December 2016: Contests and Funding

“I am a UC Entrepreneur” Campaign: Deadline December 31
UC students, faculty, staff, postdocs, and alumni are invited to submit a 30-second video sharing what makes them an entrepreneur to: bit.ly/2h3qotL . Everyone who submits a video will receive a "UC Entrepreneur" T-shirt. In addition, one eligible student from each campus will be selected at random to attend a special lunch with UC President Janet Napolitano. Learn more here.

Submit to Chinquapin's 39th Publication: Deadline January 31
Chinquapin is UCSC's longest-running student-run literary magazine, annually publishing student submissions of poetry, fiction, prose, photography and visual art. We offer students a space to learn about editing, graphic design and publishing. Email the Chinquapin team for more information at chinquapin@gmail.com or visit their website for application instructions.

Campus Sustainability Council Winter Funding: Deadline February 17
The Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) at UCSC is soliciting proposals for Winter 2017 sustainable project grants. Applications are due on Friday, February 17, 2017 before 4 PM, and all applicants must attend mandatory training workshops outlined here. For more information, feel free to contact Campus Sustainability Council by email or visit the website: csc.enviroslug.org.

Beardsley-Kuper Field Camp Scholarship Fund: Deadline February 1
Grants from the AEG Foundation Beardsley-Kuper Geology Field Camp Scholarship Fund are intended to support geology field camp costs with applied environmental and engineering geology that will be useful to the student's future profession as an engineering or environmental geologist. Learn more and apply online here.

May 2016: Contests and Funding

Campus Sustainability Council Request for Proposals Available: Deadline May 6
The Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) would like to fund student organizations' sustainability projects or events in the upcoming year. The Spring 2016 funding round funding is available for Fall 2016 through Spring 2017. Proposals adhering to the criteria for student organizations and relevance to the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus are eligible for funding. There are mandatory trainings before the deadline. Find out more on their website.

AASHE Sustainability Awards: Deadline June 3
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Awards is inviting faculty, students, staff, and administrators to submit applications by Friday, June 3 at 5 p.m. ET for a chance to be recognized for outstanding projects or research that advance sustainability in higher education.

Call for Submissions - Student Video Competition: Deadline June 15 
The US Department of Transportation's National Institute for Transportation and Communities is seeking videos to highlight the role transportation plays in creating livable communities. Videos must incorporate the National Institute for Transportation & Communities' theme of safe, healthy, and sustainable transportation choices to foster livable communities. Follow this link to see instructions.

February 2016: Contests and Funding

Write to Change the World: Deadline to Apply February 1
The “Write to Change the World” program is an opportunity for UC faculty that will build capacity to translate their research for the public and to engage in debate at a national level based on their areas of
 expertise. Invitational priorities for applicants include: 1) sustainability and the environment 2) social justice and inequality 3) big data and digital humanities 4) public health and medical humanities 5) arts and public life. After the 1-day workshop, fellows will have access to a yearlong mentorship with media mentors through the OpEd Project. This program provides extraordinary resources, access and support, including cutting edge game-based, research-driven programming, and access to a prestigious network of fellows at peer institutions nationwide. Learn more here.

Campus Sustainability Council Funding Applications: Deadline February 12
Apply for funding through the Campus Sustainability Council (CSC)! Proposals adhering to the criteria for student organizations and relevance to the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus are eligible for funding. Review the Request for Proposal, which outlines all requirements and mandatory steps to apply for funding from CSC. For more information, visit the CSC website.

Grad Slam: Deadline March 4
Grad Slam is a competition that challenges graduate students to present years' worth of academic research in a concise, compelling, three-minute talk to a non-expert audience. Doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy and are enrolled in winter and spring 2016 are eligible to compete in Grad Slam. The contest begins with a video round of competition, during which 10 finalists will be selected for our campus live event to be held on Wednesday, April 6. The winner from that event will take home $3,000 and go on to compete in the UC-wide Grad Slam in San Francisco on April 22. UCSC's runner-up receives $1,500, and the people's choice winner receives $750. Check out the online instructions for all the details.

Zero Waste Youth USA Convergence: Deadline February 1
Organized by youth, for youth, the Zero Waste Youth USA Convergence will include a full day of visioning, organizing and celebrating zero waste and will empower youth to bring the zero waste message back to their schools and communities. The day will feature a keynote address, hands-on activities, and presentations on exciting zero waste topics both from the youth as well as from exceptional leaders from the community. If you are interested in speaking or performing at the event on March 26, 2016 at the Ocean Campus of City College of San Francisco, please fill out this form.

8th Annual International Sustainable Campus Network Award: Deadline February 1
The International Sustainable Campus Excellence Awards recognize sustainable campus projects that demonstrate leadership, creativity, effectiveness and outstanding performance. The award categories have been modified this year to reflect the evolution of campus sustainability. Campus projects can be submitted for one of the following categories: Buildings and Innovative Infrastructure, Campus Planning and Management Systems, Innovative Collaboration, or Student Leadership. Click here to apply.

Get Loud (About Climate Change) Challenge
ACE and NextGen Climate America just launched a new initiative, the Get Loud Challenge, an innovative climate competition that will engage young people across the country to turn up the volume on climate change. The Get Loud Challenge will motivate young people (ages 13-24) in all 50 states to take highly visible, online and offline actions to catapult climate change into the spotlight. Earn points for a range of climate actions — from having a conversation about climate with a family member to calling on our leaders to embrace clean energy policies in their communities. Go to GetLoudChallenge.org to learn more.

Students with Drive
Each month, Zipcar awards $27,000 in transportation grants to student organizations across the country so groups like yours can drive for free to volunteer opportunities, academic conferences, concerts, games or wherever you need to go.Ready to enter? Visit the Students With Drive page to enter your organization today. Each month, 15 finalists will get a chance to win big. Apply here!

May 2015: Contests & Funding

CSC Request for Proposals Deadline May 8
The Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) would like to fund your student organization’s sustainability projects or events in the upcoming year. Proposals adhering to the criteria for student organizations and relevance to the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus are eligible for funding. Here is the Request for Proposal (RFP), which outlines all requirements and mandatory steps to apply for funding from CSC. Please fill out the CSC Proposal Form to RSVP for the mandatory grant trainings.

UCSC Residential Housing Survey on Energy Deadline May 27
PowerSave is supporting the overall campus Climate and Energy Strategy project by collecting data related to energy use in residential housing units. Please take the short 3 minute survey here and be sure to enter your UCSC email address to be entered into a raffle for one $100 and 4 $50 bookstore gift certificates! The information collected in this survey will used to help prioritize investment in energy conservation projects and programs. Deadline to participate in May 27 at midnight.

Sustainability Film & Art Contest Deadline July 13
Calling all filmmakers and artists! Are you interested in having your short film or artwork displayed at a film festival series this fall? The Sustainability Office invites you to create a sustainability-related short film or poster. The winner(s) of the competition will have their films and posters shown at the Sustainability Film Festival to celebrate the campus’s 50th Anniversary! Learn more here.

Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards Deadline May 8
Second Nature invites applications for the 6th Annual Climate Leadership Awards (CLA) which recognizes innovative and advanced leadership in sustainability, climate mitigation, and resilience at signatory campuses of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Committee. Nominations are now being accepted. Nominees will be considered based on their commitment to climate neutrality, sustainability education, and innovative leadership. Applications are due May 8, 2015 For questions please contact gboscio[at]secondnature[dot]org.

Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund Deadline May 15
The Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund vocational and higher education grants are available for students enrolled in educational programs that will benefit their future careers in organic production or in becoming an organic professional. Applications are due by May 15th.

Brower Youth Awards Deadline May 18
The Earth Island Institute established The Brower Youth Award for Environmental Leadership to recognize the outstanding leadership efforts of young people who are working for the protection the planet. If you have created, organized or implemented a project or campaign that applies solutions and approaches to relevant environmental challenges, apply before May 18th. To be eligible to apply, you must be 13 to 22 years old.

Energy Dept. $2.5M for Collegiate Clean Energy Tech: Deadline June 7
The newly announced $2.5 million in funding for the Cleantech University Prize (Cleantech UP) aims to support the commercialization of promising technologies for sectors such as solar and wind that reduce carbon pollution and grow the clean energy economy. The Cleantech UP Collegiate Competitions will provide prizes for eight individual university-focused competitions that will equip students with business skills to move clean energy technologies from the discovery phase to the marketplace.

AASHE Sustainability Awards Deadline June 11
Applications for the Tenth Annual AASHE Sustainability Awards are now being accepted for outstanding ideas and initiatives that are furthering the higher education sustainability transformation. Award winners will receive one complimentary AASHE 2015 Conference & Expo pass, one invitation to a special reception during the 2015 conference, an opportunity to present submissions at the 2015 conference, and featured in Sustainability: The Journal of Record. Deadline to apply is June 11, 2015.

Tools of Change Landmark Designation: Deadline June 12
Tools of Change is now soliciting nominations for its 2015 Landmark behavior change case studies in two topic areas - (1) home / building energy conservation and (2) sustainable transportation. If you know of anyone working on a particularly effective, innovative or impactful approach for changing energy or transportation behaviors, please consider nominating them - or yourself. All nominations must include measured impact results. The Nominations Form must be submitted by June 12, 2015. Designations will be announced by October 2015, and case study webinars will be presented between February and May 2016.

Biomimicry Global Design Challenge: Deadline August 3
The Biomimicry Institute and the Ray C. Anderson Foundation announced the opening of the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge. Students are invited to submit commercially viable, nature-inspired solutions to global food system challenges. All participants get access to the Design Challenge Toolbox and supporting resources, including sessions with mentors and biomimicry professionals. The grand prize, to be awarded in 2016, is $100,000. The deadline for submissions is August 3rd.

April 2015: Contests & Funding

Sustainability Film & Art Contest
Calling all filmmakers and artists! Are you interested in having your short film or artwork displayed at a film festival series this fall? The Sustainability Office invites you to create a sustainability-related short film or poster. The winner(s) of the competition will have their films and posters shown at the Sustainability Film Festival to celebrate the campus’s 50th Anniversary! Learn more here.

Bike Library Applications
Are you interested in having a bike this quarter? The Bike Library's mission is to make bikes accessible to students, faculty, and staff of UCSC to promote transportation sustainability and self-sufficiency. They believe that financial limitations should not be a barrier and provide services free of charge. The Bike Library is now accepting applications for Spring 2015!

Walk to Class Challenge: April 28th
UCSC's 2nd Annual Walk to Class Challenge Day will take place on April 28, 2015! Registration is open until April 27th, and the first 60 students to register will receive a free event t-shirt. The challenge is a student-led effort to promote walking as a viable and sustainable transportation mode for cross-campus travel, reduce UCSC’s carbon footprint, and help students make more sustainable choices for themselves and the environment. Register for free at taps.ucsc.edu and then fill out a survey after the event for a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card! Join the Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter and use the hashtag #UCSCwalks. Also, visit the website for more information.

CSC Request for Proposals Deadline May 8th
The Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) would like to fund your student organization’s sustainability projects or events in the upcoming year. Proposals adhering to the criteria for student organizations and relevance to the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus are eligible for funding. Here is the Request for Proposal (RFP), which outlines all requirements and mandatory steps to apply for funding from CSC. Please fill out the CSC Proposal Form to RSVP for the mandatory grant trainings.

CSSC Spring Convergence: Deadline April 10th
The CSSC Spring Convergence will be held from April 24th-26th at Loyola Marymount University and hosted by students at Santa Monica College and Loyola Marymount University.The theme for this convergence is Strengthening Connections: Thriving Together. If you're interested in creating a workshop, issue based breakout group, or a caucus, applications are due April 10th.

Applications for Tufts Environmental Literacy Institute Due April 15
The Tufts Environmental Literacy Institute (TELI) is a four-day interdisciplinary workshop that brings together educators from diverse backgrounds to engage in environmental issues. This year's theme is Climate-Safe Energy Futures: Vision, Implementation, and Education. The workshop will take place at Tufts University (near Boston, Mass.) from May 19-22. Topics covered will range from climate change to renewable energy to international equity. Educators are invited to apply by April 15.

Call for Papers - The Third Future of Places Conference: Deadline April 15
In line with the public space agenda for Habitat III, the theme of the academic session is “Growing Public Spaces: Shaping the Agenda for Science, Policy, Practice, and Civil Society.” We recognise that it is not only the quantity of public space as an amenity that must be increased, but the quality of human places and placemaking that must be supported and enhanced, by governments, researchers, practitioners and NGOs – and ultimately, by the people themselves.You are invited to submit a paper abstract of no more than 300 words for initial consideration. If invited, you will be asked to complete a paper of between 3,000 and 6,000 words for the conference proceedings, accompanied by an oral presentation (with slides if desired) of 15 minutes. For more information check out their website.

Call for Stories about Walking
Jay Walljasper is working with America Walks and the Every Body Walk! Collaborative to chronicle the progress and potential of the walking movement with a new series of articles focused on promoting walking and walkable communities. To contribute ideas and stories to the two projects currently being developed, contact jay[at]jaywalljasper[dot]com.

Call for Applications! Awards in Solar Energy Research: Deadline May 7
The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Postdoctoral Research Awards support EERE's mission in energy efficiency and renewable energy by offering recent Ph.D. recipients the opportunity to conduct applied research at universities. The objective of the awards is to support scientific research in energy efficiency and renewable energy by attracting the best scientists and engineers to pursue breakthrough technologies in a highly prestigious postdoctoral research program. Deadline to apply is May 7.

Submit Environmental Films for International Film Festival
The International Film Festival for Environment, Health and Culture is accepting submissions for films pertaining to environment, health and culture issues. There are five submission categories: international feature film, international short film, documentary feature, documentary short and newcomer. The film festival will be held on May 27.

Energy Dept. $2.5M for Collegiate Clean Energy Tech: Deadline June 7
The newly announced $2.5 million in funding for the Cleantech University Prize (Cleantech UP) aims to support the commercialization of promising technologies for sectors such as solar and wind that reduce carbon pollution and grow the clean energy economy. The Cleantech UP Collegiate Competitions will provide prizes for eight individual university-focused competitions that will equip students with business skills to move clean energy technologies from the discovery phase to the marketplace.

Tools of Change Landmark Designation: Deadline June 12
Tools of Change is now soliciting nominations for its 2015 Landmark behavior change case studies in two topic areas - (1) home / building energy conservation and (2) sustainable transportation. If you know of anyone working on a particularly effective, innovative or impactful approach for changing energy or transportation behaviors, please consider nominating them - or yourself. All nominations must include measured impact results. The Nominations Form must be submitted by June 12, 2015. Designations will be announced by October 2015, and case study webinars will be presented between February and May 2016.

Biomimicry Global Design Challenge: Deadline August 3
The Biomimicry Institute and the Ray C. Anderson Foundation announced the opening of the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge. Students are invited to submit commercially viable, nature-inspired solutions to global food system challenges. All participants get access to the Design Challenge Toolbox and supporting resources, including sessions with mentors and biomimicry professionals. The grand prize, to be awarded in 2016, is $100,000. The deadline for submissions is August 3rd.

February 2015: Contests & Funding

Campus Sustainability Council (CSC): Deadline Feb 13
The Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) would like to fund your student organization’s sustainability projects or events in the upcoming year. Proposals adhering to the criteria for student organizations and relevance to the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus are eligible for funding.This funding is only applicable to those who have already done the grant training during week 3 of winter 2015.  Applications are due by February 13th. If you have any questions contact CSC at csc[at]lists[dot]ucsc[dot]edu.

Call for Submissions: INSS 2015 Conference: Deadline February 15
The Integrated Network for Social Sustainability is now accepting abstracts for its 2015 conference themed Social Sustainability and Infrastructure. Academic papers and non-traditional written media can be submitted that examine one of the two areas: defining social, political or ethical issues that emerge in the pursuit of sustainability, or encountering social, political or ethical approaches to addressing broad issues of sustainability. 500-1,000 word abstracts are due by February 15.

Call for papers: Water in the World: Deadline March 1
The conference on November 6-7th at Winthrop University, South Carolina focuses on the uses, politics, art, history, and economics of water worldwide. It is open to faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, activists, and community professionals.

Examples of possible topics include but are not limited to:
* The privatization of water
* Climate change
* Development goals and their water implications
* Water security and insecurity
* The politics and economics of water reuse
* Capacity building
* Food, water, and the environment
* Art and design contributions to water management
* Financing and investment schemes
* Historical droughts and floods
* Climate justice, ethical, cultural and religious values
* The role of water in post-conflict peace building
* The impact of water policy on the poor
* Creative solutions to water challenges
* Water in creative practice
* Media coverage of water issues
* Perceptions of risk and water quality issues

Papers will be reviewed for connections to the theme and an interdisciplinary approach to the subject. For more information on the Winthrop University Water Conference, conference updates, and deadlines visit the website: www.winthrop.edu/cas/interdisciplinary/waterconference2015.

Graduate Scholarships in Environmental & Climate Policy for Students from East Asia: Deadline March 15

The Bard Center for Environmental Policy is pleased to announce that Henry Luce Foundation Scholarships are available for students from East Asia (China, Japan or South Korea) to complete a two-year Master of Science degree in Environmental Policy or Climate Science and Policy starting August 2015. The LIASE Scholarships (Luce Initiative for Asian Studies and the Environment) provide tuition waivers of between 50% and 100% in the first year, and at least 50% of tuition in the second year. Students are responsible for travel costs, and for expenses for room and board. LIASE Scholarship students in the CEP program will participate in an annual conference featuring undergraduate and graduate research on Asia and the Environment with students from across the northeastern United States. Bard will award two-year LIASE Scholarships to qualified applicants each year for the next two years. LIASE Scholarship applicants must be citizens of one of China, Japan or South Korea, and must have a demonstrated interest in environmental policy in their region. Applicants for the LIASE Scholarship should, in addition to a regular application, provide a one-page letter discussing their research interests in Asian environmental policy. The LIASE Scholarship application letter should be emailed to Caitlin O'Donnell (codonnel[at]bard[dot]edu) by March 15, 2015 with the subject "LIASE Scholarship Application" to be considered.

Biomimicry Global Design Challenge: Deadline August 3
The Biomimicry Institute and the Ray C. Anderson Foundation announced the opening of the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge. Students are invited to submit commercially viable, nature-inspired solutions to global food system challenges. All participants get access to the Design Challenge Toolbox and supporting resources, including sessions with mentors and biomimicry professionals. The grand prize, to be awarded in 2016, is $100,000. The deadline for submissions is August 3rd.

International Film Festival: Deadline May 4
The International Film Festival for Environment, Health and Culture is accepting submissions for films pertaining to environment, health and culture issues. There are five submission categories: international feature film, international short film, documentary feature, documentary short and newcomer. The film festival will be held on May 27.

New! Online Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus

The Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus is now online! Check it out here!

What is the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus? It is a multi-use, living document that strives to encompass the current visions of students, faculty, staff, and community members that have come together to share their ideas and goals for the future of UCSC at the annual Campus Earth Summit. This document is meant to serve as a launching point for students to create meaningful, collaborative projects on campus that inspire lasting change. The Blueprint also acts as a guide for student organizations interested in receiving funding from the Campus Sustainability Council for the upcoming school year.  While the Blueprint reflects no commitments from the administration, the process through which it is compiled displays multiple points of collaboration throughout the campus and community.

Explore this year's Blueprint and get involved in sustainability efforts on campus!!!

The Blueprint is brought to you by the Student Environmental Center: sec.enviroslug.org

May 2014: Contests and Funding

Apply for the Community Service Project Grant

The Community Service Project (CSP) grant allocates money to students interested in implementing a student initiated, off-campus project that addresses a relevant community need after an appli
cation process. Students can be awarded up to $1,000.

Join Campus Sustainability Council
The role of the Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) is to provide funding to registered UCSC student organizations for programs and events that create, implement, and monitor environmentally sound practices on campus as established through the protocol outlined in the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus. These organizations additionally facilitate greater collaboration between students, the administration, staff, faculty, and the community. If you are interested in joining the CSC, fill out this form or contact them directly at csc [at] ucsc [dot] edu

October 2012: Internships, Employment, & Volunteering

Amazing Opportunities in the Sustainability Office for Fall 2012--Apply Now!

Are you interested in gaining professional experience in a fun and engaging environment where you can build connections with fellow students interested in sustainability? The Sustainability Office is currently hiring for the 2012-2013 academic year, and we are looking for talented individuals with a passion for sustainability to join our team. You do not need to be an Environmental Studies or sciences major to work here! Check out our current list of opportunities, including both internships and paid positions! If you have any questions, please contact Shauna Casey.

Sustainability Project Clearinghouse

An IDEASS Sustainability Program project that you can find out more about on the Project Clearinghouse website

Are you a staff, student or faculty member interested in getting involved in a campus sustainability project, but don't know how? Are you looking for partners for your current project? Have you completed a project that you would like others to learn from? Visit the Sustainability Project Clearinghouse today! The Clearinghouse is a database of sustainability projects designed to help students, staff and faculty get involved in the campus sustainability movement. The database provides a centralized place to learn about campus needs; identify ways to get involved; and serves asa reference for understanding the successes and challenges previous projects have faced. Visit our website to view published projects or create a user account and  upload your own projects and sustainability ideas. If you or your group is interested in receiving a training on how to upload your project to the database, please contact Shauna Casey.

Green Office Certification Program Seeks Student Staff

As a member of our Green Office Certification program you’ll learn how to conduct energy and waste assessments of campus offices, write reports and present recommendations to participating office staff to empower them to improve their environmental performance. As a member of the green office certification team, you’ll attend weekly meetings and work closely with campus staff and other stakeholders to reduce waste and increase conservation in campus offices. Ideal candidates will demonstrate interest in sustainability, initiative, excellent organizational, communication and writing skills. Find out more about the program here, and for a list of available positions, click here. Send your resume and letter of interest to Shauna Casey. Be sure to note the position title you are applying for in the subject line of your email.

Student Job Opening: Zero Waste Team Seeking Program Associate

UCSC has a goal of reaching Zero Waste by the year 2020! As of 2011-12, UCSC successfully diverted 63% of waste from the landfill. There is still a large amount of landfill waste that could be reduced, reused, repaired, recycled or composted instead. With the mission of advancing UCSC’s progress towards its Zero Waste goals, the students on the Zero Waste Team focus on working collaboratively to reduce waste on campus, help develop and implement pilot projects campuswide, work with other student organizations and stakeholders on campus, and serve as a resource to the greater campus community. Contact Sustainability Coordinator Elida Erickson for more info! APPLY TO ER# 6236 here.

UCSC PowerSave Green Campus Program seeks motivated candidates to be For-Credit Interns 

For-credit interns will work with other interns focusing on energy conservation projects in the state-owned housing & dining facilities. Program interns are responsible for the successful implementation of the Alliance to Save Energy's PowerSave Green Campus Program, an education and outreach program that seeks energy savings on the UC Santa Cruz campus, primarily through low-cost technology adoption and no-cost behavior changes. For more information about the PowerSave Green Campus program please visit the website. To apply please send a resume and cover letter to UCSC PowerSave Green Campus.


Student Environmental Center 2 and 5 Unit Internships Available for Fall

The Student Environmental Center (SEC) has 2 and 5 unit internships available for this fall! If you are interested in getting involved with SEC's sustainability efforts, please visit their webpage here. Examples of past internships include Publicity Intern, Transportation Rock the Bike Intern, Food Sourcing Intern, College Eight Garden Intern, and Waste Prevention Intern! SEC will also be hosting a General Gathering on October 3rd in the College Eight Red Room from  6:30 to 8:30 PM with fun activities, free home-cooked dinner, interesting people, and anyone and everyone is welcome to come for the evening!

The Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) is accepting new members for the 2012-13 school year!

The role of the Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) is to provide funding to registered UCSC student organizations for programs and events that create, implement, and monitor environmentally sound practices on campus as established through the protocol outlined in the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus. These organizations additionally facilitate greater collaboration between students, the administration, staff, faculty, and the community. There are spots open for new council members to join the CSC leadership team! They hope to have the council formed by the 4th week of fall quarter. Gain valuable skills in leadership, grant-writing, networking, and much more by participating. For more information and dates of CSC membership orientation meetings, please email csc@ucsc.edu or visit the website.

Environmental Education for the Next Generation Seeking Instructors

Environmental Education for the Next Generation (EENG) provides free, youth-led environmental education programs to 1st and 2nd grade classrooms in public schools throughout California. EENG college student-instructors teach children vital concepts in environmental science and sustainability during the earliest stages of their educational development, cultivating the next generation of passionate caretakers of the earth. Through activities, experiments, and discussions, they get kids thinking in new ways about the world that surrounds them, inspiring them to bring the message of environmental stewardship home to their families and friends. In this way, they strive to promote sustainability throughout our many communities, from the youngest members of society up. For more information, please visit www.EENG.org.

Bike Smart Seeking Cyclists for School Bicycle Rodeo Events

Love cycling? Come share your passion with the youth of Santa Cruz County. Bike Smart, an Ecology Action Bicycle Program, is seeking enthusiastic cyclists of all abilities to assist with their school bicycle rodeo events. The goal is to engage students and empower them to ride by teaching safe cycling techniques (shoulder checks, turn signals, handling skills, and more!) Rodeos last for only two hours. Kira Ticus will email you as rodeos are scheduled and you can sign up as convenient. For more information, please contact Kira Ticus and visit the website.

Capitola Commission on the Environment Seeking Youth Member
The City of Capitola Commission on the Environment (COE) is seeking one youth member, aged 18-30, to represent the youth voice of our community. Meeting once per month, the COE advances sustainable planning, policy, and projects in the Capitola community. The youth representative can expect to gain experience in municipal government planning and policy formation, engage in public service projects, and participate in networking opportunities with local government leaders. Interested individuals must be residents of Santa Cruz County and be able to commit to a minimum of one year term. Please contact Susan Westman, Interim Community Development Director at swestman@ci.capitola.ca.us for more information and to apply.

Get Involved with the Campus Sustainability Plan
Since 2010, working groups of staff and students have been making progress on environmental performance targets for UCSC in eight topic areas: Buildings & Facilities, Energy, Food, Land & Habitat, Procurement & Business Contracts, Transportation, Waste, and Water. Now, it's time for UCSC to create a new Campus Sustainability Plan 2.0 for the years 2013-16! If you'd like to check out the original Campus Sustainability Plan, click here. To get involved in the planning process and help create the next set of environmental performance targets for UCSC, please email Elida Erickson.

Design Your Own Course or Become a Community Outreach or Graphic Design Intern with ESLP

Interested in experiential education and student empowerment? UCSC's Education for Sustainable Living Program is a student-run organization which offers an accredited student-led course - CLEI 161 & 61- every spring quarter. ESLP is currently seeking students with the desire to design their own courses ranging from environmental to social justice issues. They are also looking for 2-unit or 5-unit interns interested in doing community outreach and graphic design. For more information and ways to get involved visit the eslp.enviroslug.org or send an email.

Help UCSC Take Back the Tap

Take Back the Tap is working hard to eliminate the sale of single use water bottles on the UCSC campus. We are trying to combat the private industry, so everyone has access to water. As well as, reduce waste in order to make our campus a more sustainable institute. If you're interested in getting involved or have any questions please log onto the website for more information, visit the Facebook page, or send an email.

Volunteers Needed for Santa Cruz Open Streets - Sunday, Oct. 7

Santa Cruz Open Streets is a free community event happening Sunday, October 7 from 9 AM - 1 PM on West Cliff Drive. The idea is to create a 2-mile temporary street park for people to bike, walk, and recreate in a safe, fun, festive, and traffic-free environment. Lots of volunteers are needed to bring this exciting new event to the community. If you are interested in volunteering, please email Event Founder/Director Saskia Lucas with your name, phone number, and email address. A mandatory volunteer meeting is on Tuesday, October 2, from 6-7 PM, at Ecology Action. Pizza and snacks will be provided, and they will be providing training as well as giving out volunteer t-shirts. For more information about SCOS, visit the website. Like the Facebook page to receive all the latest event updates!

Call for Volunteers: Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building, and it is coming back to San Francisco November 14-16. If you are a full-time student or professional age 25 and under, volunteer and attend for free! For more information visit the website. For questions, click here to send an email.

Volunteer at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Interested in gardening, habitat restoration, tidepooling, maintaining exhibits and helping at events for the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History? Volunteer today! Find out more and fill out an application here or email Matt.

Know about other internship, employment, or volunteering opportunities related to sustainability around Santa Cruz or the campus? Post in the comments or send us an email! 

May 2012: Contests & Funding

CSC Grants: Deadline May 11th
The Campus Sustainability Council is now accepting grant proposals for 2012-2013 sustainability projects. If you work within on of the student organization on campus and want to implement your own project relating to the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus, this is the place to get funding! Make sure to attend one of the required trainings, dates provided on the website, and to turn in your application by May 11th! For more information please email CSC.

Call for Submissions: Student Sustainability Film Festival
The Media Institute for Social Change invites submissions for its third annual Student Sustainability Film Festival. Students can submit short films about what their campus or community is doing to make it more sustainable for a chance to receive cash prizes and be shown at various campus and conference screenings. Entries are due by May 17, 2012. For more information please visit the website.

Call for Entries: Green Living Project Student Film Competition - Deadline May 25
Green Living Project invites submissions for its Student Film Project. The competition encourages students to submit films of five minutes or less that share a unique, creative and compelling story about a local or global sustainability-related project. Sample sustainability topics include wildlife conservation, sustainable food, resource conservation, community development, renewable energy, sustainability-related education and sustainable travel and tourism. The submission deadline is May 25, 2012. Winners will be screened at Green Living Project's Washington D.C. Film Premiere in June. For more information please visit the website!

Drop Your Own Drip
Drop Your Own Drip is a campus campaign working to create educational monthly water-use statements for on-campus apartment residents that encourage conservation. Water conservation is further incentivized for residents through a campus-wide water-use reduction competition and challenge for each resident to use no more than the target-level of daily water-use of 60 gallons per person. The competition will reward the college residents from one of the ten main apartment complexes on campus who successfully reduce water-use per capita the most between the months of February to April 2012. Water statements were successfully sent out for February and March, and the final weeks of the conservation competition are upon us! The final round of statements will be sent out May 14-18 and that's when we will know the winner! If you live in the on-campus apartments, do your part and reduce your water consumption at home! With any questions, please email Drop Your Own Drip . GET A GRIP & DROP YOUR OWN DRIP!

Accepting Applications: AASHE 2012 Awards Program
AASHE invites applications for its 2012 sustainability awards. AASHE will present four Campus Sustainability Case Study Awards, one Student Sustainability Leadership Award, two Student Research on Campus Sustainability Awards and one Faculty Leadership Award. All winners will be announced at the AASHE 2012 conference and will be featured in Sustainability: The Journal of Record. Applications will be accepted through July 2. Please visit the website for more information.

Carbon Fund's Winter Projects

Do you have a creative greenhouse gas reduction idea? Let the Carbon Fund help it grow! The Carbon fund will be accepting applications next year, but now is the time to prepare your project idea. This past winter quarter the UCSC Carbon Fund granted over $26,000 to three staff and student run greenhouse gas reduction projects, including the installation of solar tubes at Natural Bridges Green School, a lighting retrofit at Watsonville High School (WHS), and a “greenovation” of the study lounge at Porter College. For a complete list of projects and information on how to get involved, visit the website or email the Carbon Fund.

Food Justice Communities on the Move Video Challenge

San Jose State University has been working on a food justice campaign in east San Jose, which encourages families teaching their children how to eat, increases access to CalFresh SNAP benefits, and teaches families how to use these benefits at farmers' markets, emphasizes eating culturally relevant and familiar foods in healthy ways. They have partnered with local farms like Veggielution, Second Harvest Food Bank, various faith and cultural groups, and more. They have leaders from the university, but and from the local community who reach out to their peers on these issues. If their video wins, the group gets $1000 and two representatives get to go to the White House. This is part of First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign against childhood obesity. These are our neighbors both geographically and allies in food justice. You can vote daily with Facebook. Voting closes on May 11. Vote now!

Sustainability Director Aurora Winslade Moving to the University of Hawaii

UCSC Sustainability Director Aurora Winslade, who founded the Sustainability Office in 2007, is moving to the University of Hawaii to work as sustainability director. She graduated from UCSC with highest honors and the Chancellor's Award for a self-designed B.A. in, “Agriculture, Ecology, and Political Economy.” As a student she helped the University of California establish its first system-wide green building and renewable energy policy, now the “University of California Policy on Sustainable Practices" and co-founded the statewide Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) in 2003, for which she was awarded 1st place in the Oikos International Award for Student Entrepreneurship in Higher Education. She also co-founded several groups at UCSC including the Campus Sustainability Council (CSC), the Committee in Sustainability and Stewardship (CSS), and Students for Organic Solutions (SOS).

She participated in the founding of the national youth coalition Energy Action and she is a former leader of the California Student Sustainability Coalition (CSSC). She has served on the advisory board for the National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program, she is a Fellow of Humanity in Action, and a Strauss Foundation Scholar.

In 2004 Aurora was hired as a staff Sustainability Coordinator in Student Affairs, funded by student fees, to advise the Student Environmental Center, CSC, and ESLP. In 2007, she was hired by the campus administration to manage the Campus Sustainability Assessment and, later, to found the Campus Sustainability Office.

Aurora specializes in institutional change for sustainability in higher education with a particular emphasis on the development of change agent and interpersonal skills. She has extensive training in non-violent communication and participatory facilitation techniques. She is the proud mother of Thor Sylvan, who inspires her to continue striving to help build a vibrant, thriving, and sustainable society.

The director of the Campus Sustainability Office (established 2007) at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) supports the many projects led by staff and student leaders, helps to manage the Sustainability and Climate Action Plans, engages in development activities, and advises the campus administration on policies and practices that support ecological, human, and economic health and viability.

The Sustainability Office staff and students wish her all the best in her new position at the University of Hawaii!