beneficial tree-planting projects. Students learn about climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable forestry while taking part in planting and caring for the trees. The project helps restore natural ecosystems, strengthens community connections, and shows students how local action can make a real difference for the environment.

In partnership with the Dutch Embassy, this project promotes environmental awareness and bee conservation through education and hands-on action. Students helped create a regional model for protecting bees by planting wildflowers and building a bee hotel with expert guidance, while also learning from the active beehives located in the EMIS Green Hub. From time to time, students take part in caring for the hives and exploring the vital role bees play in biodiversity and food systems, turning sustainability learning into real-world impact.

The Green Village cooperates with the Nature and Parks Authority of Israel to take part in animal rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Students participate in training and activities to learn to care for animals, both domestic and wildlife, and about the importance of protecting species and their habitats.

In 2021-2022, EMIS received the SIPP Mini-Grant to support Israeli, Palestinian, and international students in environmental peace-building, awarding merit-based scholarships and fostering leadership in sustainability on campus and beyond. Their grant gave us new opportunities in developing student leadership which we continue today.