Sustainability-focused Organizations Across UVA
Interested in getting involved with some of the many sustainability-focused organizations on Grounds? Look no further! We've got organizations categorized by interest areas just below.
Click any of the following categories to jump to the section: service-oriented, conservation/biodiversity, food, academic/professional, energy, waste minimization, policy/advocacy, and recreational!
Service-Oriented
Alpha Phi Omega - APO is a gender-inclusive, student-run service fraternity following the three cardinal principles of leadership, friendship and service. Many of their service projects are focused on environmental efforts.
FeelGood at UVA - Do you like grilled cheese? Come join UVA's chapter of FeelGood, a national movement that brings college students together across the country to sustainably fight global poverty and hunger one grilled cheese at a time! We make our sandwiches fresh at delis every Sunday night outside Clem, and all proceeds go to The Hunger Project.
Global Problems, Local Solutions at UVA - The organization strives to address prevalent global issues at a local level through education, service, and advocacy. Through their efforts in Charlottesville, they aim to demonstrate empathy and foster a better understanding of these issues from a global perspective. Recently, they have focused on critical topics such as sustainability, period poverty, and food insecurity within both the UVA community and the broader Charlottesville area.
Habitat for Humanity Club at UVA - The Habitat for Humanity Club at UVA partners with local families to help them achieve stable homeownership through "sweat equity" and education. The club supports Habitat’s mission by volunteering on build sites, fundraising, participating in seasonal trips, and advocating for housing policy change, all while working to address substandard housing in the Charlottesville area.
Hearts for the Homeless Charlottesville - Hearts for the Homeless provides free and informative heart health education events. The organization’s members provide electronic blood pressure machines and heart health information approved by the American Heart Association to the homeless in their communities.
Hoos Littering - Participate in weekly trash cleanups at the Corner, Mad Bowl, JPA, and other locations on and off Grounds, followed by a trip to Bodo’s.
Surfrider at UVA - Surfrider at UVA is a student club affiliated with the Surfrider Foundation, dedicated to protecting coasts and oceans while fostering a welcoming community for environmental service and sustainability advocacy. The club organizes beach clean-ups, develops educational curricula for local schools, and facilitates trips to engage members with environmental policies, all while cultivating leadership and a shared passion for the ocean among students, regardless of their surfing experience.
Conservation/Biodiversity
Ducks Unlimited chapter at UVA - Ducks Unlimited at the University of Virginia is a collegiate chapter of DU, a nonprofit organization 501 dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. Each year the executive committee plans and orchestrates a banquet at King Family Vineyards with dinner, a live auction, a raffle, and more fun activities.
Extinction Club - Extinction Club is a project-based advocacy group at UVA focused on addressing biodiversity loss and extinction through research, community engagement, art, and engineering. By using UVA as a living laboratory, the group raises awareness of the extinction crisis, encourages sustainable practices, and fosters a connection between students and the local environment.
Lorax Society - The Lorax Society aims to promote conservation practices and raise awareness about the ongoing loss of tree cover in Charlottesville. In the first months of its existence, over 20 members of the club volunteered at a successful planting event and the club has more environmentally friendly oriented plans for the future.
Plant Club at UVA - The UVA Plant Club brings together plant enthusiasts from the UVA community, providing a space to share collections, offer advice, and create a centralized catalog of unique plants. Members are encouraged to bring their plants to meetings, where they can participate in care presentations and plant showcases, fostering a supportive and engaged community of plant lovers.
Virginia Forestry Club at UVA - The Virginia Forestry Club at UVA is dedicated to forestry conservation and community service, offering students hands-on opportunities to engage in sustainability initiatives in Virginia and Charlottesville. Members work alongside park rangers and conservation organizations to build trails, plant native vegetation, and manage invasive species, fostering a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and education.
Food
Cavalier Food Pantry - The Cavalier Food Pantry (CFP) provides UVA students with free, unrestricted access to essential food and hygiene items to ease financial hardship and support well-being. Located on the 4th Floor of Student Health and Wellness, and supported by a student-led volunteer team, CFP aims to eliminate student food insecurity so that no student has to worry about accessing their next meal or studying while hungry. Interested in Volunteering? Email [email protected]!
Darden Food and Agribusiness Club at UVA - The mission of the Food and Agribusiness Club at Darden is to bring students together to learn and grow their knowledge of agribusiness in the wider business community. They cultivate curiosity, rooted in sustainability, through lasting learning experiences.
Food Assist - Food Assist is a club of University of Virginia students who volunteer to drive food donations from local restaurants and University organizations to feed those in need. Members combat hunger and excessive waste by recovering unused food from events and donating it to local soup kitchens.
Greens to Grounds - This student-run CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a non-profit organization connecting the UVA community with fresh, local produce and specialty items. The group promotes a sustainable relationship between UVA and Charlottesville food producers, providing students, faculty, and staff with seasonal food while supporting local farmers and artisans.
Growing for Change - Growing for Change works to develop stronger social ties with Westhaven public housing through collaborative efforts in creating individual gardens, tackling issues of limited space. They seek to provide access to nutritional foods and gardening programs.
Morven Kitchen Garden - The Morven Kitchen Garden (MKG) is part of UVA’s Morven Programs, and offers students hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture, from planting to marketing. Located on a one-acre garden at UVA's Morven farm, students grow vegetables, flowers, and herbs, with produce sales supporting educational programs and fostering connections between sustainable food production and the UVA community.
UVA Student Garden - UVA's Student Garden, located at the corner of Alderman and McCormick, offers students and community members a space to connect with nature and harvest seasonal plants. Managed by the Service Learning Team of the Office for Sustainability, the garden hosts regular workdays, classes, and student organizations, fostering a lasting impact on both UVA and the local community.
Academic/Professional
American Institute of Architecture Students at UVA - AIAS is a student-run organization at the UVA School of Architecture focused on diversifying architectural education. Their mission is to empower student voices and ideas to create a more sustainable and equitable future, offering professional development, service, social, and leadership opportunities.
Environmental Sciences Organization - The Environmental Sciences Organization (ESO) connects students with the Environmental Sciences Department, fostering engagement and education through peer advising, seminars, and career resources. Open to all UVA students, ESO offers a supportive community, as well as opportunities for fun outdoor activities like hiking and rafting, while helping members explore environmental sciences beyond academics.
Epsilon Eta Upsilon - Epsilon Eta is a professional fraternity focused on supporting UVA students pursuing careers in environmental fields by providing networking and resources. The fraternity fosters environmental awareness through academics, service, and community, helping members build connections for their postgraduate plans.
Futures in Fashion Association - Futures in Fashion Association (FFA) connects UVA students with the fashion industry through regular meetings, speaker events, and career-focused activities. The organization promotes sustainable fashion practices and raises awareness within the student body, hosting popular events like thrift shops and fashion shows.
Global Development Organization - The Global Development Organization at UVA fosters a community of students dedicated to reducing global poverty and inequality. Through events, research support, and public service activities, the organization engages students in discussions, debates, and career panels to explore solutions for making globalization work for all.
iGEM at UVA - This student-run research team and synthetic biology interest group participates annually in the International Genetic Engineering Machine (iGEM) competition. Members collaborate to identify problems that can be addressed using synthetic biology, design solutions, and develop prototypes, which are showcased at the iGEM Conference in Boston each October.
Net Impact @ Darden - Net Impact at Darden empowers individuals to use business to drive social and environmental sustainability, with members passionate about corporate responsibility, social enterprises, and nonprofit management. Part of a global network with over 300 chapters, the organization is independently run by UVA students, fostering leadership in sustainable business practices.
Net Impact at UVA - Net Impact focuses on the intersection of sustainability, social impact, and business. They aim to create a positive impact on Grounds by raising awareness of careers in sustainability, educating students by offering events such as dinner series with Professors and panels with business leaders, providing a community for like-minded individuals, and equipping students with the necessary tools to intertwine business with sustainability and social impact.
Marine Science Society - This organization keeps the UVA community informed about marine science through events like faculty presentations, whale watching trips, and volunteer work with the Rivanna Conservation Alliance. They also host social activities such as movie nights and river cleanups, while sharing opportunities related to marine science both on Grounds and in Charlottesville.
Profit with Purpose - Profit with Purpose (PwP) empowers students from all majors to engage in impact investing through hands-on learning and collaboration with industry professionals. By simulating the investment process and building a network for impact investing at UVA, PwP aims to provide students with alternative career opportunities while developing a fund to support mission-driven startups.
Society of Sustainability - The Society for Sustainability (SoS) is a student-led organization focused on enhancing sustainable practices within UVA's Architecture School. By fostering dialogue on environmental issues and collaborating with faculty, SoS advocates for student concerns and develops action plans to improve sustainability and ethical engagement in design.
Student Clinicians for Climate Action at UVA - SCCA at UVA is a group of health professional students who recognize the impact of the changing climate on human health and the inequitable distribution of the resulting health burden. As clinicians-in-training, we aim to learn, educate, advocate, and practice medicine with planetary health in mind. In doing so, we will better care for our future patients, communities, and selves.
Student Planners Association - The Student Planners Association (SPA) advocates for urban planning practice and equity in the built environment while supporting the professional and academic development of its members in urban and environmental planning. Representing students from the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning, SPA organizes events, connects members with professional opportunities, and engages with the Charlottesville community on planning-related issues, welcoming all students interested in planning.
Virginia Environmental Law Forum - VELF is an organization for UVS law students interested in environmental law, land use, energy, natural resources, sustainability, and environmental justice. Throughout the year, VELF hosts speaking engagements from leading experts in these fields, sponsors social events and philanthropic endeavors like stream cleanups and trail building days.
Virginia Environmental Law Journal - Since 1980, the Virginia Environmental Law Journal has published leading scholarship on environmental, land use, and energy law and policy. They are a student-run organization which publishes two issues per year. Membership is open to students at the University of Virginia School of Law who participate in the Unified Journal Tryout.
180 Degrees Consulting - 180 Degrees Consulting at UVA provides pro-bono, high-quality strategic and operational advice to non-profits, leveraging student talent to create meaningful change. By collaborating with various organizations across sectors like education, environment, and human rights, we help maximize their social impact within the communities they serve.
Energy
CVille Solar Project - The CVille Solar Project aims to make renewable energy more accessible to the Charlottesville community by providing training in solar surveys, site planning, and DIY solar installations. Through its initiatives in policy influence and outreach, they seek to reduce solar energy costs and expand the renewable energy market.
Darden Energy Club - The Darden Energy Club's mission is to support Darden students in accessing information and employment opportunities in the energy sector. They achieve this through organizing speaker panels, enhancing the curriculum with energy-related discussions, and fostering relationships with alumni in the industry.
Greener Housing Coalition - The Greener Housing Coalition, founded by UVA students in 2020, focuses on making off-grounds student housing more sustainable. With the majority of UVA students living off-grounds, the organization mirrors the university's carbon reduction goals by addressing the emissions of student residences in the Charlottesville community.
Solar Car Team at UVA - The Solar Car Team at UVA is an independent organization that provides students with hands-on interdisciplinary experience in designing, constructing, testing, and racing solar cars. Open to all fields of study, the team consists of three sub-teams—mechanical, electrical, and operations—each focusing on different aspects of solar car development, from engineering to fundraising and outreach.
Waste Minimization
Earth Cups at UVA - Earth Cups is a UVA student-led startup that offers plant-based, compostable cups as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic red solo cups. The organization educates members on environmental issues, promotes sustainable behaviors, and fosters discussions on climate change and reducing plastic usage.
Refurnished Cville - Refurbished Cville is an organization founded by UVA students who have experienced the challenges of furniture waste in our community. Committed to addressing both furniture poverty and environmental waste in Charlottesville, they focus on restoring value to household goods. By diverting items from landfills and reallocating them to individuals and organizations in need, we strive to foster a more sustainable and equitable community for all.
SWAP - SWAP, which stands for "Sustainability, Wearing confidence, Accessibility, and Promoting community," is the only UVA organization dedicated to hosting clothing swaps. Our swaps are meant to be community events, complete with food, drinks, music, and photo opportunities. Aside from clothing swaps, we host upcycling days and thrifting trips to promote our four pillars.
Policy/Advocacy
Animal Justice Advocates - Animal Justice Advocates at UVA is dedicated to fostering a compassionate educational environment by challenging the university to divest from violence against animals. Committed to understanding the intersections of oppression affecting animals, humans, and the environment, they emphasize the importance of compassion in student governance and the pursuit of knowledge.
Clean Law Pledge UVA - The Clean Law Pledge (CLP) is a law student-led organization that aims to shift the legal industry away from fossil fuel work and towards more renewable energy work.
DivestUVA - Divest UVA is a group of students pushing for the University to divest its endowment from the fossil fuel industry. They host educational events, fundraise for environmental causes, lobby UVA admin, engage in direct action, and have social events!
EEEP - Ethically Educating on Environmental Policy, or EEEP, aims to educate UVA students and Charlottesville residents on local environmental policy. The organization involves two sections: the research section, which does the research on local issues and posts summaries of their findings to our website, and the outreach section, which is in charge of spreading awareness for the EEEP website. Check out the site to learn more!
Enactus at UVA - Enactus at UVA is a project-based organization that uses business and problem-solving skills to positively impact the local community. Through consulting and self-sourced projects, the group helps local businesses and organizations promote environmental sustainability, economic prosperity, and improved quality of life.
Environmental Justice Collective - The Environmental Justice Collective (EJC) was founded to create a dedicated space for BIPOC students at UVA to engage with environmental justice issues. EJC fosters community, mutual education, and direct action, providing a safe space to discuss environmental injustice both in the U.S. and globally.
Recreational
Outdoors Club at Darden - The Outdoors Club at Darden fosters community by bringing students together through outdoor trips and activities that offer relaxation, laughter, and a sense of belonging. By organizing adventures like hikes to Humpback Rocks and Old Rag, the club helps students balance the intense first-year experience with opportunities to connect outside the classroom and explore Charlottesville's scenic surroundings.
Outdoors Club at UVA, Ltd. - Outdoors at UVA unites students and community members through a shared passion for outdoor activities, promoting safety, environmental preservation, and leadership development. With nearly 500 active members and over 270 trips a year, the club offers a variety of adventures such as hiking, kayaking, and camping, providing free gear access and a strong community around outdoor exploration.
Outdoors at Virginia Law - Outdoors at Virginia Law is committed to enhancing the law school experience by organizing local outdoor excursions such as nature walks, hikes, caving, rafting, climbing, skiing and snow-shoeing. OVAL aims to help students achieve a balanced approach to life and the study of law.