The Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Colleges profiles 320 institutions of higher education in the United States and two in Canada that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation. The 232-page guide is the only free, comprehensive, annually updated guide to green colleges.
The Natual Resources Building is the site of another native species planting project, both in front of the building and behind it on Pennsylvania Avenue. This project is funded by the Student Sustaianability Project.
Each year, Sierra, the official magazine of the Sierra Club, ranks America's most environmentally responsible and forward-looking colleges and universities in its annual "Cool Schools" issue. Now in its seventh year, this list and the stories surrounding it draw national media attention from such outlets as the New York Times, CNN, NPR, Huffington Post, and many others. It is, by far, the magazine’s most talked about feature of the year.
Since 1987, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) has presented Governor's awards to organizations in Illinois that have demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through outstanding and innovative sustainability practices.
In late 2011, the Office of Sustainability submitted an application for the University of Illinois to the Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards program. Illinois was selected as a finalist and was requested to make a video showcasing sustainability efforts at the University. Illinois faculty, staff, and students expressed great pride for the video, which received the most votes (2,038) for Illinois' Carnegie classification.
The Illinois Campus Sustainability Compact outlines environmental goals for higher education institutions. The Compact encourages universities and colleges within the state to integrate sustainable practices throughout their campuses and work towards objectives such as purchasing renewable energy, implementing green building practices, and incorporating sustainable dining practices. The Governor’s Office recognizes achievement at the bronze, silver and gold levels. Illinois has been recognized at the Gold Level!
The Alvin H. Baum Family Fund supported the Center for a Sustainable Environment (CSE) through a generous donation. The contribution was in support of the Center for a Sustainable Environment at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
John Francis Pizzo and Pizzo & Associates, Ltd. granted the University of Illinois Foundation and Board of Trustees design services, seed, and labor for the creation of a prairie zone at the corner of Florida Avenue and Orchard Street in Urbana. The gift was estimated to be a $20,000 value.
One simple and frequent method for spreading safety information related to bicycles is a printed or digital poster. As campus transitions to more and more digital signs, the bicycle education materials are transitioning to digital displays. This reduces paper waste, with a minimal increase in energy use.
The cities of Urbana and Champaign worked together to produce a bicycle education video to introduce the public to the bicycle infrastructure that is being installed around both cities and to teach motorists and bicyclists how to interact with each other on the road.
This 14 minute video, entitled C-U Sharing the Road was filmed on local C-U streets and features many local C-U bicyclists. The video was filmed, edited, and produced by Urbana Public Television.
Topics covered in the program include:
