Students Learn to Effect Sustainability Change

By 4th-year student Tucker Shelson

Each semester, Director of the UVA Office for Sustainability Andrea Trimble leads a course in the College of Arts & Sciences about how to implement sustainable change. Students brainstorm project ideas related to organizing community action and then write a formal, actionable proposal under the guidance of a member of the professional staff at the Office for Sustainability or UVA Green Dining.

Last fall, eleven students wrote proposals on a variety of sustainability topics that spanned from introducing a new solar canopy in the Engineering School to charting the origins of the locally sourced produce served in UVA’s dining halls. By the end of the course, students gained a deeper knowledge of what it takes to successfully execute a campaign or initiative to drive sustainable change within a community, as well as the numerous challenges associated with effecting progress. Below is a list of the various students’ proposals from last semester, as well as some key progress and/or takeaways the students had from this experience.

Sarina Cooper - Effects of Climate Change at Individual Level

• Started a documentary featuring 10-15 minute interviews of Charlottesville and UVA community members and their experience with the natural world and climate change
• Interviewees spoke of specific features of nature that made an impression during childhood, an appreciation for the natural beauty of Grounds and Charlottesville, and a concern for the future of places they call home

Lauren Stanitski - Mobile Sustainability Advising 

• Connected students to professors who teach a sustainability-related field to increase awareness and accessibility of knowledge and resources available to students on Grounds through a series of walks and talks
• With future improvements, this project can help inform UVA students about sustainability-related topics that they may never engage with in their major if they have an unrelated major

Keara Seasholtz - Sustainability Garden Kits

• Curated 30 garden kits made from ordered and donated materials to give to local children including a note from a student athlete and simple gardening instructional materials 
• Adaptability and being mindful of audience contribute to successful change in the sustainability world, as was the case with the Garden Kits, given the initial setbacks and special kid-related considerations 

Sydney Watchmaker - Dorm Energy Conservation 

• Created a checklist linked to the HRL break to-do list that allows students to fill out a pledge saying they will power down any electronics or other energy-wasting devices while away then compared data of energy consumption for pre and post-departure 
• Stakeholder outreach is essential in accomplishing visibility and compliance with a project compelling students to engage in some behavior or to ensure other facilities on Grounds likewise adopt energy-saving practices when students are away

Sara Moreno - Alleviating Food Insecurity for UVA and Charlottesville Communities

• Facilitated partnership between UVA Food Assist and the ISC
• There are a lot of resources to reduce food insecurity, and one way to help these organizations is through donations, in this case by distributing leftovers from events like meals at sorority houses

Audrey Swart - Waste Sorting on Grounds

• Redesigned signage to make sorting easier for people disposing of waste in bins on Grounds by collecting data on current barriers 
• Important to work with stakeholders (for example the UVA Recycling team) and engage the target audience (in this case students who don't know how to use the bins)

Kristin Capitan - Employee Sustainability Engagement

• Researched how to create a UVA Sustainability Interest Group for employees, similar to ERGs
• It's important to incorporate the feedback of more experienced stakeholders to shape an idea, even if you are confident in the original one

Hannah Ellis - Advertising ROSE program

• Hosted a pop-up swap for the ROSE program, including taking donations and informing student groups about the resources available for free through ROSE
• Recognizing where there is a gap in awareness of a particular resource can be an opportunity to increase the utilization of a given resource while helping community members

Grace Kisly - Solar Energy in Mechanical Engineering Plaza

• Conducted extensive research and stakeholder communication to compile a thorough presentation arguing why it is a worth investment to construct a solar canopy next to the Mechanical Engineering building
• A solar canopy would pay for itself in the long-term and would create a new gathering space for E-School students

Emma Lim - Local Sourcing at UVA Dine

• Created a web page to show where UVA Dine sources its local products, highlighting in particular agricultural operations run by people of color or other marginalized groups
• GAP certification can be a barrier to local farms, BIPOC farmers face challenges in VA, and local sourcing of produce can be a huge benefit to both the community and the environment  

These projects, some of which concluded in the fall, others of which continued to the spring semester, are a testament to the impact of student action on Grounds. The Office for Sustainability looks forward to sharing future updates both on these proposals as well as those from students in future semesters. Any student interested in learning about sustainable action and community engagement is encouraged to sign up for GSVS 3150 next semester!