On the agenda at the ECBS SWATeam meeting:

1) Status of our recommendations to iWG;

2) Review of Illini Lights Out over the past year;

3) Any final thoughts, recommendations for Eco-Olympics;

4) Progress on building energy standards;

5) Updates on the revolving loan fund (RLF) projects;

6) Turning off computers.  Change in policy, at least at F&S.  Implications for Certified Green Office Program? 

7) Building level energy consumption report summary;

8) Good-byes and thanks to departing members.

Attached are the results with the closing letter. 

Hello team members,

You have worked hard to make a difference in your hall by creating awareness and influencing behavioral change during the Eco-Olympics competition. Now it’s time for your recognition, we have worked with the Chancellor’s office to bring you Leadership Certificates for your stewardship and positive impact on campus. See the attached certificate for a preview.

Please RSVP by Monday April 17th at midnight  if you would like to add this certificate to your achievements in outstanding leadership on campus.

Thank you for an Awesome job and keep up the Great work!

Jessica Mondello

Eco-Olympics | Director

Think Globally. Act Locally

Hey everyone!

Just 5 days left! Plenty of time to make a significant change. Nugent, you're so close to Taft, catch them! Trelease and Van Doren battle for 3rd! Halls in the red, don't give up. With a group of friends, walk around the hall a couple times this week and flip lights off. Wardall turn your A/C off.

Here are some reminders:

• Take pictures of your efforts! Programs, posted fliers or energy tips, your team in your shirts, anything advertising the competition. Post them on our wall or tag us @EcoOlympicsUIUC
• Big energy suckers are A/C units, mini fridges, heating cold water, and hair driers/straighteners. Unplug your fridge, wash your clothes in cold water, and go all natural for the next week.
• We have shirts left! Let me know if you want yours!

Check out the live results, here.

Best,

Jessica Mondello

Eco-Olympics | Director

Think Globally. Act Locally.

Hello everyone!

We have one week left, it's time to kick into overdrive! Here are some reminders:

• Hosting short events like study hours are easy, require little set up, and allow you to inform a ton of residents about Eco-Olympics.
• There is a participation award this year. Even if your hall is doing so hot conserving energy, there is more than one way to win!
  • Post picture to our FB page, get people to sign up, hold events!
• SHIRTS! Shirts are a great way to advertise the competition at events. Let me know if you need yours!

Check out the results here: Right here!

Here is the current sign up standings:

​

Let's make this year amazing! Attached our energy saving tips you can post around your hall. Just print them off and tape them up!

Cheers!

Jessica Mondello
Eco-Olympics | Director

Think Globally. Act Locally.

On the agenda at the ECBS SWATeam meeting:

1) Final review of Illini Lights Out (ILO) recommendation;

2) Scott Willenbrock visiting April 14 meeting;

3) Updates:

- iCAP Portal.  Work of Morgan and Chenxi Jiang;

- Earth Hour photo;

- Eco-Olympics;

- Green Lab Coordinator

4) SWATeam next meeting time and date:  April 13th, from 3:30 to 5 pm. 

Hello Eco-Olympic followers!

It's not too late to sign up! For those who have their team up and running, I highly encourage you all to meet before spring break begins. Once we get back, the competition is on! If you let me know the time and place, I can bring shirts to hand out.

Here is the count of participants signed up for each hall:

Remember that each person signed up gives your one point towards the participation price! Have some tabling events to get people interested!

Best,

Jessica Mondello
Eco-Olympics | Director

Think Globally. Act Locally.

It’s time for promoting and encouraging energy conservation in the halls through Eco-Olympics energy competition, we are displaying the coveted trophy in various locations around housing starting this week through the end of the competition. The grand prize, a catered banquet is secured and awaiting the winning hall!

New to this year’s competition!

1)      We are asking Chancellor Jones to be the signatory for the leadership certificates this year.

2)      We are also supporting a participation prize of $200-$500 for the hall with the most and best participation efforts, your thoughts on this and more on that in a minute.

3)      All Eco-Olympics meetings will be held at your individual hall, accommodating busy schedules and making it easier to attend.

4)      Housing is helping with marketing support for the competition and individual halls.

5)      We have been working with campus utilities to identify meters that are impacted by students and only recording energy usage from these meters to better gauge the teams efforts.

Is your hall competing? 
If you have not seen, flyers posted, group meetings held, plans for participation events or heard conversation about Eco-Olympics it is time to stir the pot and get your residents in contact with us.

• Committed Halls are: Allen, LAR, Busey-Evans, FAR, and ISR (Wardall)
• Halls that have expressed interest (someone signed up but has not followed up with email communication): Bousfield, Barton, Lundgren and Nugent

This leaves us with nine (9) buildings competing at various levels of effort, we are shooting for 12-15 buildings this year and would like your help in making this happen?

If your hall is not listed as “committed” help us get the word out by contacting us, we will make arrangements for a  presentation/recruiting opportunity and marketing materials to be distributed.

Your input is Greatly appreciated, this year we are measuring participation efforts and awarding a financial incentive (between $200-$500) to the hall with the highest level of participation. This will be measured by number of team member’s signup with Eco-Olympics from each hall, number of events held in the hall, and number of participants at each event, verified through organization representatives, and photos of the event.
What we would like from you is to let us know your thoughts on the idea of motivating participation with a $200-$500 incentive for your residents. This prize could be used for the students in any way they like, of course we would encourage it to be used for sustainability and energy conservation efforts, but that would not be mandatory.

We are looking forward to our best and biggest competition ever!

Thank  you 
Paul Foote

Think Globally. Act Locally.

The past couple weeks have been productive and busy. Follow up emails were sent to those people who filled out our enrollment form but did not reply back after the initial email and already some good responses have come of that. A couple people said they misunderstood and didn't realize that their department would have to purchase the bicycles so they said they weren't interested. A couple said they received the info and were talking to the appropriate people within their departments. A couple others had meetings setup with myself due to the follow up emails. 

This week I met with Illini Emergency Medical Services who have a bicycle fleet that they use during University events to ensure rapid medical response times. We discussed what was going well for them and what could be improved. They said they would like more publicity so I said that they should absolutely try and get the word out more about their efforts. 

This week I also met with the Student Planning Organization, the RSO that manages Urban Planning department bicycle fleet. They have 3 bikes that I got to see. We discussed the potential of encouraging more faculty and visiting people's use of the bikes as well as branding for their bikes in an attempt to differentiate them from private bikes. 

I have also been working on an infographic on "Why Bikes" that details the benefits of cycling on campus. I am hoping this can be passed around with other bicycle fleet documentation we send out. There are a couple drafts still and they are attached to this update as a private file.