At a glance
Little Hong Kong 2026 is the Hong Kong Student Association’s largest annual event, bringing the… Read full summary
- Funding received
- 2025-2026
- Mini
- Awarded
- $3,630
- Funding partners
-
- Services and Activities Fee (SAF)
- Website & social links
Little Hong Kong 2026 is the Hong Kong Student Association’s largest annual event, bringing the energy and culture of Hong Kong to the UW community through Cantonese food, interactive games, and traditional performances including Lion Dance and martial arts. The event provides a space for cultural celebration, education, and community building. The project also promotes social sustainability by creating an inclusive space for Cantonese-speaking students and opportunities for the broader UW community to engage with Hong Kong culture. CSF funds support space reservations and an honorarium for a cultural performer.
Little Hong Kong 2026 is the Hong Kong Student Association’s (HKSA) largest annual event, taking place on May 23, 2026, at the UW HUB Ballroom. The event brings the energy of Hong Kong to campus through Cantonese food, interactive games inspired by city landmarks, and cultural performances such as Lion Dance and martial arts. It is both a celebration of culture and an opportunity for the UW community to learn more about Hong Kong traditions.
While many Asian and cultural student organizations at UW focus mainly on celebrating heritage and building community, environmental sustainability is not always a central part of event planning. Large cultural events often involve food service, decorations, and high attendance, which can create a lot of waste. With support from the Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF), HKSA wants to intentionally change that approach by showing that cultural celebration and sustainability can go hand in hand.
CSF funding will help us reduce waste and make the event more environmentally responsible. We plan to use compostable or reusable food containers and utensils, set up clearly labeled compost and recycling stations, and train volunteers to help guests sort their waste correctly. We will also invest in reusable decorations that can be saved and used again for future HKSA events instead of buying single-use materials each year. In addition, we will prioritize digital promotion and ticketing to reduce paper use and carefully plan food quantities to prevent unnecessary food waste.
This project supports sustainability at UW in two important ways. First, it reduces the environmental impact of a large student event and creates a model that other cultural organizations can follow. Second, it supports social sustainability by creating a welcoming space for Cantonese-speaking students while inviting the broader campus community to engage in cultural exchange.
The project will include three stages: planning sustainable logistics, hosting the event with active waste management, and reviewing outcomes afterward to improve future events. Through Little Hong Kong 2026, HKSA hopes to lead by example and show that student cultural events can celebrate identity while also protecting our campus environment.
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HUB
Aurysia Wingnan Ko
Project lead
- aurysia@uw.edu
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 0 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- HKSA
Rick Young
RSO Advisor
- ryoung95@uw.edu
- Affiliation and department
- RSO Advisor
Request amount and budget
Plans for financial longevity
After CSF funding ends, the sustainability improvements from Little Hong Kong 2026 will continue through HKSA’s regular event planning and budget. Any reusable items purchased with CSF support, such as decorations, signage, or sustainability materials, will be stored and used again for future events. This will reduce waste and lower costs in the long term.
We will also keep a written guide that explains how we planned the sustainable parts of the event, including vendor contacts for compostable materials, waste station setup, and budget notes. Future HKSA boards can use this guide when planning Little Hong Kong or other large events, so they do not have to start from scratch.
Once the initial investment is made in reusable materials and better waste planning, future costs should be smaller and easier to manage through HKSA’s normal funding sources, such as ticket sales, sponsorships, and campus grants. Our goal is to make sustainable event planning a regular part of HKSA’s culture, not something that depends on CSF funding every year.
Planning for Little Hong Kong 2026 will begin in January 2026 with confirming the HUB Ballroom reservation, meeting with our fiscal administrator, outlining our sustainability goals, and drafting the event budget. During this time, we will begin reaching out to food vendors and performance groups. In February and March, we will finalize vendors, prioritizing those who can support compostable or reusable materials, and coordinate with HUB Event Services and UW Facilities to plan proper waste diversion stations. We will also order compostable food ware and reusable decorations, design digital marketing materials, and recruit volunteers with specific roles for sustainability support.
In April, we will launch digital promotion through social media and campus channels and open digital ticket registration to reduce paper use. Volunteers will receive training on event logistics and proper waste sorting procedures. We will confirm food quantities carefully to reduce food waste and finalize the event schedule. In early May, we will confirm vendor delivery times, prepare reusable décor items, review the waste station layout and signage, and hold a final team meeting to ensure all sustainability measures are in place.
On May 23, 2026, during the event, volunteers will manage clearly labeled compost, recycling, and landfill stations to help attendees sort waste properly. We will monitor food distribution to avoid excess waste and document sustainability practices and attendance. After the event, in late May and early June, we will review waste outcomes, gather feedback, document lessons learned, and submit required reports to CSF and other funding partners to improve future HKSA events.
Plans for long-term project management
This is the first time an HKSA President has identified and pursued CSF funding for Little Hong Kong. While previous boards focused mainly on cultural programming and community building, this opportunity has encouraged us to think more intentionally about sustainability and long-term impact. We see this not just as funding for one event, but as a shift in how HKSA approaches event planning moving forward.
To ensure continuity after current leaders graduate, we will document all sustainability practices introduced this year, including waste diversion setup, vendor choices, compostable material sourcing, and reusable décor inventory. These materials will be saved in our shared drive and formally reviewed during leadership transition meetings.
HKSA operates with annual board elections, and underclassmen are actively involved in event committees so they gain experience before taking leadership roles. By involving younger members in both planning and sustainability discussions, we are helping them understand that sustainability is not just about one event—it is a responsibility that can be carried forward each year.
Our goal is for future HKSA boards to view sustainable planning as a standard practice rather than an optional addition.
Problem statement
Large cultural student events at UW, including our own past events, have traditionally focused on food, performances, and community experience. However, in previous years, there has not been a strong focus on food container sustainability or proper recycling and composting systems. Most attention went toward making the event successful and culturally engaging, while waste management was not intentionally planned.
As a result, single-use food containers and utensils were often used without clear systems to ensure they were composted or recycled correctly. This reflects a broader pattern among many student organizations, where sustainability is not always built into event logistics from the beginning.
Through planning Little Hong Kong 2026, we recognized this gap based on our own experience organizing events. We realized that sustainability should not be an afterthought but part of the foundation of event planning. This project aims to address that issue by intentionally focusing on compostable materials, proper waste sorting, and reusable decorations. Our goal is to shift HKSA’s event culture so that environmental responsibility becomes a standard practice moving forward.
Problem context
UW already has strong sustainability systems in place, including campus-wide composting and recycling programs, guidance from UW Facilities, and funding support through the Campus Sustainability Fund. Many academic departments and sustainability-focused student groups actively promote environmental responsibility. However, large cultural student events are not always fully connected to these existing systems in a structured way.
Our project builds on UW’s current waste diversion infrastructure by intentionally integrating it into a major cultural event. Rather than creating a new sustainability program, Little Hong Kong 2026 will use and highlight the systems that already exist on campus, such as compost collection and waste sorting standards. By coordinating with HUB Event Services and UW Facilities, we aim to ensure proper waste setup and align our event with campus sustainability guidelines.
This proposal complements existing initiatives by extending sustainability practices into cultural student spaces that may not have previously prioritized them. By modeling responsible event planning within HKSA and sharing our approach with peer organizations, we hope to strengthen collective action and encourage more student groups to actively participate in UW’s broader sustainability efforts.
Measure the impacts
| Impact / goal | Metric(s) of success | UW stakeholders impacted |
|---|---|---|
| One of the main goals of Little Hong Kong 2026 is to reduce the environmental impact of a large-scale cultural event. By using compostable or reusable food ware, clearly labeled waste stations, and trained volunteers to assist with sorting, we aim to incr | At least 70% of event waste diverted to compost or recycling 100% compostable or reusable food service materials used. | Undergraduate, Graduate, Alumni, Admin staff |
| Many cultural and Asian student organizations focus on heritage and community-building, but sustainability is not always built into event planning. Through this project, HKSA aims to demonstrate how cultural events can intentionally include environmental | 1 sustainability event framework documented and shared Engagement with at least 5 student organizations interested in sustainable event practices Reusable décor stored for use in future HKSA events | Undergraduate, Graduate, Alumni, Academic staff, Admin staff |
| Impact 3: Strengthen Social Sustainability and Cultural Belonging Little Hong Kong supports social sustainability by creating a welcoming space for students from Cantonese-speaking regions while inviting the broader UW community to engage in cultural exch | 300 attendees from diverse backgrounds Participation from both undergraduate and graduate students Post-event feedback showing increased cultural awareness and sense of belonging | Undergraduate, Graduate, Alumni, Academic staff, Admin staff |
Communication tactics and tools
To promote Little Hong Kong 2026 and its sustainability focus, HKSA will use multiple communication channels to reach a broad UW audience. Digital promotion will include Instagram posts and Reels, our website, and campus newsletters. In addition, we will distribute printed flyers at local community hubs such as the Chinatown community center, the Asian Service Center in Edmonds, and participating restaurants. These combined digital and community-based strategies help reach both UW students and the broader local community while keeping paper use minimal.
During the event, signage will be placed at food stations to guide proper composting, recycling, and landfill disposal. Volunteers will assist attendees with waste sorting and explain the environmental impact of their choices. Announcements before performances will highlight the sustainability initiatives, encouraging engagement and awareness.
After the event, we will share outcomes and lessons learned through HKSA Instagram, email updates to student organizations, and reports to UW Facilities and the CSF. This will include data on waste diversion, reusable materials, and attendee engagement. These tactics ensure sustainability messages are clear before, during, and after the event while providing a model for other student organizations to adopt responsible practices.
Outreach communication plan
Little Hong Kong 2026 will be promoted through digital channels, including social media, campus newsletters, and the HUB event calendar, minimizing paper use. During the event, volunteers will engage attendees with signage and brief announcements about sustainable practices, such as composting and recycling. Post-event, we will share outcomes, including waste diversion results and lessons learned, with UW Facilities, CSF, and other student organizations. This approach benefits students, graduate students, cultural RSOs, and the broader UW community by raising awareness of sustainability in student-led events and providing a model for future responsible programming.
Student involvement
Little Hong Kong 2026 will provide hands-on opportunities for students to gain experience in event planning, sustainability, and community engagement. Volunteers from HKSA, as well as partnering RSOs such as the Korean Student Association and the Chinese Student and Scholar Association (CSA), will assist with event setup, waste sorting, and guest engagement. Underclassmen will work alongside executive board members, receiving mentorship in leadership, budgeting, and sustainability practices. This collaboration gives students practical skills in project management, cross-cultural teamwork, and sustainable event operations that they can carry into future campus initiatives.