Welcome Back!
Start off your semester with some sustainabili-puns & Fun!
CU Sustainable Solutions Challenge
The CU Office of the President has provided funding to encourage the development of sustainability innovations by CU students for their campuses and communities in spring 2020. The competition will reward students for their sustainability innovations: the Sustainable Solutions Challenge.

“CU is a leader in sustainability, so it's natural to have our best and brightest students compete with their great ideas,” said CU President Mark Kennedy. “I’m confident we’re going to see some impressive and innovative suggestions.”

The President’s Sustainable Solutions Challenge (PSSC) will be a two-part event culminating in the President’s Sustainable Solution grand prize of $2,000, awarded at the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, April 22. The PSSC will award a prize of $1,000 to one team from each campus as the first round of the challenge. The top two teams from each campus will advance to compete for the grand prize. 

For the competition, students (as individuals or teams) are invited to develop multidisciplinary approaches that result in short-pitch presentations that describe proposed sustainability initiatives to address environmental quality, natural resource use, and social justice with economic longevity on a CU campus or through the CU system. Qualifying teams will present their ideas to a panel of judges in both rounds and will be evaluated on anticipated impact, innovation in addressing a sustainability issue and the feasibility of the idea.  Prize funding will be directed toward the individual or teams and not to project implementation. All proposals will be shared with appropriate campus units for consideration for potential implementation. 

Students can register anytime between January 29th and March 9th. Each campus will host an information session in February and a proposal workshop in March. Proposal submissions are due in early April and the top 20 proposals will advance to the campus-level first stage pitch competitions.

For information on the President’s Sustainable Solutions Challenge, visit   www.cu.edu/pssc.
Save The Date!
50th Anniversary Earth Month Celebration!

Wed, Apr 8 th  | Earth Day Festival | West Lawn | 10-1

Fri, Apr 17 th  | Clean the Stream | Meet Lot 100 | 9:30-11:30am

Fri, Apr 24 th  | Yoga on West Lawn | TBD

*More details will be released as we get closer to Earth Month!
Add sustainability to your schedule!
Internship & Volunteer Opportunities - Act on Climate!
 
Get involved today on a national campaign to fight climate change.
 
Since 2001, we’ve experienced 17 of the 18 warmest years on record. Wildfires in the West are burning hotter and becoming more destructive, and fire season is lasting longer into the fall. Flooding is threatening farms and habitat in Iowa. Our public lands are threatened by climate change - national parks and forests are susceptible to drought, flooding, and habit loss. And asthma rates continue to increase. Scientists warn us that if we want to have a safe and healthy future, we need to do more to reduce the pollution that’s warming our planet and changing our climate. And we have the technology to reduce pollution as quickly as we need to. From solar panels to wind turbines to better electric vehicles developed each year, the solutions are right in front of us. So Environment Colorado is pushing for strong national climate policy that reflects both the reality of our shortening timeline and the growing availability of solutions that can be implemented quickly!
 
We’re running a campaign in Colorado Springs to call on leaders like Senator XXX  to take strong climate action. Volunteers will learn how to collect petitions, write letters to the editor, organize events, work with the media, and lobby their elected officials. Interns will take on a leadership role in the campaign, recruiting and training volunteers and organizing events.

Email mgappmayer@environmentcolorado.org for information on how to sign-up!
Work in sustainability!
Student Employment Opportunity - Zero Waste Asst.
This position will require a high level of organization, attention to detail, and creative problem solving. Students will learn time management, development of a new program, and cooperating with diverse groups on campus. They will also learn many aspects of sustainability including social justice, energy and water conservation, food, transportation, zero waste, green buildings and more.