The Office of Sustainability and Institute of the Environment are pleased to announce the grantees of the Environmental and Social Sustainability Small Grants program, which enhance environmental and social sustainability for UConn communities, and are led by student/faculty partnerships:
Non-Violence Mindfulness Training for Environmental Justice and Mother Earth Day Festival
This project will offer non-violence embodiment training to students, held by students and national experts. It’ll culminate in a campus event around Mother Earth Day for the students and other groups to showcase art and connect to the UCONN community by teaching embodiment and non-violence.
- Students: Juan Pablo Yepes Tobon ’24 (CLAS), Laura Augenbraun ’24 (CLAS)
- Faculty Mentors: Phoebe Godfrey, Professor-in-Residence of Sociology, Stacy Maddern – Assist. Professor-in-Residence of Urban and Community Studies
Renewed Outdoor Classroom and Chestnut Orchard
Locally and sustainably-sourced raw materials will be produced by students to create infrastructure for teaching, outreach, meeting, and artistic performance space that is ADA accessible. This project will also materially advance development of a planned American chestnut seed orchard.
- Students: Isaac Betts ‘23 (CAHNR), Andrew Muller ’23 (CAHNR), Zachary Bates ‘23 (CAHNR)
- Faculty Mentors: Thomas Worthley, Extension Educator Forest Sustainability, Robert Fahey, UConn Forest Director and Assoc. Professor
Huskies for Harkness
Huskies for Harkness is an initiative immersing New London high school students into conservation and sustainability, addressing the systemic barriers surrounding historically gatekept fields. It does this through a vocational enrichment trip to Harkness Memorial Park, focusing on education, engagement, and exploration.
- Students: Jessica Bostick ‘23 (CAHNR), EcoHuskies
- Faculty Mentor: Eleanor Shoreman-Ouimet, Assist. Professor of Anthropology
UConn Gleaning Corps
The Spring Valley Student Farm Gleaning Interns will assist the Windham Community Food Network to expand gleaning in Eastern CT. Gleaning is the practice of harvesting excess produce that doesn’t get sent to market, and is instead used to support people experiencing food insecurity. The student farmers will harvest, wash and deliver produce to various pantries in the Willimantic area. They’ll also develop a training guide to be used by volunteers to keep the program running in the future.
- Students: Sydney Clements, Ph.D. Candidate in Geography
- Staff Mentor: Jessica Larkin-Wells, Farm Manager, Spring Valley Student Farm
Reimagining a Community Garden
EcoGarden is reimagining the student club’s garden space. Educational signage, a new composting area, a variety of new perennial plants, and an outdoor picnic area are coming to EcoGarden. Community gardens help tackle the issues of climate change and food deserts.
- Students: Kristopher Dow ’24 (ENG, CLAS), EcoGarden Club
- Staff Mentor: Jessica Larkin-Wells, Farm Manager, Spring Valley Student Farm
Ecoposium, UConn
Ecoposium, UConn is an organization that serves to plan and promote UConn’s first student-led environmental symposium. The club strives to spread awareness and educate the UConn community about relevant environmental issues through symposium sessions covering environmental topics elected by the organization.
- Students: Claire Lee ’24 (CLAS), Ecoposium Club
- Faculty Mentors: David Wagner, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Scott Wallace, Assoc. Professor of Journalism
Material World: Design for a Healthful and Equitable Future
This project will create an interactive and sustainably-built pop-up exhibition educating students on the impacts of environmentally and socially sustainable design methods and materials aimed at empowering them to act as agents of change in their professional careers and personal lives.
- Students: Cameron Slocum ’23 (SFA)
- Faculty Mentors: Chris Sancomb, Assist. Professor of Industrial Design, Shareen Hertel, Professor of Political Science
To learn more, please visit: https://sustainability.uconn.edu/2023/02/10/esssg-grants-awarded/
For more information, contact: Office of Sustainability at sustainability@uconn.edu