June 2018: Contests and Funding

Clair A. Hill Scholarship

ACWA began its scholarship program in 1961 to encourage talented and innovative students to join the effort to ensure California's water quality and to implement sound water management policies. This year, ACWA continues its academic scholarship by offering a number of scholarships, including the Clair A. Hill Scholarship. Eligible students must be California residents attending California colleges or universities full-time as a junior or senior during the year the scholarship is awarded. For more information, click here.

The California Farm Bureau Scholarship Foundation 
The California Farm Bureau Scholarship Foundation was organized to give aid to students with a desire to pursue a career in the agricultural industry. the scholarships are awarded annually based upon academic achievement, career goals, extracurricular activities, determination, leadership skills, and a commitment to study agriculture. You must be a Farm Bureau member. Applications are accepted each year between January 1st and March 1st. Click here for more information.

Global Youth Video Competition
Are you 18-30 and taking part in activities to fight climate change? Send a 3-minute video for a chance to be a youth reporter at the UN Climate Change Conference in Poland in December. Click here for more information.

Project Green Challenge

Beginning on October 1, 2018, Project Green Challenge (PGC) seeks to inform, inspire and mobilize high school, college, and grad school students globally. This powerful and diverse call to action features 30 days of environmentally–themed challenges. PGC aims to touch lives, shift mindsets, and equip students with knowledge, resources, and mentorship to lead change on campuses and communities worldwide. Each day throughout the month of October, a uniquely themed challenge will be delivered to registered PGC participants by email at 6 am Pacific Time. Each challenge will be live for 24 hours inviting participants to complete actions and upload deliverables to acquire points and prizes. Deliverables include photos, videos, and text uploaded on the PGC site, as well as across TG social platforms; Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. Twenty incredible prize packages will be awarded daily based on outstanding content. For more information, click here.

Tunza Eco-generation Environmental Essay Competiton
Samsung Engineering jointly with UN Environment invites youth all over the world to raise awareness on the theme of the World Environment Day. Each year the theme is on an area of environmental awareness and action. This program would like to provide youth a chance to show their love and affection for our shared natural world by writing an essay on the value of nature. It also aims to collect inspiring and creative ideas on how we can rediscover the value of nature from the young people by requiring them to think about the importance of the nature and its value for connecting people to our mother nature. Deadline: September 2nd, 2018. Click here for more information.

May 2018: Vote on Transportation Fee Measure 69

Students: Vote on Transportation Fee Measure 69

The TAPS Transit operation (which includes the campus shuttles, the Night Owl, the Disability Van Service, and the contract with the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District, or Metro) is unable to operate within the revenue that comes from the mandatory Student Transit Fee. Fees have not been increased in ten years and operating costs have increased annually. There is a cumulative deficit in transit of $3.3 million.

Students will be able to vote this May on Measure 69, a proposed increase to the Student Transit Fee that will be used to stabilize current levels of transit services and provide a pay-off of the deficit over the next twenty years:

   According to Transporation and Parking Services (TAPS):

If Measure 69 passes:

• The double buses will continue to operate between downtown and the UCSC campus.

• Transit service, both Metro buses and campus shuttles, will be able to adjust to accommodate student growth.

• Service can be improved to underserved locations (e.g., mid-county, Live Oak, Coastal Science Campus).

If Measure 69 doesn't pass:

• There will be approximately 20% service reductions.

• There will be fewer Metro buses and campus shuttles serving the campus.

•  Waiting times for both buses and shuttles will increase

• There will be more full buses passing people by.

Our buses are a crucial part of our campus ecosystem: everyone benefits from faster transit, fewer cars, and more available parking options. SCMTD (Metro) buses provide one-quarter of all passenger trips made to and from our main campus – the single largest sustainable transportation mode.

Be sure to vote in the Campus Elections this Spring, and have your voice heard on Measure 69!

May 2018: Thank you Seniors!

Each month, our newsletter features a person or a group on campus that is working towards a more sustainable world; however, this month we would like to congratulate our hard-working Seniors.They have worked extremely hard to get to where they are now. The Sustainability Office appreciates and congratulates the class of 2018. Here is what they are doing after graduation.

-Natalie Hazrati, Carbon Fund Coordinator

How will you be promoting sustainability in your upcoming years?

"I hope to have a career that focuses on achieving sustainable development, with hopes to help build a more equitable society and protect our planet. Additionally, I plan to continue having a sustainable lifestyle, as well as educate future people I meet about how they can adopt eco friendly practices on a day to day basis." -Natalie Hazrati, Carbon Fund Coordinator

What are you planning to do after college?  

"I plan to travel for a bit after graduation to reconnect with friends and family. I am also applying to jobs, so hopefully when I get back I will have a job in the environmental industry." -Natalie Hazrati, Carbon Fund Coordinator  

How will you be promoting sustainability in your upcoming years?

"In my upcoming years, I plan to hope to inspire others through living a sustainable life myself. I think being 'sustainable' can be daunting, because people assume it's an 'all-or-nothing' kind of choice. I hope to be able to promote sustainable living and sustainable habits by encouraging others to make small shifts in their own lives (if they are able to) without the feeling that it needs to be an extreme change." - Talia Gnessin, Carbon Fund Coordinator 

Talia Gnessin, Carbon Fund Coordinator

What are you planning to do after college? 

"I am not 100% certain on exactly where I will be and what I will be doing, but I plan on working for companies and/or organizations that have values centered around sustaining our various environments through green and efficient ways. I also hope to always be around people that are able to be silly." - Talia Gnessin, Carbon Fund Coordinator

What are you planning to do after college?

Olivia Wolf, Education and Outreach Team Leader

"After I graduate I hope to spend some time traveling and learning about other countries perspectives and policies regarding sustainability while having fun new experiences. Eventually, I hope to work somewhere where I can be apart of a team that works towards protecting our environment and it’s natural resources." - Olivia Wolf, Education and Outreach Team Leader

May 2018: Sustainability Vendor Fair

May 2018: Tips for a smooth move out

Tips for a smooth move out

Reduce

·       Stop purchasing items that you use infrequently. Common items in the trash during move out include partially used condiments, cereal, pasta and other packaged food.

·       Pack up and move early. Pack items that you don’t use every day and move them early (like Mother’s Day or Memorial Day Weekend). Moving items early means the rest of your stuff has a better chance of fitting into your car in June.

·       Participate in Slug Garage Sale weekend June 2nd and 3rd, 2018. Hold a garage or yard sale with the rest of the off-campus slugs! Sign up for and promote your sale online at:

Cityofsantacruz.com/garagesales

Reuse

·       Swap items with your friends. Hold a swap party with friends and trade or give away the clothing, books or household items that you no longer need or want.

·       Swap items online. Visit websites like Craigslist and Freecycle to swap or sell items locally.

·       Donate what you can. Local non-profit organizations redistribute used items and non-perishable food to the community.

·       Take the rest home. It is illegal to leave Items on the street and can create an environmental hazard. Please take your belongings with you when you move.

Recycle

·       Recycle early. Recycle carts overflow during move out, so clear out extra papers and accumulated bottles and cans early or visit a local recycling drop off center for additional recycling. For a current list of acceptable items visit www.cityofsantacruz.com/recycleright

·       Recycle special and household hazardous waste responsibly. To recycle household chemicals like bathroom cleaners, nail polish, aerosol cans (not empty), bleach, disinfectants and a whole list of other items go to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility on Dimeo Lane. Open Saturdays 7:30AM-3:30PM. For more information call 831-454-2606

Landfill

·       Unusable or broken household items go in the trash. If you have broken household items, perishable foods, bathroom items that are not fit to donate or are non-recyclable and will not fit in the trash can, take them to the Resource Recovery Facility at 605 Dimeo Lane. (3 miles north of town) or call Customer Service for an extra trash pickup for a fee- 420-5520

·       Unusable large bulky items collection. Sign up will open on 5/22/18 for the bulky item collection day- Saturday 6/23/18.Bulky item (Sofa, dressers, mattresses, etc) pick up is available to USCS students for a small fee.

May 2018: Internships, Employment and Volunteering

Sustainable Community Apprenticeship

The apprenticeship is a 3-month full immersion experience in a land-based intentional community working side-by-side with Stewards of the Windward community gaining practical, hands-on skills with the tools needed to build a life in concert with the natural world. Apprenticeships are tailored to fit the desires and needs of Apprentices, Windward Stewards, and, if appropriate, academic advisors.

Sustainable systems are multi-faceted & diverse so Apprentices should be prepared to learn and participate in wide-ranging projects and tasks while also choosing an area of focus for an in-depth learning experience. Areas of focus are co-created during the application process. To find more information, please click here. Contact: windward@gorge.net

Multimedia and Writing Project Intern

We are looking for help with the following efforts:

● Increase photo collection of activities taking place at the Farm & Garden, including weekend workshops, on-site research, students at work on the Farm, and Farm tours. This could involve both taking new photos and reviewing and organizing existing photos. Some of this may include weekend work and work away from campus for research activities.
● Research and recommend “slideshow”-type software for use on websites. Create slideshows.
● Create audio and video clips of CASFS staff and activities to post to CASFS and alumni websites and CASFS Facebook page. Some of this may include weekend work and work away from campus (for research activities).
● Write short profiles of Apprenticeship alumni and find accompanying images to post to CASFS and Alumni websites and CASFS Facebook page

For more information, please click here.

Media Internship 

Ecology Action’s Community Programs team is looking for a Marketing & Outreach Intern to help propel our message forward. Key responsibilities include maintaining various social media platforms, capturing unique content from our field staff (e.g. testimonials from community members, photos and video clips from our school program team, etc), and developing engaging content to be shared through a variety of channels. For more information, please click here.

fEAST Coordinator

The Food and Beverage Coordinator intern will report directly to the Operations Manager. This person, along with other Veggielution staff, members of the Board of Directors, and event advisors serves as a key member of the fEAST San Jose Planning Committee. Veggielution’s fEAST San Jose is an annual fundraising dinner, which will be held this year on Sunday, June 10th. The purpose of the dinner is to celebrate another year of success, raise funds for Community Engagement, Environmental Education, and Volunteer Training programs and, thank our many donors who have supported us over the past year. To find more information, please click here. Contact: rosac@veggielution.org

Educational Marketing Internship for Sunbank Solar Water Heaters

Sunbank Solar is a manufacturer of solar water heaters and, while small, is at the forefront of developing new products in the solar thermal space – including a solar hot tub and a new solar thermal controller. Sunbank is focused on changing the paradigm of an oft-overlooked consumer of energy: water heating. People replace their water heaters when there is an emergency leak. Our job is to change this to educate the consumer about this technology and therefore get more solar water heaters installed around the country. Our UCSC intern will work directly with the CEO and help with our educational marketing campaigns. These campaigns will use a multimedia strategy to overcome the challenges that face the adoption of solar thermal technology. We are looking for someone who can assist with campaigns in progress and who can think creatively to help us start new initiatives. To find more information, please click here. Contact: james@thesunbank.com

May 2018: Green Tips

Declutter your life.

We mean get rid of all of that stuff…that is everything you don’t want or use on a regular basis. While “spring clean” may not be a new turn of phrase, the task is no doubt daunting. What do you toss? What should you donate? What can be reused? And, finally, what can you recycle?

Keep It: A good rule of thumb to remember is if you have used it in the past year, chances are you’ll use it again. We’re always advocates for hanging on to the “essentials,” i.e. your flavorful wrought-iron skillet, the wicker basket in the corner that’s great for storage or your fav book that’s perfect on a rainy afternoon.

But while spring may mean a fresh start, it doesn’t have to mean new stuff. If it’s not broken, why replace it?

Donate It: Taking an inventory of your belongings shows you that tastes change and upgrades happen. But we all have those what-was-I-thinking? items as well. Even though these things are disposable to you, they may have many useful miles left. Keep items out of overcrowded landfills by asking family and friends if they have use for any of your unwanted items.

Recycle It: Commercial mail, old magazines, unread books – all of these common clutter items can be recycled. Consider this: A family of four uses 1.25 tons of paper per year on average, and the U.S. EPA reports that recycling 1 ton of paper saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space, as well as enough energy to power the average American home for six months.

Trash It: Landfills should be used for items that truly have no other useful purpose. Be cautious when disposing of hazardous materials, as inappropriate distribution can cause toxic components to leach into the soil and groundwater. But even if something isn’t recyclable, chances are it may be reused in some creative capacity.

Spring clean the natural way.

Now that you’ve cleared the clutter and can actually see those countertops and hardwood floors, you still have to scrub off the grit and grime from the winter (ick!).

But harsh fumes from some traditional cleaners may do more harm than good: They can be responsible for around 10 percent of toxic exposures reported to poison control centers and are difficult to dispose of properly.

You can most likely find “green” or “natural” cleaning products at your grocery store. But you can save some money and make your own cleaning product from supplies you already have.

For spray cleaner: Combine and store in a spray bottle 2 cups water 1/4 cup white vinegar; 1/4 tsp. tea tree oil; 1/4 tsp. lavender oil

For deodorizing cleaning: Mix one part vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle to clean countertops, floors, stovetops and other appliances. Scrub dishes, surfaces and stains with a lemon that has been cut in half and sprinkled with baking soda on the flat side

Keep in mind that homemade cleaners may not completely eliminate all bacteria, such as the H1N1 virus. Be sure you read your product’s label and follow the instructions as directed.