Lo-ResTV: Turning Over a New Leaf in State College

Last week, close to 150 people gathered in what seems like nothing more than a large, bright and versatile room in a State College basement that was as inviting as it was mysterious.

The mystery involved the New Leaf Initiative, a new non-profit founded in part by four Penn State University grads and based on an honors thesis trip to Jamaica. The organization promotes spreading sustainability ideas locally and internationally. Essentially a well-honed support group, New Leaf provides workspace, resources, networking and education--and a whole lot of passion.

Students, community members and business leaders were on hand for New Leaf's launch party on Feb. 15 to check out the space, the scene and hear about a variety of sustainability related projects. They include Earthbag Structures for Haiti (training to construct simple, durable homes), Community Energy Investments, (seeking opportunities for small-scale local investing), and Sustainable Caribbean Islands (establishing a model for urban housing).