The West Jordan Sustainability Award was a new phenomenon created by the West Jordan Sustainability Committee in 2025. 

A way of highlighting the community’s sustainable environmental efforts, the award has certain stipulations for nominations, such as the nominated organization must be based in West Jordan or have a strong presence in the city. Nominations were open to businesses, non-profits and community groups and “judged on their innovation, impact and commitment to sustainability.” 

“At the end of last year, we began advertising for a new sustainability award, and in January, our committee all voted to select a winner,” said committee volunteer Jessica Navarro said. 

Navarro said a total of five nominees were in the running to receive the award for its first year, including local West Jordan businesses, organizations and communities, Vidas Wax Works, Local West Jordan, Conservation Gardens, Terraine and, last but not least, Itineris Early College High School. 

Itierneris Early College High School was ultimately awarded the 2025 West Jordan Sustainability Award for innovative programs and efforts to make the school sustainable. 

Brighton resident and dean of students at Intineris, Jeff Bossard, nominated the school. 

“I'm big on the environment, and I wanted our school to kind of be a model for what buildings can do, or commercial buildings, or whatever, can do in terms of sustainability and the environment,” Bossard said. “ 

In Bossard’s nomination, he cited an impressive list of the school’s commitment to energy and water sustainability measures. 

The school’s commitment to energy sustainability is showcased by replacing 50% of the building’s electricity with solar energy, powered by solar panels on the roof. To reduce overall energy use, “controllers have been added to the HVAC units to reduce power demands and reduce electricity consumption.” 

When it comes to driving and transportation, the school also excels.  

Students and staff from the school use public transportation to commute and are given TRAX passes to commute to all school functions. Bossard also mentioned the use of "No Idling" signs on the property that encourage people who do drive to “keep the air quality better.” 

Students and staff members also participate in an annual “large Earth Day service project,” where everyone pitches in to pick up trash around the school and in the vicinity of the premises. 

In the area of water sustainability, more than 2,000 square feet of grass has been replaced with rock and xeriscaping. Installed smart water controllers reduce water usage by more than a third. 

The saved water is put to use in the Environmental Science Club’s hands, Bossard mentioned, which “plants vegetables to help contribute to the school lunch program.”  

“They've actually taken the next step, where they've actually started composting food waste,” he said. “So that's something that just got started, but it's, you know, they're building a composting area and now they're collecting food waste within the cafeteria as well.” 

The award was presented in early 2025 by the city to both Bossard and Itineris’ principal, Renee Edwards. 

“We're still very much under the radar, so to be honored in front of the people at West Jordan, that was a very proud moment for our school,” Bossard said. 

He said “because we're not part of a school district, a lot of people — even though our school has been around for over 20 years and in the building itself for 11 — we're not on a main road, we don't have a sports team, so it was really nice for us to get some recognition, to get some awareness of our school in the community.” 

With its focus on early college education partnered with Salt Lake Community College, the public school celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024.