Amount Awarded:
 $1,000
Funding Received:
 2014-2015
Project Status:
 Completed

Executive Summary

The Earth day celebration is a popular annual gathering at the University of Washington. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the event. On April 22nd, 2015 the event was put on by UW’s student run Earth Club and assisted by the UW sustainability staff. The goal of the organizers is to bring as many people together as they can to talk about our planet and sustainability. This year the celebration was located in Red Square in the center of campus. Thousands of people gathered to enjoy live music, free food and talk with the dozens of organizations who represented themselves with booths and tables.

Events like Earth Day are very important to sustainability at the University of Washington. They are effective outreach tools and help get thousands of people involved in sustainability on campus. The various clubs that table the event cover a broad range of environmental topics, from eating locally and being sustainable in your daily life, to thinking globally and getting involved in national policy. Many people who would not interact with groups focused on the environment are attracted to the sights, smells and sounds of the various events in Red Square. They mingle with the other students, speak with some of the student groups and RSOs and leave with a greater knowledge of what their peers are doing to make a difference to sustainability locally as well as globally.

The $1,000 that the CSF put towards Earth Day funded the rental of tents and tables for the event. With several dozen groups tabling and a few large tents the event was able to include a wide variety of sustainable groups. Other expenses included: purchasing compostable cups, renting a PA system and printing advertisements and decorations to promote the event. In addition to the CSF, the Earth club also received funding from ASUW and the College of the Environment. 

Primary Contact:
Lysia Li
lysialee@uw.edu