At a glance
The Climate Solutions Summit (CSS) 2025, hosted by Net Impact Undergraduate and ReThink, is a two-day,… Read full summary
- Funding received
- 2024-2025
- Mini
- Awarded
- $565
- Funding partners
-
- Services and Activities Fee (SAF)
- Website & social links
The Climate Solutions Summit (CSS) 2025, hosted by Net Impact Undergraduate and ReThink, is a two-day, student-led event on May 2–3, 2025, at UW’s Dempsey and Founders Halls. Centered on the theme “Representation in the Climate Space,” the Summit will bring together 150+ students, professionals, and policymakers for keynotes, panels, networking, and a case competition focused on advancing equity in sustainability. With programming that uplifts diverse voices and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, CSS 2025 offers students a high-impact, experiential learning opportunity while contributing to UW’s mission of equity, climate justice, and inclusive leadership.
The Climate Solutions Summit (CSS) 2025, hosted by Net Impact Undergraduate and ReThink, is a two-day, student-led event dedicated to advancing innovative, intersectional climate solutions. The Summit aims to convene over 150 students, professionals, and policymakers to collaboratively address environmental challenges, with a particular focus on enhancing representation and equity in the climate space. The event will take place on May 2-3, 2025, at the University of Washington’s Dempsey Hall and Founders Hall.
This year’s theme, "Representation in the Climate Space," focuses on uplifting diverse voices in environmental work. Through a day-long leadership summit and a competitive, solutions-driven case competition, CSS 2025 will provide a platform for interdisciplinary learning, ideation, and action. Programming includes a keynote fireside chat with Amazon CSO Kara Hurst, a panel on environmental justice, and networking activities that connect students with climate leaders from academia, industry, and public policy.
CSF funding will support key logistical components of the Summit, including venue rentals and promotional materials. Funding will also support the case competition, which tasks 16 undergraduate teams with developing real-world strategies to promote gender equity within sustainability efforts. Finalists will present their solutions to a panel of judges, and the best ideas will be shared with local organizations for potential implementation.
CSS 2025 builds on the success of the previous two Summits, which explored distributed solar access in underserved communities. This year, we are scaling the initiative by incorporating intersectionality and systemic change into the core problem-solving framework, ensuring a deeper and broader approach to sustainability at UW and beyond. It complements existing campus programs focused on equity, climate justice, and interdisciplinary learning, while offering students a high-impact, experiential learning opportunity.
By connecting diverse stakeholders and emphasizing inclusive climate leadership, CSS 2025 contributes meaningfully to UW’s sustainability mission and prepares students to lead with empathy, innovation, and purpose in the face of the climate crisis.
Ava Vaughn
Project lead
- avajane@uw.edu
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 2 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- Net Impact UW
Foster School of Business
School
- vhday@uw.edu
- Affiliation and department
- Foster School of Business
Frank Hodge
Endorsement
- fhodge@uw.edu
- Affiliation and department
- Foster School of Business
Gus Williams
Endorsement
- Gus.Williams@seattle.gov
- Affiliation and department
- City of Seattle
Request amount and budget
Plans for financial longevity
After CSF funding ends, the CSS will continue as an annual, student-led event supported by Net Impact Undergraduate and ReThink UW. While CSF funds will help scale this year’s Summit - covering outreach, materials, and accessibility support - future events will be sustained through a mix of organizational fundraising, campus partnerships, and sponsorships from mission-aligned companies and departments.
A key output of this year’s project will be a CSS Planning Toolkit, including a detailed timeline, budgeting templates, outreach strategies, and case competition frameworks. This resource will be maintained and updated annually to ensure institutional knowledge is passed on.
The relationships built with faculty, staff, and community partners will also provide long-term support. Since no physical installations or equipment are part of the project, maintenance needs are minimal. Instead, the focus is on strengthening an ongoing network of students and professionals committed to justice-centered climate leadership on campus and beyond.
Friday, May 2nd, 2025: Climate Solutions Summit Convention
12:00 pm: Doors Open & Food Available
12:30 pm: Introduction
12:45 pm: Perspectives on Environmental Justice
1:15 pm: Programming Break
1:30 pm: Structured Discussion and Lunch
2:00 pm: Keynote Speaker
2:30 pm: Conclusion
2:45 pm: Networking
3:30 pm: Close Doors
Saturday, May 3rd, 2025: Case Competition
Morning, Case Competition Preliminaries
Coffee and pastries provided, 64 students (16 teams), 12 judges
9:30 am: Judge Briefing
10:00 am: Flight 1
10:30 am: Flight 2
11:00 am: Flight 3
11:30 am: Flight 4
12:00 pm: Deliberation and Lunch
1:00 pm: Finalists Announced
Afternoon, Case Competition Finals
Lunch provided, 4 teams (top of each flight), 3 judges
1:30 pm: Judge Briefing
2:00 pm: Final Round Presentations
4:00 pm: Deliberation
4:30 pm: Announcement of Winners
5:00 pm: Closing
Plans for long-term project management
To ensure the CSS continues beyond current leadership, we’ve embedded the event within two active student organizations: Net Impact Undergraduate and ReThink UW. Both have strong officer transition systems and recruit underclassmen early to ensure leadership continuity.
Each year, a planning committee of younger students works closely with current organizers, gaining experience to lead future Summits. We're also creating a CSS Planning Handbook with timelines, contacts, and budget notes to support smooth transitions.
Faculty and staff advisors from the Foster School of Business and UW Sustainability provide ongoing institutional support, ensuring continuity even as students graduate. This layered approach - student mentorship, documentation, and staff guidance - positions the CSS as a sustainable, long-term initiative on campus.
Problem statement
The CSS addresses a critical gap at UW: the lack of student-centered, justice-oriented programming that amplifies diverse voices in climate leadership. While the university offers sustainability-related courses and research opportunities, students - especially those from historically excluded communities - often lack accessible platforms to engage in interdisciplinary climate problem-solving rooted in equity.
This project was born from student organizers’ lived experiences navigating sustainability spaces that often center Western, technocratic approaches and overlook the social and cultural dimensions of climate work. The CSS seeks to shift this dynamic by creating a high-impact space where students learn from BIPOC leaders, challenge dominant narratives, and explore intersectional approaches to climate justice.
Informed by past events and feedback, we recognize that climate action on campus must evolve beyond infrastructure and emissions to include representation, cultural knowledge, and inclusive collaboration. The CSS is designed to meet this need - bridging academic, grassroots, and professional perspectives to shape the next generation of sustainability leaders at UW.
Problem context
The CSS complements and strengthens UW’s growing ecosystem of sustainability initiatives by filling a unique role: a student-led, interdisciplinary event that centers equity, representation, and creative problem-solving. While UW Sustainability, the Campus Sustainability Fund, and various departments offer valuable resources and programming, few initiatives focus on student-driven, justice-oriented climate leadership at scale.
The CSS builds on the momentum of past climate programming - such as Earth Day events, the UW Sustainability Action Plan, and the Burke Museum’s community-based work - by offering a space for cross-campus collaboration and dialogue across disciplines, identities, and sectors. We intentionally partner with campus groups like the Program on the Environment, Foster ESG Club, and UW’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion offices to co-create content and invite broader participation.
By embedding the CSS within Net Impact Undergraduate and ReThink UW, the event aligns with the University’s goals for student empowerment, equity, and community impact. The CSS doesn’t duplicate existing efforts - it amplifies them, providing a cohesive platform that links theory with action, and inspires sustained student engagement in climate justice.
Measure the impacts
| Impact / goal | Metric(s) of success | UW stakeholders impacted |
|---|---|---|
| 150 students engaged | 150 students engaged | Undergraduate, Graduate |
| 30 staff engaged | 50 staff engaged | Academic staff, Admin staff |
| 10 alumni engaged | 10 alumni engaged | Alumni |
Communication tactics and tools
- To maximize engagement and accessibility, we’ll use a mix of digital and in-person communication tactics. Our primary outreach tools will include Instagram and LinkedIn, where we’ll share event announcements, speaker spotlights, and case competition details. We’ll also utilize email newsletters from sustainability-related departments, UW Sustainability, and student org listservs to target interested students and faculty directly.
We plan to host classroom shout-outs and visit relevant courses across disciplines to connect with students where they already are. Additionally, we’ll collaborate with campus groups like the Program on the Environment, College of the Environment student orgs, Foster ESG Club, and DEI offices to amplify our messaging and ensure inclusive participation.
Leading up to the Summit, we’ll host tabling events to increase visibility, answer questions, and build excitement. During the event, we’ll document the experience through photos, live social posts, and video content. Post-event, we’ll share highlights and outcomes through a recap post and a public-facing CSS Toolkit to inspire future student-led climate programming. These combined tactics will ensure a wide reach across the UW community while emphasizing accessibility, representation, and sustained impact.
Outreach communication plan
We will promote the CSS through a coordinated outreach strategy that includes social media, campus newsletters, class visits, and partnerships with student organizations and academic departments. Special focus will be placed on engaging BIPOC students, first-generation students, and interdisciplinary groups to ensure broad representation. After the event, we’ll share key insights, speaker highlights, and competition outcomes through recap posts, a published event report, and a CSS Toolkit. Our deliverables will benefit the entire UW community, especially students seeking inclusive, justice-centered pathways into climate leadership.
Student involvement
Yes, the CSS provides multiple avenues for student professional development. Planning committee members gain hands-on experience in event coordination, budgeting, outreach, and partnership building. The case competition challenges students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world climate issues, fostering teamwork, innovation, and public speaking skills. Overall, the CSS is designed to equip students with the tools, networks, and experience needed for climate-focused careers and leadership roles.