WHAT: PennGreen, a week-long pre-orientation pilot leadership training program designed to provide selected University of Pennsylvania upperclassmen with information and skills they can use to give future incoming freshmen an environmental introduction to the campus and Philadelphia.

This ecologically themed program is designed to become a part of future New Student Orientation sessions each fall, showing that “back-to-school is being green” is part of the culture at Penn and offering new students a chance to form relationships with environmentally minded peers. After evaluation of the pilot, PennGreen is expected to begin with the incoming freshman class in August 2009.

WHO: The Fox Leadership Program will hold the training session for 14 PennGreen leaders.

WHERE: Over the week, they will visit and dine at several local farms, tour Penn’s Morris Arboretum, hike the Wissahickon Creek, rock climb, go camping, participate in the Philly Orchard Project and tour the Blue Mountain Recycling plant, Philadelphia Waterworks and Penn’s chiller plant. On campus, they will have a cooking session with an area chef, focusing on locally produced products, and breakfast with senior administrators. The program will conclude with a canoe trip and ecological tour of the Schuylkill River.

WHEN: The weeklong program begins today, Friday, Aug. 22, with daytime and evening activities scheduled through Aug. 28.

DETAILS: Reporters are invited to attend any of the sessions. Additional information is available by contacting student leader Laura Boudreau at 908-601-8539 or Barbara Lea-Kruger at 215-520-0322.