You are here

Projects Updates for key objective: No name

  1. Vision Zero Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build Resilience with Our Local Community
    Vision Zero

    iCAP 8.6 Vision Zero Meeting 9/29/2021 

    Present: Sarthak Prasad, Stacey DeLorenzo, Stacy Gloss

    Background: 8.6 [F&S] Support Vision Zero as a county-wide goal for safe and sustainable transportation.   Coordinate with Professor Benekohal, the City of Urbana Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC), and F&S Transportation Demand Management to identify actions needed to support Vision Zero  Deliverable: white paper identifying key steps needed by 11/15/21

    Sarthak and Stacey shared details about Key existing organizations:  Urbana BPAC, CUUATS, Campus Transportation Demand Management, and CTAC.

    Off campus staff would participate on a Vision Zero taskforce if it forms, would provide input ona Vision Zero Action Plan, continue to represent campus at BPAC and at CUUATS.

    Community contacts were identified.

    Potential next steps:

    • Sarthak set up meeting with Dr. Benekoha and Stacy Gloss for updates
    • Set a meeting to discuss white paper discussing tasks for supporting Vision Zero
    • Reach out to Vision Zero to discuss a Vision Zero Campus Designation – Can this be made real?

  3. Green Jobs Introduction and Background Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build Resilience with Our Local Community
    Green Jobs

    10/5/2021

    Present: Stacy Gloss and Eric Green

    Background:

    8.5 [iSEE] By FY23, collaborate with colleges and community groups to inventory existing certification opportunities for green jobs and identify gaps.

      • Review findings from student research about green job opportunities
      • Assist iSEE staff to complete this inventory
        • Deliverable: provide inventory content to iSEE communications team by 1/31/22
        • Deliverable: update iCAP Portal inventory page with link to iSEE page by 3/15/22

    Meeting Notes:

    Stacy and Eric discussed a wide range of topics related to green jobs including the background and tasks related to iSEE 8.5.  Connection was made that Objective 8.5 is linked by category of “green jobs” to:

    iCAP Objective 6.4 - “Develop a sustainability internship program through partnering with businesses, nonprofits, local government, and cultural institutions in Central Illinois. The total number of internships awarded will be reported each year.” The responsible campus unit for championing this objective is iSEE. Progress is tracked in the iCAP Portal project page for the Sustainability Internship Program

    iCAP Objective 6.5 ““Partner with The Career Center and potentially other career offices in FY22 to help students explore and discover career opportunities that are connected to professional interests and goals related to sustainability. Incorporate a sustainability component at a minimum of two events beginning in FY22.” The responsible campus unit for championing this objective is Career Center with the support of iSEE. Progress is tracked in the iCAP Portal project page for Sustainability at Career Fairs.”

    In Spring 2021, Carissa Mysliwiec was as ENVS 491: Campus Sustainability Intern who worked with instructor Eric Green to focus on designing a sustainability internship program as part of Objective 6.4.

    In our discussion we talked about high-level barriers to internship programs:

    • Interns need significant guidance
    • Pay is an issue, who will pay $3,000 - $4,000 for a summer intern?
    • Businesses don’t always identify sustainability needs 

    We also discussed the challenges of identifying green jobs for the purposes of a creating a green-jobs fair or a sustainable jobs fair. What identifies green jobs? This topic should be explored further.  Talk to SECS, perhaps? How are students defining green jobs today?

    During the conversation Stacy pitched an entry-level paid program (post-graduation internship?) to be staffed for 1-2 years by recent graduates to help organizations build capacity, set targets and meet goals. This would be full-time work in lower-level/entry-level positions that serve as a spring board to sustainability careers.

    Stacy presented a Green Certifications Excel document she started working on.  Next steps would be to ask for campus & community input to answer questions such as:  Are these certifications offered here @UIUC or locally?  Who from campus is involved, can be a contact, or serve as a resource? What kind of jobs do people get with the certifications? Who hires locally? How do we prevent locally trained folks from leaving, what incentives are there to stay once advanced certifications are achieved?

    Eric will see if there are any students that might want to do some of the legwork involved in bolstering the green certifications list.

    We'll stay in touch and set up a meeting for about a month from now.

  4. Adding Projects

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability iCAP Portal

    Upon Sarthak Prasad's request to give project addition privileges to Liz Mendoza-Hernandez, Morgan White laid out a process to add projects upon Liz's request.

    1. Email Morgan, Meredith, and Sarthak with a strong project description, and the proposed new iCAP Project location in the hierarchy 

    2. Meredith and/or Morgan will confirm the placement in the hierarchy. 

    3. Sarthak will add a blank private project as a placeholder and email Liz. 

    4. Liz or anyone in the SSC with access with fill in the project information and change it to public. 

  6. Celebrate Campus Sustainability Month in October!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)
    Campus Sustainability Month - Waste Reduction Challenge
    Campus Sustainability Month

    iSEE invites you to a series of events throughout October to increase sustainability in our campus community. Take part in the Waste Reduction Challenge, join us for Green Quad Day (Oct. 7), or check out the first Student Sustainability Summit Research Symposium (Oct. 26)! And don’t miss the Campus Sustainability Celebration on Oct. 20. Find all the events on iSEE’s Sustainability Month Calendar!

    October 1–31

    Celebrate Campus Sustainability Month in October!

  7. Portal Project Proposition

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build a Culture of Sustainability

    Hi Morgan,

     

    I have another Portal project proposition. For the Sustainability/Arts work, what do you think about a project on the Engagement page under “Build a Culture of Sustainability” called “Sustainability Art Displays”?

    Thanks!

    Meredith

    --------------------------------------------
    “There are a lot of dreamers – dreaming is very important, but it’s really the dreamer and the doer. You’ve got to be the doer.” –Will Steger  

    MEREDITH MOORE
    Sustainability Programs Manager 

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)
    1101 W Peabody Drive (Suite 382), Urbana, IL, 61801
    217.333.0119 | mkm0078 at illinois.edu
    www.sustainability.illinois.edu
     
    signature_2127019860

  8. Student Partner Meeting for EJ Plan

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build Resilience with Our Local Community
    Environmental Justice Plan

    Student Meeting: Design for America Team Meeting  10/1/2021

    Present: Pooja Tetali, Ananya Barman, Kosh Raghavarapu, Anisha Narain, Meredith Moore, Eric Greene, Stacy Gloss

    About DFA:

    Design for America is national nonprofit and a campus RSO that meets on Sundays to talk about Design Thinking principals. This is one DFA Team out of 5 Teams part of the RSO.  There are 30-ish people w/ a 6 person exec board locally. Exec board helps keep track and teaches design thinking. Interviewing skills. Ideation.  One project was: Racism Un-taught, working with professor to interview RSOs about a standard/playbook/rule book to minimize racism within RSOs. Another was working with Illinois Department of Health App for breastfeeding people. Projects vary between technical and research.

    This team meets once a week. They are happy to meet once a week or every 2 weeks. They have a couple hours to respond to emails and put together documents, so a few hours a week each. DFA projects typically last 1 year, academic year through May.

    The topics they are interested in are environmental racism, campus/community relations, campus/university effect/impact on communities, environmental science, collection action & collaboration. Two members worked on transportation system mapping in US previously and had been connected to iCAP goals / campus transportation goals.

    Potential Project Opportunities:

    Initial Research for Environmental Justice Planning.

    The initial research will help to inform the planning that goes into developing an Environmental Justice Plan. The project will eventually lead to a road map or planning document to guide the campus EJP.

    1. Funding for EJPlans and Implementation
    2. What Universities have Environmental Justice Plans?
    3. What community EJP’s exist that would be a resource or model for a campus-lead EJP?
    4. What Universities initiated Environmental Justice Plans in or for their communities? What are or were the barriers and opportunities for collaboration with their communities?

    Green Infrastructure Mapping:

    1. Green infrastructure mapping as part of the Green Infrastructure Resilience Goal

    Tasks:

    Schedule a follow-up meeting and communicate via email between meetings. Students will need to select the project they are interested in and report how they feel they can best contribute to the project(s).

  12. SSC Final Report: Local Grains and Locally Processed Foods for Dining Services

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainable Agricultural Practices
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    SSC received final report for Spring 2021 for Local Grains and Locally Processed Foods for Dining Services project on 09/27/2021. Please see attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  13. Transportation iCAP Team September 2021 Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Sustainably Manage Transportation Systems
    Reduce Driving on Campus
    Commuter Program: Bus, Bike, and Hike
    Encourage Telecommuting

    The Transportation iCAP team met via zoom from 9:00 A.M.-10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, September 29th. This meeting featured an update on proposed telecommuting policies from Doctor James Gallaher, discussions on the iCAP Objectives Assessment and iCAP celebration, and a general review of the goals and projects of the committee.

    Attached Files: 

  14. Engagement iCAP Team First Meeting of the Fall Semester

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach
    Engagement iCAP Team

    The Engagement iCAP Team met on Wednesday, September 29 for the first time this fall semester. During the meeting, members discussed the team mission, updates on all 6 iCAP 2020 objectives, and the iCAP 2021 Objective Assessment. Meeting minutes are attached below.

    Attached Files: 

  15. Table Installed and Inspected, Waiting on Solar Panel Installation

    Associated Project(s): 
    InSPIRE Solar Powered Outdoors Table (SPOT)
    Solar Power on Campus

    A Belson recycled picnic table was installed and inspected.

    The solar panels for the table are yet to be installed.

     

    Pictures of the table are attached below.

    The email regarding this event is also attached below.

    Attached Files: 

  17. ELP Registration opens next week!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Environmental Leadership Program (ELP)

    ELP Registration Opens Next Week! Interested in an environmental career? Starting Oct. 4 you can register for iSEE's new Environmental Leadership Program (ELP), designed to prepare Illinois undergraduates for leadership roles in the sustainability field. In the Spring 2022 program, participants will learn about policy-making at the local and state levels, develop real-world environmental policies, and present proposals to decision-makers in Springfield and Urbana-Champaign. Participation is free, including travel expenses to Springfield during spring break. Students from all backgrounds, class standings, and majors can apply! Stay tuned for details on our website >>>

  20. Carbon Offsets - RFP

    Associated Project(s): 
    Utilize Carbon Credits

    Below is an email exhange discussing Carbon Offsets RFP:

    Hi Aaron,

     

    I hope you are well! Looking at our old files, back in 2016 it would appear we sent out an RFP in order to purchase carbon offsets. Attached is the document that Ben McCall filled out at that time.

     

    We are once again interested in purchasing carbon offsets, and I am a little unsure how to get started. Is filling out this document the same route that we should go in order to start moving forward with the process?

     

    Thank you in advance!

    Meredith

    -------------------------------------

    Hi Meredith,

     

    It looks like we did execute a Bid, 1HJH1707, in March of 2017 that was awarded to EcoAct Inc. on June 8, 2017 for $45,200.

     

    In order to start any type of solicitation process, you’re correct that we will need the Competitive Solicitation Request form with a place holding Banner requisition with your estimated cost.

     

    I should note that the Small Purchase Threshold has since been increased to $100,000. Do you anticipate the cost to exceed this amount?  

     

    Aaron M Finder, mba cppb

    -----------------------------------------

     

Pages