CT Health I-Team published a story about one of our Environmental and Social Sustainability Small Grants awardees on July 5, 2022.
Grantee Madeline Kizer is part of the team of UConn students bringing the Swap Shop to life on campus. From the article:
“According to a study by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “The [Fast Fashion] textiles system operates in an almost completely linear way: large amounts of non-renewable
resources are extracted to produce clothes that are often used for only a short time, after which the materials are mostly sent to landfill or incinerated,” under-utilizing recycling. And, many of the industry workers are women, age 18-24, who are exploited working long hours, making low wages, reports re/make.”
“Madeline Kizer of Wallingford hosts clothing swaps to promote second-hand shopping, aiming to raise awareness of fast fashion’s impact on the environment.”
“For the rest of the summer, Kizer and two classmates are finalizing UConn Swap Shop, an on-campus thrift store. Students will have the opportunity to swap clothing, each item having a designated point value. Kizer recalled being a freshman without a car on-campus and wanting to thrift in her free time. She hopes that the thrift store will teach students the importance of shopping second-hand.”
Applications for EcoCaptains for the Fall ’22/Spring ’23 semesters are now open.
EcoCaptains serve as paid sustainability champions and ambassadors for the Office of Sustainability. In collaboration with ResLife, this program allows for EcoCaptains to lead sustainability related programming and educational activities in their residence halls. Below are some of responsibilities of an EcoCaptain:
Work 5 hours per week @ $14.00/hr
Collaborate with Hall Directors and Resident Assistants to lead sustainability related programming and educational activities in residence halls
Attend monthly EcoCaptains meetings
Provide weekly updates to OS staff and intern leads
Participate in EcoCaptain training and group chat
Participate and encourage student participation in Office of Sustainability led events and programming such as EcoMadness, RecycleThon, Green Game Days, Earth Day Spring Fling, and Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP) trail maintenance events.
Distribute Recycling Bags and Sustainability Activity books to residents
Lead sustainability education and engagement activities in residence halls like the following:
Weekly recycling audits and scoring
Monthly hall meetings about different topics related to sustainability
Environmental film screenings or movie nights, discussion forums, guest speakers
EcoCaptain “office hours” where people can ask questions about sustainability or give suggestions
Educational flyers, social media, etc.
Weekly tips for living more sustainably
Volunteer clean-up events
Week-long or one-day events or activities, such as a “power-down” day or other fun competitions
The Institute of the Environment seeks a strategic administrator and effective Director of the Office of Sustainability at the University of Connecticut, who will leverage our institutional reputation in sustainability to further advance our national and international leadership in sustainability and the environment.
The Office of Sustainability reports to the Institute of the Environment and works with senior administrators, students, faculty, and staff to set and achieve sustainability goals for the University in the areas of climate action and resilience, energy and buildings, waste reduction and diversion, water resources, food and dining, grounds, purchasing, transportation, open space and natural resource stewardship, and the intersection of these issues with environmental and social justice. The Office develops outreach and engagement programs that feature experiential learning to raise awareness and improve performance around sustainable practices and behaviors related to campus life.
UConn is internationally recognized as a leader in campus sustainability, consistently placing in the top 10 of the Sierra Club’s Cool Schools ranking and possessing a Platinum Rating with the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). By convening and leading the Environmental Policy Advisory Council (EPAC), and more recently through its participation on President’s Working Group on Sustainability & the Environment, the Office of Sustainability provides the University community with a focal point for campus dialogue on energy and environmental issues, and has been integral to the successful planning and implementation of environmental sustainability initiatives at UConn.
Reporting to the Executive Director of the Institute of the Environment, the Director advocates for sustainable decision-making across diverse units at the University. From an administrative position, the Director manages a modest staff of professionals and students, and oversees fiscal operations of the Office.
To allow students more time to focus on finals and end-of-semester projects, we have extended the UConn@COP application deadline to Saturday, May 14th.
UConn Today published a story about one of our Environmental and Social Sustainability Small Grants awardees on April 28, 2022.
Grantees Matthew Chen and Hannah Colonies-Kelley are investigating student awareness of UConn’s local food purchasing. From the article:
[The students] “soon discovered UConn Dining Services was already purchasing 36% of its food locally. Other large public universities such as UMass Amherst purchase only 20% of their food locally, on average.”
“I think that especially as such a large university, the example UConn can lead for sustainability is important,” Chen says.
Come forest bathing with the Office of Sustainability and NatureRx on April 29th as Regan Stacey leads us through the forests of the HEEP.
Forest bathing is the practice of immersing yourself in nature in a mindful way, using your senses to derive a whole range of benefits for your physical, mental, emotional, and social health. It is also known as Shinrin-yoku in Japan. ‘Shinrin’ means forest and ‘Yoku’ stands for bathing.
There are two sessions available, capped at 20 participants each. Sign up for your desired time:
The Office of Sustainability is hiring a new cohort of interns. These paid internships provide excellent work experience, hone leadership skills, and set students up for success in environmental positions after graduating. Please apply to our team of sustainability-minded student interns. Positions are 8-12 hours per week and will begin Fall ’22. Interns deal with all kinds of sustainability topics – from energy use to environmental communications. All majors welcome!
Apply by April 30th
Must be a current first-year or a second-year student pursuing a bachelor’s degree at UConn
The Green Careers Panel is an event sponsored by the Office of Sustainability to provide an opportunity for students to see how their interests align with real-life sustainability and environmental career paths and to gain general career advice. As there is increased momentum of student interest in careers in sustainability and the environment, we believe this year will be extremely helpful in providing students with insight into the many paths they can take to pursue a “green” career!
Wednesday April 13
6-8pm in McHugh Hall, Room 206
Format: 60-minute panel, 15-30 minute Q&A session, and networking reception with free food to learn more from our panel of interdisciplinary environmental leaders.
Panelists
Harrison Goodale, Co-Founder of Sustain Music & Nature
Courtney Lindberg, Deputy Director Public Works for Sustainability and Materials Management, Town of Manchester
Lidia Howard, Air Pollution Control Engineer, CT DEEP
Jessica Larkin Wells, Farm Manager, Spring Valley Student Farm
Additional panelists will be added soon.
Although students are allowed to attend event without registering, we highly recommend registration for this panel as it will fill up quickly.
UConn Office of Sustainability Awards Environmental and Social Sustainability Grants to Student-Led Projects
Five projects will increase environmental and social sustainability at UConn
Solar panels at UConn’s Spring Valley Student Farm. Thanks to a new small grants fund, students will be working with staff and faculty mentors to complete sustainability projects on UConn campuses. Photo by Spring Valley Student Farm.
UConn, consistently one of the top ten most sustainable universities in the United States, will be getting even better at upholding sustainable practices with the help of five student-led projects that are being initiated this spring.
These innovative projects are funded by the Environmental and Social Sustainability Small Grants Program through the Office of Sustainability at the Institute of the Environment. Creative student-faculty teams applied for funding this past winter to support campus programs that enhance environmental and social sustainability while engaging students and community members. Applicants shared ideas spanning education, research, authentic community engagement, and campus operations. Projects include everything from an ADA-accessible mouldering privy at the Spring Valley Student Farm, to studying how UConn sources food from local farms. “We are thrilled to support a diverse set of student-led initiatives spanning four UConn schools and colleges. Each project will contribute in important ways to continuing to improve the sustainability across many facets of our university,” shares Ashley Helton, associate professor in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment.
Five projects were awarded funds due to their interdisciplinary nature and ability to advance sustainability and equity.
Farm to Institution Local Food Procurement Study: Working to Highlight Sustainable Options for Students
Students: Matt Chen ‘22 (CLAS, CAHNR), Hannah Colonies-Kelley ‘22 (CAHNR)
Faculty Mentors: Cristina Connolly, Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics
Spring Valley Student Farm Privy Project
Students: Phoebe Mrozinski ‘22 (CAHNR), Andrew Muller ‘23 (CAHNR), Isaac Betts ‘23 (CAHNR)
Staff and Faculty Mentors: Phoebe Godfrey, Associate Professor, Sociology. Jessica Larkin-Wells, Farm Manager, Spring Valley Student Farm
Staff Mentors: Megan Baro, Program Assistant for Inclusion & Global Initiatives, Honors Program. Katie Britt, Leadership Programs Coordinator, Werth Institute
Solar Photovoltaic Tie-in at Spring Valley Student Farm
Students: Rory Monaco ‘23 (CLAS), Zachary Stone ‘22 (SOE)
Staff and Faculty Mentors: Ali Bazzi, Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering. Jessica Larkin-Wells, Farm Manager, Spring Valley Student Farm
Green Practice and Pedagogy: Enhancing UConn Avery Point’s Sustainability Performance and Programming
Students: UConn Avery Point EcoHusky Club, Sakshee Patel ‘24 (SOB), Kelsey DiCesare, Richard Krenitsky ‘22 (CLAS), Ian Bradley ‘22 (CLAS)
Faculty Mentors: Syma Ebbin, Associate Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics
“This innovative program supports entrepreneurial activities by students, who co-design projects with mentors, providing authentic, collaborative experiences that will enrich their education and enhance sustainable practices and social responsibility. Students are making a difference!” says Michael Willig, Executive Director of the Institute of the Environment.
Students will present their project findings and impacts this fall. “We are all very much excited for this opportunity to support UConn’s mission to enhance environmental and social sustainability on campus! This funding will certainly help us uphold UConn’s values and achieve our vision,” shares Efua Koomson ‘22 (CLAS), a team member on the UConn Swap Shop project and actuarial sciences major. Fellow team member Maeline Kizer, ‘24 (SOB) writes, “This can provide students with so many opportunities and resources.”
