Recent announcements

Hello Huskies!

On Thursday, October 19^th, 2017, the CSF hosted an event where members of the UW community were invited to meet the CSF team and brainstorm ideas to make the campus more sustainable. The Brainstorming Mixer kicked off with a poster exhibit featuring over a dozen projects the CSF has funded, including the Sustainable Learning Center, Solar Tables and Phone Charging Stations, and Gould Hall’s Green Wall. Attendees had the opportunity to mingle, converse with project representatives, and get a better sense of the type of projects the CSF funds, as well as learn about the other sustainable initiatives taking place on campus. During the Brainstorming Session, new project ideas were presented, including building an aeroponics system, PAVEGEN electric tiles, water wheels, and working with Housing and Food Services to pilot a reusable food container system -- such as a cafe cup swap system -- to reduce food container waste. 

The CSF also offers a diverse array of opportunities to get involved with specific projects or the CSF itself. The Kincaid Ravine Restoration Project, Yesler Swamp Bird Blind, and The UW Bicycle Library: Cycle Pack are all funded and approved projects that are in need of new leads and interns. If you’re looking to volunteer with the CSF itself, there are open positions for a Graphic Designer, and on the Outreach Ambassador team. Being new to the Outreach Ambassador team myself, I found the Brainstorming Mixer to be a nice introduction to what CSF does. In one sentence, the fund gives an opportunity to bring student ideas to life while supporting the idea of campus sustainability. By the wide variety of projects that were presented at the Mixer, there’s really not a limit to what you can do. If you weren’t able to make it to this event, I hope you can make it to our Mixer in Spring! 

Thank you,

Karen Chan

Photo Credit: Rachel Carey; Whisper St Christopher

Check out all the photos from the event on our Facebook Page! https://tinyurl.com/yc7nxd6a

We are looking for an undergraduate and graduate students to serve on the CSF Committee for the rest of this academic year! Each year, the CSF Committee is charged with allocating over $300,000 of student funds to on-campus sustainability projects. As a CSF Committee Member, you will have influence over both the development of specific projects and our organizational strategy in pursuing a more sustainable UW. Serving on the CSF Committee involves a ~3 hour weekly commitment spent at our weekly meeting, reviewing grant applications and helping out with CSF outreach. All students are encouraged to apply regardless of academic background or class standing.

To Apply:

Graduate Students:

You may apply for the GPSS and ESC Representative positions:

GPSS: Please e-mail your resume and application form to GPSS President, Elloise Kim, at gpsspres@uw.edu. For information about liaisons’ term and expectation, please see M-11-16: Memorandum on GPSS Liaison Term.

Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC): Please e-mail your resume and application form (using the attached GPSS application form) to UW Sustainability Director Claudia Frere-Anderson at frerec@uw.edu. This position also serves as a representative to the ESC (meets once per quarter).

Undergraduate Students:

ASUW: Please complete the application form for “ASUW Representative to Campus Sustainability Fund.”

___

For questions regarding the application, email ASUW Director of Campus Partnerships Anna Johnson at asuwbdsp@uw.edu

For questions regarding the CSF in general, email CSF Outreach Coordinator Whisper St Christopher at uwcsf@uw.edu

Deadline to Apply:

Graduates: Thursday, October 12th, 11:45p

Undergraduates: Friday, October 20th, 11:45pm

Join us for a 4.5 mile tour of on-campus, sustainability projects funded by the CSF! We encourage you to bring your own bike and helmet or utilize a local bike-share program. If those options are unavailable, e-mail us at uwcsf@uw.edu and we will help out!

RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/y756ze8l

Hello Huskies!

As we head into the start of the 2017 - 2018 academic year, the CSF would like to introduce you to the two new faces you'll see in our Gerberding B-40 headquarters this coming year! Along with a new Outreach Coordinator, we've opened up a new position dedicated to helping projects reach their full potential during the early development phase, and throughout their implementation on campus.

Whisper St Christopher, Campus Sustainability Fund Outreach Coordinator

Hello, UW! I’m thrilled to begin my new position here with UW Sustainability's CSF and help connect our campus community with exciting new projects and opportunities!

I recently transferred from Bellevue College, where I held the position of Outreach Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability and the Student Environment and Sustainability Fund. I’m excited to bring my experience to this new setting where I’m sure I’ll be able to further grow my professional skills, while keeping with the core values of sustainability, which I’m dedicated to fostering in my personal life as well as in my educational endeavors. Academically, I’m double majoring in Dance and Community, Environment, and Planning (CEP), where I want to focus on the resulting dynamics of the interactions between people and the environments we build.

The sustainability of food systems also holds great interest for me; not only am I a food enthusiast, I’ve also been vegan since 2013, and am an avid and critical reader of nutrition labels, as well as a certified green-smoothie addict. While I love being in the kitchen, my absolute favorite activity is training my contemporary circus skills with my coach and circus friends. You’ll find me upside-downing around Green Lake, and performing when I get the chance.

I’m looking forward to a great few years with you all! Go Huskies!

Email Whisper: uwcsf@uw.edu

Ian Rose, Project Development Intern

From Vancouver, WA, Ian is currently a Junior in the Community Environment, and Planning (CEP) Major within the College of Built Environments. Here's what he has to say about his new role with CSF:

If you have an idea for a sustainable innovation, event, project, RSO, or anything else, I’m here to help you and your team bring your ideas to reality through the network of resources and fellow green-hearted Huskies here at UW. Feel free to email me to check-in or set up a meeting if you have a new idea, or are looking to explore getting involved with existing sustainability projects. Whatever your interests are, there is something you can do help improve, promote, and expand the University of Washington’s sustainability! I love all things sustainable, and am focusing my studies on holistic sustainability and green-tech integration in urban design and planning. Beyond my work at UW/CSF I enjoy running, reading, cooking, tinkering, and exploring the great outdoors!

Email Ian: csfproj@uw.edu

The Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) has finalized its grant allocations for the 2016-2017 academic year, awarding five projects a total of $284,028 in its final funding round. In addition to grants from earlier funding cycles, the CSF awarded a total of $589,666 to 23 projects throughout the year.

That is the largest amount the CSF has allocated in any single year, including the largest single project in CSF history - $150,000 toward solar power installations on the new Life Sciences Building. The fund has also surpassed the $2 million mark in project funding, awarding more than $2.2 million to 107 projects since it was created in 2010.

The CSF is a student-funded and student-run grant organization supporting on-campus sustainability projects which lessen the University of Washington's environmental impact. The CSF has two funding rounds each year, along with a rolling application process for small project grant applications of less than $1,000. All funding decisions are made by the CSF student committee. If you are interested in getting involved with the CSF either by applying for funding, joining our committee or volunteering, please email Whisper St Christopher at uwcsf@uw.edu. The next opportunity to apply for funding will be in the middle of Fall Quarter 2017. Be on the lookout for confirmed application deadlines. Thank you again to the following project teams for their creativity and hard work:

Round 1: Funded March 9th, 2017
Nine projects totaling $298,253

Dual Flush Toilets at Women's Odegaard Restrooms, $14,000

Electric Bicycle Mail-Delivery, $88,319

Floating Wetlands Phase II, $12,050

Friday Harbor Labs Composting Facility, $52,700

Interactive Biogas Food Cart, $21,176

UW Campus Sustainability Challenge, $6,868

UW Sustainability Action Network, $52,000

Wind and Solar Powered Phone and Computer Campus Charging Stations, $14,840

Sustainable Learning Center (Updating), $36,300

Round 2: Funded May 26th, 2017
Five projects totaling $284,028

Biodegradable Pots – Replacing Agricultural and horticultural plastics on Campus - $70,000

EcoReps Solar Table - $21,931

Pairing UW Food Waste with Non-Profit Agencies in Need - $17,000

UW Bicycle Library: Cycle Pack - $25,000

UW-Solar Life Sciences Building Photovoltaic Implementation - $150,000

Mini Grants: Funded case-by-case
Nine projects totaling $7,385

Earth Day Band: Improvisational Music Project. $500

Keraton Going Green, $999

ReThink Resilance Summit 2017, $1,000

2017 TSA Night Market Recycling Program, $999

Apiary for the UW Farm, $337

Greek Community Energy Challenge, $1,000

Increasing Drought Tolerance of Campus Lawns with Endophytes, $1,000

Replacing Chemical Fertilizers with Compost, Compost Tea, and Biosolids, $1,000

Surviving Catastrophe: Public Health and Solidarity in an Era of Climate Change, $550

After an exciting first round of applications and committee deliberations, we are pleased to announce that $266,839 has been awarded to fourteen projects. Each project aligns with the CSF's mission to lessen the University's environmental impact and foster a more environmentally-conscious campus culture. This allocation includes 8 large projects totaling $261,953 as well as 6 small projects totaling $4,886. Our first round large project allocation is up 50% from last year with an increase of roughly $85,000. Our student committee is already in the process of reviewing our second round of applications, which have a combined total grant request of over $300,000. Check back at the end of the quarter to see the list of second round awardees. We are expecting to hit an all-time record high for total project funding this year! If you have a project idea, keep in mind that applications for small grants under $1,000 are still being accepted anytime between now and June. If you are interested in getting involved with the CSF either by applying for funding or volunteering, please email Veronica Guenther at uwcsf@uw.edu. Thank you again to the following project teams for their creativity and hard work:

Round 1: Funded March 9th, 2017
Eight projects totaling $261,953

Dual Flush Toilets at Women's Odegaard Restrooms, $14,000
Electric Bicycle Mail-Delivery, $88,319
Floating Wetlands Phase II, $12,050
Friday Harbor Labs Composting Facility, $52,700
Interactive Biogas Food Cart, $21,176
UW Campus Sustainability Challenge, $6,868
UW Sustainability Action Network, $52,000
Wind and Solar Powered Phone and Computer Campus Charging Stations, $14,840

Small Grants: Funded case-by-case
Six projects totaling $4,886

2017 TSA Night Market Recycling Program, $999
Apiary for the UW Farm, $337
Greek Community Energy Challenge, $1,000
Increasing Drought Tolerance of Campus Lawns with Endophytes, $1,000
Replacing Chemical Fertilizers with Compost, Compost Tea, and Biosolids, $1,000
Surviving Catastrophe: Public Health and Solidarity in an Era of Climate Change, $550

Now is your chance to become closely involved with both the daily operations and overall strategy of the Campus Sustainability Fund. We are looking for a student eager to commit substantial time and energy to empowering the UW community to engage with sustainability. The CSF has two administrative staff members, a graduate student and an undergraduate student, who share the responsibility of running the organizational processes necessary to financially support student sustainability projects across campus. The Outreach Coordinator is the designated part-time, undergraduate student position focused on the CSF's external relations. Working as the CSF Outreach Coordinator provides the unique opportunity to be simultaneously involved with many sustainability initiatives and play an environmental advocacy role on the UW campus.

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter via the Husky Jobs portal by Friday, April 7th. Job ID #: 112996

See below for the Husky Jobs position description:
The Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) operates within the UW Sustainability Office, a unit of Planning & Management. The CSF is a student-fee derived grant fund available to the UW Seattle community to implement sustainability projects on campus. The Outreach Coordinator will play a lead role in raising the profile of the CSF within the campus community. The CSF Outreach Coordinator will gain hands on experience in networking, communications, marketing, development of educational materials and small project development and management. 

Diversity Statement
At the University of Washington, diversity is integral to excellence. We value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, opportunity and justice for all.

Responsibilities
•Promote/market CSF events, highlights, involvement opportunities, and funding cycle deadlines.
•Organize and carry out outreach events including mixers and tabling.
•Create involvement opportunities for volunteers.
•Assist CSF funded-projects with developing effective outreach strategies.
•Increase awareness of CSF to diverse groups on campus.
•Track outreach metrics to evaluate inclusivity and reach.

Desired Qualifications:
•Strong commitment and passion for the environment and campus sustainability. An advanced understanding of the campus culture and fabric is a plus. 
•Excellent communication and networking skills. 
•Comfortable speaking and presenting to large audiences. 
•Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing deadlines and prioritize time accordingly. 
•Ability to work independently and follow through with assigned projects. 
•Experience or expertise with many of the following programs or platforms: Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Word, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, HTML, Drupal or similar website content management systems, Facebook, Twitter. 
•Previous experience working in an office environment or in an outreach position is a plus.

Supervision:
This position will report to the CSF Coordinator. 

Job Hours and Pay Rate:
Start Date: Early-April
Hours/Times: 15-19.5, hours per week, Days/Times Negotiable
Compensation: $15 per hour
Deadline to Apply: April 7, 2017 or until filled
Encouraged 1-2 year commitment for consistency
Class Level: Sophomore, Junior
Desired Major(s): All Majors
Work Authorization: Currently authorized to work in the US on a full-time basis for any employer without restriction
Level of Experience: No experience required, 1-2 years related work experience
Salary Level: $15

For any questions please e-mail csfcoord@uw.edu and cc: uwcsf@uw.edu
 

As you may know, the Campus Sustainability Fund is a student run and funded grant organization that supports on-campus sustainability projects. Since 2010, we've proudly allocated over $1.7 million to 85 diverse project teams. Come by our Brainstorming Mixer to learn about active CSF projects and how to get involved yourself. The event will be Friday, March 3rd from 4-5pm in Odegaard Library ALC 136.

The first half of the event will be a "Mixer" in which featured CSF projects will have posters hung up and you can stroll around chatting with project leads to learn more about student sustainability work on campus. The second half of the event will be designated to a brainstorming activity in which project leads will help you develop ideas for how you can make an impact too! To check out the action from our Fall Brainstorming Mixer, flip through our Facebook photo albumn.

This is a great opportunity to get feedback before our application deadline on March 27th. This will be your last chance to apply for funds over $1,000 this academic year.

Email uwcsf@uw.edu with questions. RSVP via our Facebook Event.

Last spring the CSF awarded a grant to the ASUW Student Food Cooperative Bulk Buying Store and they are currently in their exciting pre-launch phase. The store will be located in the HUB and be stocked with a wide variety of locally sourced and affordable, non-perishable goods. They'd like student input regarding what goods to stock and hours to operate in order to serve the needs of every UW community member and make the bulk buying store an accessible space for the entire campus. Plus they're looking for volunteers! For more information on the ASUWSFC visit thier website or Facebook.

Please fill out their survey here.

All members of the UW community can submit a nomination on the UW Sustainability website by the March 1, 2017 deadline. Winners will be announced at the UW Earth Day celebrations in Red Square on April 21.

Nearly 300 students worked on CSF projects or with the CSF Office last year! In the interest of highlighting these committed students, each month we will be interviewing select CSF project leads, volunteers, alumni, staff and committee members.

Kayla Schick, Alumni

UW Graduation Year: 2015
Education: Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a Certificate in Environmental Management, B.A. Environmental Policy, B.A. Political Science
Favorite Outdoor Activity: Hiking and gardening
Former CSF Position: CSF Committee Chair

What inspired you to get involved with the CSF?
I wanted to be involved with the CSF because being around creative student ideas is one of the biggest learning opportunities you can have outside of your classes. You can learn so much about sustainability and the different projects and tools out there for addressing environmental problems and can begin to see how there is a sustainability component within everything.

I first learned about the CSF when I was an undergraduate at the University of Colorado; I had been very involved with the CU environmental center where students could help with sustainability planning, programs, and the Sustainable CU Grant Fund, which funded student projects with student money. As part of the Sustainable CU grant review committee, I worked on doing some benchmarking of other college sustainability funds throughout the country to see what we could be doing better; one of the programs I researched was the CSF and since I was starting grad school at the UW the next year—I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.

As soon as I got to the UW to start my Masters, I was determined to track down the CSF and learn how I could get involved. I ended up talking with the CSF Outreach Coordinator and learned about being a part of the Committee. I became a representative for the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) and spent an awesome two years as part of the CSF Committee!

How did the CSF help you get to where you are now?
My last job was with King County where I worked on the Rainwise Rebate program for rain gardens and cisterns. My involvement with the CSF had already given me an understating about what rain gardens were, because we had reviewed student proposals about bioswales, rain barrels, and water filtering, so this it was a helpful background to have when starting my new job.

Because of my experience from the CSF with managing and reviewing grant funds, I also started working on a couple grant programs that King County had. A big project popped up in our division, which required developing a new $1 million a year grant program and since I had a background working on grants, I was one of the people who was selected to lead the development of that program. Helping build this new program from the ground up was a huge career opportunity for me. We had to develop rules and criteria for it, create application materials, think about what questions to ask, and how the projects would be vetted. There were times where I would pull from CSF application materials, reflect on what was really valuable in reviewing CSF projects, and how we could incorporate those lessons into this new program. There was so much I learned from the CSF that gave me valuable examples of things that worked well and I was able to use that in developing the new program.

jo Blake, Project Lead

UW Graduation Year: 2017
Major: MFA Dance Program
Hometown: Everywhere and nowhere
CSF Project: Ballo Conservatio, meaning Dance Conservation.

What inspired you to get involved with the Campus Sustainability Fund?
I have worked with Steve Korn, the photographer, in the past and I thought the CSF would be a perfect opportunity for us to create a conversation about campus sustainability with the dancers from the dance program. The images that you see in our project deal with and offer ideas about our over-indulgence with natural resources.

What is something that you have learned going through this process?
With the help of a village dreams can become a reality.

Explain the ideas behind your images. 
We have overindulged with the plastic and the paper and cardboard boxes and compost. In the image titled “Debris,” you will see that the twins, Patrick and Kirby McDermot, our models, are contained within the debris. It shows that we are a piece of this, we have all added to it and the only way to get out of this is to put a hold on it. “Erosion” is this idea again, that because we have over-indulged in our water resources what we are left with is barren lands. Barren trees and soil that cannot take care of any vegetation that we need to survive. “Plastic” is us caught up in the plastic that we have created. This idea that we are trying to get out of our own mess and madness and what has happened is that the plastic is confining.

What message do you hope to convey in your work?
We were able to start this conversation with one another and really talk about what is sustainable. Why are we doing this? How can we keep this going? I think this is also a great way for this project to keep growing and growing and intensifying and seeing where Ball Conservatio can go. I’m really excited and proud and thankful for this project.

What is a challenge or reward you have experienced in implementing your project?
Time is ALWAYS a challenge, and time it ALWAYS the reward. NOW is that time to realize our difficult challenges and faults so that we can create change.

Raye Evrard, Project Lead

Want to get involved with sustainability work happening right on campus? Unsure of how to make an impact? Come by one of our CSF Pop-Up Information Sessions this quarter. We will be tabling outside the HUB and in the Odegaard lobby on Monday afternoons. Please come by to ask us questions and pick-up some CSF merch. We will be giving out water bottles and tote bags to students willing to put an idea on the brainstorming whiteboard.

Schedule:
Monday, January 20th, 2:30-3:30pm, HUB
Monday, February 6th, 2:30-3:30pm, Odegaard Lobby
Monday, February 13th, 4:00-5:00pm, HUB
Monday, February 27th, 2:30-3:30pm, Odegaard Lobby

Any questions? Email CSF Outreach Coordinator, Veronica Guenther, at uwcsf@uw.edu.

Our Spring deadline is confirmed for Monday, March 27th, 11:59pm. To receive funding by late May, apply here. This is your last chance during this academic year to apply for a CSF grant larger than $1,000. Our three month application process includes two phases: a preliminary Letter of Intent (LOI) and a Full Proposal contingent on LOI approval. Your LOI is meant to illustrate the general narrative of your idea and how your project work ties into the CSF Project Criteria. In order to submit an LOI, you do not need to have every implementation and budget detail worked out yet (however that does make your project feasibility more convincing). Our application process is designed to help you fine-tune larger scale project ideas and you can expect to recieve constructive feedback before subsequently creating your Full Proposal. If you have any questions, email CSF Outreach Coordinator Veronica Guenther at uwcsf@uw.edu. As a CSF student staff member, she does not vote on budget allocation, and therefore, she can help you as much as possible in crafting your application. Please reach out!

We also allocate funds to grants under $1,000 through our Mini Grant rolling cycle. Unlike our large grants process, Mini Grant applications are accepted anytime throughout the year and we guarentee a two week approval turnaround. This process is ideal for small capital projects and time-sensitive educational events.

We are looking for an undergraduate student to serve on the CSF Committee for the rest of this academic year! Each year, the CSF Committee is charged with allocating over $300,000 of student funds to on-campus sustainability projects. As a CSF Committee Member, you will have influence over both the development of specific projects and our organizational strategy in pursuing a more sustainable UW. Serving on the CSF Committee involves a ~3 hour weekly commitment spent at our weekly meeting, reviewing grant applications and helping out with CSF outreach. All students are encouraged to apply regardless of academic background or class standing. This position is officially appointed by the ASUW Board of Directors, so please fill out their application form to be considered.
For questions regarding the application, email ASUW Director of Community Relations Osman Salahuddin at asuwbdcr@uw.edu.
For questions regarding the CSF in general, email CSF Outreach Coordinator Veronica Guenther at uwcsf@uw.edu.

Deadline to Apply: Wednesday, January 18th, 11:45pm

Each year the student-run, student-funded UW Campus Sustainability Fund allocates over $300,000 to student, sustainability projects. Funds are allocated through two application processes: 1) our biannual large project cycle and 2) our under $1,000 "Mini Grant" rolling cycle.

Our biannual cycle accepts applications for grants between $1,000 and +$100,000 at the end of Fall and Winter quarter. Our Fall deadline is confirmed for Monday, November 28th at 11:59pm. To receive funding by March, apply here. If you're not prepared to submit this quarter, applications will be accepted a second and final time this academic year in March. Our biannual cycle's three month application process includes two phases: a preliminary Letter of Intent (LOI) and a Full Proposal contingent on LOI approval. Your LOI is meant to illustrate the general narrative of your idea and how your project work ties into the CSF Project Criteria. In order to submit an LOI, you do not need to have every implementation and budget detail worked out yet (however that does make your project feasibility more convincing). Our application process is designed to help you fine-tune larger scale project ideas and you can expect to recieve constructive feedback in subsequently creating your Full Proposal. If you have any questions, email CSF Outreach Coordinator Veronica Guenther at uwcsf@uw.edu. As a CSF student staff member, she does not sit on the CSF Committee and vote on budget allocation, and therefore, she can help you as much as possible in crafting your application. Please reach out!

We also allocate funds to grants under $1,000 through our Mini Grant rolling cycle. Unlike our large grants process, Mini Grant applications are accepted anytime throughout the year and we guarantee a two-week approval turnaround. This process is ideal for small capital projects and time-sensitive educational events.

Interested in getting more involved with the CSF? Become an Outreach Ambassador! As a volunteer with this program, you will work closely with the CSF Outreach Coordinator to expand the reach of the CSF across campus through outreach visits, tabling opportunities and other communication platforms. This position accommodates flexible schedules, is conveniently located on campus, and provides opportunities for both collaborative and individual work environments. Through this role you will greatly develop your environmental advocacy, public speaking, professional networking, communication and public relations skills. To be considered for this program, please fill out this survey AND send an email CSF Outreach Coordinator Veronica Guenther at uwcsf@uw.edu expressing your interest.

Nearly 300 students worked on CSF projects or with the CSF Office last academic year! In the interest of highlighting these committed students, each month we will be interviewing select CSF project leads, volunteers, alumni, staff and committee members.

Sunni Wissmer, Alumni

UW Graduation Year: 2015
Major: Community, Environment, and Planning
Minor: Astronomy
Hometown: Steilacoom, WA
Favorite Outdoor Activity: Sailing
What position did you hold when you worked with the CSF?
"Resident trouble-maker, but formally I had a number of positions. For a year I was the Student-Staff-Faculty liaison. I would go around trying to get people to start projects, which I had been doing before anyway. I also worked on the Husky Sustainable Storms and UW Solar projects; two of the largest infrastructure projects the CSF has funded. Lastly, I was on the CSF committee for a year.”

What takeaways do you have from working with the CSF?
"It taught me to just ask for what you really want and be genuine. Be professional, but be real. Just go out there and make friends. Climate change is too big of an enemy for us to not be on the same side. So, the more you can turn enemies into friends the better. It’s about showing people that you are not trying to make them look bad or show them up. You are not trying to challenge their authority. You are throwing a party and they are invited. Make it fun.”

What is your current job? 
“I am the Global Network Coordinator for the International Living Future Institute at the Bullitt Center. I work with the Living Future Network, which includes 690 professionals in 43 countries. Lots of different time zones. Lots of different ideologies of life. But we all have one thing in common: we want to fight climate change. And we feel that the best way to do that is to implement Living Building projects.
The Living Building Challenge is the most stringent green building standard in the world. The Bullitt Center is a Living Building and there are only 11 certified Living Buildings in the entire world. There are about 346 registered projects pursuing the certification. The program recognizes buildings that collect all their own water, all their own energy, and are made with healthy building materials. They can’t use any lead, PVC or asbestos. All those things are highly toxic and are known to cause cancer, and yet we build with them every day.
The Living Building Challenge is based on the idea of biomimicry. We as biological organisms have evolved as part of a system that is 3.8 billion years old. This system that we evolved within has certain chemicals, processes, and substances that our species has learnt to deal with. A huge part of why we are starting to see things like higher rates of autism, cancer, or multiple sclerosis is that we are now chemically creating materials, substances, and processes that we’ve never been exposed to before. We are forcing our bodies to do things they haven’t evolved to do like sit in an office chair all day in the dark. So why not design in a way that’s respectful of our biological need to fit in with our local ecology? That’s the whole idea behind living buildings."
To learn more about the International Living Future Institute or the Living Building Challenge, please visit living-future.org

Jordan Hoy, Project Lead

UW Graduation Year: 2017
Major: B.A Environmental Studies
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Favorite UW Class: ENVIR 240, The Urban Farm
CSF Project: Green Square: UW Tower Urban Garden Demonstration
What inspired you to get involved with CSF?
"This project is a good representation of my past 2 years at UW studying environmental studies and focusing on the social science aspect of the environmental movement. It's exciting that we can incorporate greenery into our environment, into our daily lives and the countless benefits it can bring. Our project team is trying to make urban agriculture really accessible. We hope people will see different permaculture techniques in our garden and think, “Wow, I can apply that to my backyard, or my little porch that I have, or the top of my boat, for example. I currently live on a boat, which has no yard whatsoever, so I would like to have some food production. I have a couple blueberry plants, but I am just getting started."

What's your takeaway from applying for a CSF grant?
"During the grant writing phase, it was all about the context that we presented. Key in our application was the context of the UW and the sustainable vision this institution wants to present to the outside world. The Green Square project is unique because the UW Tower is the face of the UW. Visitors come through our project space daily, and with the new light rail station,  it will experience even more exposure. So, it's very important for that little brick courtyard to express the sustainable values of the UW. We also addressed the larger context of our food system and unsustainable practices. The most effective way to learn about this is to look at our personal lifestyle choices. So we hope that people can take little techniques or aspects from our garden demonstration into their daily lives."

What advice would you give to other students interested in the CSF?
"If you see something that really needs to be done, go for it! The university is such a great platform for people who want to make a difference and the CSF is a great program to fund those activities. There are so many different exciting things that are going on because of CSF."

Gunnar Colleen, Project Lead

UW Graduation Year: 2017
Major: Public Health
Hometowns: Seattle, WA and Vienna, Austria
Favorite UW Class: CHID 480: Life in Excess: Waste, Want and the Politics of Surplus
CSF Project: ASUW Student Food Cooperative Bulk Buying Storefront
What inspired you to get involved with the CSF?
"At the co-op, one of our main goals is to move towards a sustainable food future. This is tied to many environmental and labor issues. We see the bulk-buying project as a somewhat small but completely concrete way to try and change the local food system in the university community. We are trying to connect students with sustainable, healthy food in a way that is affordable and accessible."

What is a challenge or reward you have experienced in implementing your project?
"There are both issues and rewards tied to moving beyond our small group and trying to be a larger entity. Right now we mostly do educational work, cooking workshops, and different things like that. Membership has been flexible, meaning students can come whenever they’re interested and help out when they can. Moving towards a concrete location with regular operating hours, we are going to have to completely change the way we organize ourselves. It will change our community."

In your own words, what is a cooperative?
"A democratic model for organizing an entity. Unlike most private businesses, you aren’t having someone at the top of the hierarchy making all of the decisions. In a cooperative, everyone is making the decisions together based on what each member can and wants to do. It’s a true community."

What advice would you give to other students interested in the CSF?
"If you have an idea, and you think you can do it, go for it. I was kind of cynical when one of our members went through the grant process because at that point we hadn’t made much progress with our plans. But everything worked out and we are moving forward with it. So biggest advice: go for it. Things only happen when someone does something to make them happen."