The EcoPreneur program, started in 2006 with a group of twelve area high-schoolers, helps students understand not only how businesses perform financially, but also how they play a role in shaping, and are shaped by, society and the environment. The course teaches triple bottom line practices, which measure the performance of businesses based on three sets of criteria: financial performance, social contributions, and environmental impact. Students are challenged to think about how we can measure these three outcomes, and how we make decisions based on them. Finally, they have opportunities to apply new knowledge and skills in real situations, including being part of a committed team of Putting Green Park "owners." Two of these students successfully ran the park this past 2009 season.

Through participation in experiential learning projects with real-world application and socially significant results, these students explore their ability to impact the world in which they live. The 2009-2010 EcoPreneurs have teamed up with Youth Energy Summit (YES!), a regional program administered by the Southwest Initiative Foundation. By developing a project called the "eco-cool cafe" that will implement and promote sustainable energy practices in their school lunchroom and in our community, they are learning how to work together to have a local impact on a global problem.