Northwestern Sustainability Fund awards an additional $16,000 to student initiatives
In its second round of funding, the Northwestern Sustainability Fund (NSF) received another impressive set of projects for consideration and selected seven projects to receive support. NSF’s goal is to enhance the sustainability of the University and engage the students and community in those efforts.
Associated Student Government Sustainability Committee (ASG SusCom)
As part of ASG SusCom’s continuing efforts to take more sustainable measures, it has received funds to convert its paper supply to 100 percent recycled-content paper. As many student groups on campus receive paper from ASG for flyers and other needs, this change will have an impact on the greater Northwestern community.
The Brady Scholars will create a hoop house and garden on Northwestern’s campus. The aim is to educate about sustainable food culture, build community, and strengthen bonds between Northwestern and Evanston Township High School students who will work on the garden together.
Northwestern University Science Policy and Action Network (NUSPAN)
NUSPAN will hold a series of workshops and seminars focused on writing policy briefs and Op-Eds. These events will culminate in student-produced pieces to be submitted to local or national policymakers or media outlets. The short-term impact of this project will be to produce high quality pieces detailing energy and environmental perspectives based on Northwestern research and initiatives. The long-term impact is to grow student engagement to a level such that the University recognizes the importance of the necessity of political and social science contributions to the energy and environmental initiatives of the institution.
Northwestern University Conference on Human Rights (NUCHR)
NUCHR used the funding it received to incorporate a sustainable meal into its annual conference in January as part of its efforts to make the event more environmentally friendly. The meal which was comprised of vegetarian, locally-sourced ingredients provided the conference with the opportunity to spark conversation on the intersections between social justice and the food industry.
Northwestern University Summit on Sustainability (NUSOS)
NUSOS, an annual environmental conference will take place this April, featuring panelists and a poster fair that specifically highlights Northwestern contributions to sustainability. As this year’s summit coincides with the national Engineers for a Sustainable World conference, Northwestern is sure to be buzzing with a fantastic assortment of lecturers and speakers.
Northwestern University Solar Car (NUsolar)
The NUsolar team is a student organization that designs, builds, and races solar-powered vehicles. The Fund will assist with their travel expenses and outreach efforts. The team is constantly looking for new ways to increase its cars’ efficiency through structure and composition. This year, the team will compete in the Formula Sun Grand Prix, where it has previously had great success.
Student Theatre Coalition (StuCo)
StuCo will cover its carbon offsets as part of its growing environmental efforts. The student theatre board of directors that puts on several shows each year hopes to raise awareness about the environmental impacts of these events and seeks to offset these impacts. This is one of the first steps in StuCo’s model, which will include more LED lighting and better recycling of materials.