When Nephew Chase says
I've been applying to colleges, but I want to be sure that my school is green.

You can say
Sierra magazine had a list of the top "Cool Schools" in the U.S. Some of them have their own farms where students can work, others train students to install solar panels -- the list goes on and on. You should check it out.

And be sure when you get there to look up your local branch of the Sierra Student Coalition.

When Nephew Chase says
Vacations are fun, but I actually get a little bored after a few days. It'd be fun to have some kind of project to do that would help someone out.

You should look into Sierra Club Outings' service trips.

They offer a great trip to a beautiful location -- and a little work to keep you busy, such as trail or cabin maintenance. Plus you get to meet a whole crew of fun people.