Penn State has many facilities and places where students, faculty/staff, and the public can go to learn about sustainability, engage in research, participate in community programming, and understand the intersections of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Check out some of these key Penn State places that focus on sustainability (not an exhaustive list):

Thanks to the vision and generosity of Mort and Sue Fuller, the 255 acres of Penn State Fullers Overlook a short drive from the Penn State Scranton campus stands as a living testament to ecological preservation, resilient agriculture, and cultural heritage. Managed by Penn State Sustainability within Penn State Outreach, the site will highlight evidence-based solutions addressing pressing regional and global challenges; benefiting the community, the environment, and beyond.

Penn State envisions this property as a dynamic hub for education, research, and collaboration in Northeast Pennsylvania. It will serve as a field research station for academic exploration, a gathering space for field trips, workshops, and symposia, and a demonstration site showcasing innovative practices that enhance land, water, and ecosystem health.

The Sustainable Food Systems Program views our own Penn State campus food system as a living laboratory for engagement in sustainable food and agricultural systems. We link classroom education with experiential learning, student-led research and community outreach.

We grow plants, and so much more… growing minds, growing community, and growing food! Core components of the SFSP include the working 3-acre Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm, a highly active Student Farm Club, the Food Bank Harvest Project, partnership with the Lion’s Pantry and course collaborations across Penn State academics and operations. The SFSP is a launching point for conversation about many issues, including food security, food waste, and other pressing issues of our time.

The nine-acre Sustainability Experience Center sits at the edge of the Penn State University Park campus and houses a number of individual projects that focus on food, water, energy, and climate. Since 2025 the site has been the purview of Penn State Outreach, which serves as the caretaker/facilitator managing the interactions between the projects and the public tours and other engagement programming. Most prominently, the site features Penn State’s MorningStar Solar Home entry in the 2008 Solar Decathalon; the EcoMachine biodigester; the Campus Garden with 96 plots available for students, faculty and staff; two wind turbines used by Penn State’s Wind Energy Club; and two longitudinal tree provenance studies. Educational tours of the site are available by filling out a tour request form.