AASHE Conference
Approved: 8/13/20
Funding Amount: $3,500
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE’s) annual conference is the largest stage in North America to exchange effective models, policies, research, collaborations and transformative actions that advance sustainability in higher education and surrounding communities. This year's conference will be totally virtual due to COVID-19, so this proposal will allow UK to be a host institution. This will allow anyone with a UK email to register for the conference for free, something that has never been offered before.
Green to Go Reusable Container Giveaway
Approved: 10/1/2020
Funding Amount: $2,030
This is a partnership between the UK Office of Sustainability, Recycling, Dining, and Student Government to give away more than 1500 reusable green to go containers to be used in the residential dining halls. The $5 cost associated with these containers is a financial burden to students, so they are less likely to purchase and use these reusable containers. We plan to purchase these containers and then give them away to students for free so that they are more widely used. These will be given away at tabling events at the point of sale in the dining halls. We will lean on our student sustainability interns and SGA sustainability coordinators to work these tabling events to successfully distribute the green to go containers.
Water Bottle Refill Stations
Approved: 10/8/2020
Funding Amount: $15,000
This project builds on the foundation laid by the 2019 student survey conducted by SGA, SSC, and Office of Sustainability that pinpointed areas of student need for water bottle fillers. This proposal aims to provide funding for the installation for the remaining three filling stations: outside of room 115 in the Nursing Building, outside room 114 or 118 of the Wethington Building, and outside room 157 of the Lee Todd Pharmacy Building. The funding will be provided through a partnership between the SSC and SGA.
Enhancing Sustainable Approaches to Food Insecurity
Approved: 10/8/2020
Funding Amount: $13,000
This project proposal focuses on four areas of sustainability-focused improvements, specifically 1) installing a water-bottle refill station, 2) integrating an indoor garden into Campus Kitchens operations, 3) improving Farm-to-Fork dining experience and other campus programming, and 4) enhancing sustainability practices in CKUK weekly operations.
Solar Car: Gato del Sol VII
Approved: 10/22/2020
Funding Amount: $20,000
This year our Solar Car team is focusing on building our newest Solar Car, Gato Del Sol VII. We are planning a 10% reduction in weight at 100 pounds and increased efficiency though we are limited to few solar panels than in previous years. In addition, Gato Del Sol VII will be in an offset design, a total change from any solar car we have built in the past. This will bring a whole new level of efficiency to UK Solar Car, and we are very excited for the what the future of green energy transportation can be. We are planning on racing Gato VII in competition next year.
Summer Sustainability Research Fellowships
Approved: 12/3/2020
Funding Amount: $21,000
This funding provided summer internships in undergraduate research related to sustainability at the University of Kentucky. It also provided funding for students to complete sustainability-related research at other institutions within the US with UK alumni.
Urban Forest Initiative TreeCATs
Approved: 12/3/2020
Funding Amount: $13,942
The Urban Forest Initiative (UFI) works to raise awareness of the ecological, social, and economic benefits provided by the urban tree canopy on University of Kentucky campus and the greater Central Kentucky region since 2014. The TreeCATs (Collegiate Arborist Team) workshops have provided knowledge and training for University of Kentucky students on the benefits of urban forests and the challenges and strategies associated with their stewardship for the past three years. This year, our goal is to incorporate the traditional workshop introduction to urban forestry that provides a holistic understanding of the function and management of urban forests, while directing additional focus on invasive species, which negatively affect urban forest health and function.
2021-2022 Sustainability Internship Program
Approved: 2/4/2021
Funding Amount: $23,625
These internship positions provide unique and meaningful experiences for the students involved and valuable support for the units that are mentoring. The Office of Sustainability coordinates the program, and the interns are paired with a mentor from either an operational unit (ex: UK Recycling) or one of the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment (TFISE) Working Groups. In these roles all student interns, past and present, have promoted the three pillars of sustainability in a range of areas on campus including: campus gardens, transportation, waste reduction, storm water management, energy conservation, education and outreach, urban forests, and the built environment.
Sustainability Challenge Grant Partnership
Approved: 2/4/2021
Funding Amount: $33,333
The purpose of the program is to engage multidisciplinary teams from the University community in the creation and implementation of ideas that will promote sustainability by simultaneously advancing economic vitality, ecological integrity and social equity. Each project addresses this charge in different ways. More information about the 33 projects selected for funding in the first five years of the partnership is available here: https://www.uky.edu/sustainability/sustainability-challenge-grants.
Engineers Without Borders Guatemala Water System
Approved: 2/18/2021
Funding Amount: $117,000
This project will connect nearly 600 Guatemala families with a clean and reliable water supply. Students in UK's Engineers Without Borders will be involved in this project by assisting with the design and implementation of this project.
Office of Sustainability/SSC Graduate Assistantship
Approved: 2/18/2021
Funding Amount: $15,478
The SSC’s mission is to cultivate and promote a culture of sustainability here at UK. Thus, the purpose of a graduate assistantship is to increase the overall efficacy and capacity of the SSC and Office of Sustainability in order to better cultivate the culture of sustainability. Additionally, as the SSC has grown in members and in funding capacity, there is a renewed need for a focused professional that is dedicated to supporting SSC operations.
Stadium View Coal Pile Runoff Mitigation
Approved: 4/1/2021
Funding Amount: $10,000
This project will create a treatment area to buffer the pH of stormwater runoff from the coal pile, slow the flow rate of the water through the drainage ditch with the use of limestone riprap as well as grading and contouring of the ditch line to create a meandering path. Raingardens will be incorporated into the design to further slow and filter the stormwater. The project will incorporate the culvert outflow from the service road perpendicular to the coal pile and the two drainage outflows from the practice soccer pitch to the outflow inlet at the east end of the drainage ditch and improve the utility and appearance of up to eight headwalls. Slopes on either side of the ditch line will be planted with native flowering perennials and grasses to promote pollinator habitat while leaving a minimum of a six-foot mowable turf border around the project site. An outdoor classroom will be incorporated into the site with the use of large stone and logs to create a gathering space. The purpose of this project is to:
- Improve water quality at the outflow of the at the east end of the ditch
- Reduce maintenance of mowing the slopes and wet drainage ditch
- Create pollinator habitat on the slopes of the drainage area
- Create an outdoor classroom
Waste Reduction Week Giveaway
Approved: 4/1/2021
Funding Amount: $135
Funding for this project will cover a zero-waste starter kit that will be given away for free to one lucky winner during Waste Reduction Week. In order to enter, students will have to participate in a scavenger hunt put on by UK Recycling and Bluegrass Greensource. The first 250 people to enter the giveaway will automatically receive a free bamboo cutlery set, but one winner will be chosen at random to win the grand prize.
CleanMed Connect 21
Approved: 4/15/2021
Funding Amount: $350
Funding for this project will cover registration fees for the CleanMed conference. The CleanMed conference is a presentation of experts and peers on how to incorporate sustainability into healthcare settings. There are over 20 sessions to attend to learn about the newest cutting-edge technology, such as greener operating rooms and renewable energy.
JSB Pollinator Garden
Approved: 4/15/2021
Funding Amount: $1,500
Funding for this project will cover the design and installation of a pollinator garden at Jacobs Science Building. For this garden, plant species will be intentionally picked and planted to allow easy access for grounds to maintain this garden. Species that bloom in all seasons will be prioritized to provide food and habitat for pollinator species year-round. Over 80 students in Dr. Senoy's Ecology lab will assist in the planting.
Tree Week 2021
Approved: 4/15/2021
Funding Amount: $6,600
Tree Week celebrates Lexington’s trees and all the ways in which trees positively affect our lives. During the inaugural Tree Week, held in 2018, there were over 60 events that engaged hundreds of attendees from the UK campus and greater Lexington communities. Funding for this project will cover promotional materials as well as the salary of an UFI Outreach Coordinator who will provide administrative support for Tree Week leading up to, during, and following this weeklong event.
WholeSum Intern
Approved: 4/15/2021
Funding Amount: $3,300
Funding provided for this project will allow the Sustainability Internship Program to include a WholeSum intern in the 2021-2022 cohort. WholeSum’s is a blog used to engage in conversations with the community that encourage consideration of the social, environmental, and economic impact of our individual choices. The blog aims to help campus – and ultimately the Commonwealth – understand that sustainability-driven decisions are not out of reach.
State of Kentucky Urban Wildlife Network
Approved: 4/29/2021
Funding Amount: $7,950
Funding provided for this project will cover the wages for an undergraduate research assistant and their participation at The Wildlife Society's annual meeting. The research assistant will deploy cameras, collect data, identify animals, assist in data analysis, participate in writing a scientific manuscript, and present their findings at an academic conference. This project itself will establish a community-based wildlife monitoring program and connect the University of Kentucky and the Lexington-Fayette Urban area to the Urban Wildlife Information Network (UWIN). UWIN is a partnership of researchers across North America who monitor urban wildlife using the same protocols.
Summer and Beyond: Sustainability-Driven Approaches on Food Waste and Food Insecurity
Approved: 4/29/2021
Funding Amount: $9,000
Funding provided for this project will allow Campus Kitchens to educate the Lexington community about food waste and food insecurity while also implementing more sustainable practices within the kitchen over the summer months. “Summer and Beyond” will engage over 20 students in CKUK summer operations of food recovery, meal preparation, delivery, and community enrichment, improving UK students’ access to healthy meals on campus and providing a stigma-free, inclusive, comfortable space for socialization and knowledge exchange for diverse UK students to learn, grow, and support one another.
Student Sustainability Council 2021 Fall Retreat
Approved: 4/29/2021
Funding Amount: $2,048
Funding for this project will cover transportation, meals, and cabin rentals for the SSC's annual one-night fall retreat at Robinson Forest. Fall retreat is designed to help new and returning members of the Council acclimate to the SSC's culture and functions in a more comfortable setting than standard SSC meetings. New members in particular will benefit from the information, discussions, and collaboration that are central to the retreat.
