This student-driven project provides an alternative drying source for slabbed and dimensional lumber as opposed to industrial kiln drying. The goal is to recycle an air and water tight shipping container to create a de-humidifying kiln powered by passive solar energy. In a joint venture between the School of Architecture and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, students will develop a knowledge of drying characteristics of various wood species. Students will learn about the moisture peaks in the drying process as well as how wood may become compromised structurally under pressure. The allocated funding will purchase the retired shipping container, solar panels, as well as other kiln materials.

This proposal directly funds:

1. Shipping container
2. Solar panels
3. Kiln materials

Attached are the meeting minutes from the iWG meeting that was held on March 14th, 2018.

The SSC is excited to announce that we have a brand new funding option available! We know that getting funding for a project within the same semester, especially for students, has been a challenge – so we will now offer Micro Grants as a solution to this issue. These grants are for student-led projects costing up to $500, and after approval the funding will be available within a month.

Applications for Micro Grants can be submitted at any time – they do not adhere to our typical funding cycle schedule. Furthermore, Micro Grant projects will not require the students applying to have a faculty or staff advisor, which will also make it easier for student groups to acquire funding from the SSC. Otherwise, the rules and restrictions for Micro Grants projects are just about the same as those for normal SSC projects. For a full list of these rules and restrictions, more information can be found here.

We are thrilled to be able to increase opportunities for students to take advantage of the sustainability fees they pay, and for sustainability around campus to increase in turn. Micro Grants will also allow the SSC to expand our outreach and remain as one of the top green fund practices in higher education. Be sure to help us spread the word, and if you have an idea for a Micro Grant project, don’t hesitate to apply.

Student members are appointed by the Illinois Student Government each spring for the following academic year. Student members serve a one-year term. To apply, please complete an application at https://studentaffairs.illinois.edu/collaborations/campus-committees-and-boards.

The Student Sustainability Committee is a group of 12 students dedicated to improving sustainability at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. With the help of 10 faculty and staff that serve as member-advisors, the committee meets to review and vote on what projects receive funding and check in on those projects that have already received funding. Using two student fees, the Sustainable Campus Environment Fee and the Cleaner Energy Technologies Fee, SSC reviews submitted projects and distributes funding to projects that is deemed most beneficial to the University of Illinois. Both of these student fees bring in over $1.1 million annually, which is one of the largest sustainability fund of its kind in the United States.