Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 61.30
Liaison Scott Morgan
Submission Date Aug. 30, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Evergreen State College, The
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Sam Alfieri
Sustainability Analyst
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have one or more active student groups focused on sustainability?:
Yes

A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:

The groups listed below are all student-governed.

The Bike Shop - The Evergreen Bike Shop is a volunteer-run bicycle resource center that has been dedicated to making cycling accessible and practical to everyone in the greater Olympia area since 1977. We build community by providing a welcoming communal work space, knowledgeable volunteers, and the tools and parts for cyclists of all ages and skill levels to repair, maintain, and promote bicycles. Members learn and teach one another by sharing knowledge and experiences.

The Campus Food Bank - TESC Satellite Food Bank, located in the Center for Community Based Learning and Action (CCBLA), was established in 2012 to increase access to food for Evergreen students and members of the community. They are a satellite location of the Thurston County Food Bank (TCFB) and receive a weekly delivery of fresh produce, as well as refrigerated and shelf stable items, from the TCFB. They are open every Tuesday from 4 pm – 6 pm in the CCBLA including week 1 of each quarter and evaluation week.

The Clean Energy Committee - The mission of the Clean Energy Committee is to support the success of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resource conservation at Evergreen. The Clean Energy Committee is a group of students collaborating with campus staff and faculty. It carries the responsibility of representing the student body while appropriating the Clean Energy Fund. This fund was established by the students of Evergreen State College to fuel the progress of renewable energy in the Northwest.

Community Gardens - Our mission is to maintain a shared space for the Evergreen and greater community to practice organic gardening. The Evergreen Community Gardens will provide the tools and seeds for success, both literally and metaphorically. We organize workshops and work-parties emphasizing responsible, ecological gardening practices and the importance of local food systems. The Evergreen Community Gardens aims to form a strong and supportive community of gardeners that will all learn, teach and grow together. The group also strives to strengthen the bonds between Evergreen, Evergreen alumni, and the surrounding community, and to instill the love of organic gardening in new gardeners which will hopefully last a lifetime.

Earth Crafts Collective - The Earth Crafts Collective allows participants to reconnect with the essence of natural building and sustainable living practices. They provide incubation spaces that allow and foster authentic creative energies to come into fruition through playful expression, skill share, and practice.

Evergreen Clean Up Project - Humanity is killing the Earth faster than saving it. The Evergreen Cleanup Project fights against this by cleaning up litter piles, fundraising for sustainability, and educating the community. By leading environmental activism at Evergreen, we enforce and spread the truth that we must fight for our home.

Farm Worker Justice Collective - The Farmworker Justice Solidarity Collective is a group of Evergreen State College students and community members who seek to support farm workers in their struggle for justice and quity. By following leadership from community organizations, such as Community to Community Development, we strive to work with values that align with current grassroots organizing.

Native Student Alliance - The Native Student Alliance (NSA) focuses on building community among Native American Students on the Evergreen Campus. Our mission is to enrich the college experience for Native Students as well as amplifying the voice and presence of Indigenous Students as it relates to the policies and culture of the Evergreen State College.

Pasifika Roots - Pasifika Roots is dedicated to creating a space for the Pasifika community to exist, create, and collaborate. We aim to bring awareness to pasifika culture and identity, as well as social justice issues surrounding the pasifika community.

Geoduck Student Union - The Geoduck Union is the official representation of the student body at The Evergreen State College. The Union is committed to unifying students across all Evergreen campuses, serving their interests at the local, state, and national levels and empowering all students to participate in positive social and political chance while fostering a fair and diverse community. The Union works to improve student quality of life by advocating for students' rights and needs, facilitating communication among students, and ensuring a fair balance of power among faculty, staff, administration and students.

Evergreen State Permaculture - Evergreen State Permaculture utilizes and steward Demeter's Garden - a student-run permaculture demonstration site near The Organic Farm. It's a demonstration and experimentation site for students to cultivate curiosities and explore techniques working with an ecological system based on perennial plants. Demeter's Garden promotes the principles of permaculture and perennial polyculture systems. This garden is student-powered and community oriented for the purpose of student-driven education.

Evergreen Trail Association - The Evergreen Trails Association maintains the trail system through the evergreen reserves using volunteer work parties and sustainable building practices.

Students for Sustainable Urban Design - This is a group that is dedicated to exploring the various elements of a city's form, including but not limited to: geography, agriculture, infrastructure, economy and policy.Our belief is that the built environment is the foundation for the fabric of our society and studying it will lead to incredible change and growth. Our goal is to have a better understanding of innovative ways to order our built environment and, in return, create a more sustainable society. We aim to insert ourselves into the contemporary dialogue of Urban Design to grasp the concepts at play within the real world by attending conferences, hosting guest speakers, and investigating published material surrounding urban design.

Vegan Club - The purpose of the Vegan Club is to raise awareness about animal and human rights, environmentalism, nutrition, and wellness. We aim to keep an abolitionist perspective on veganism while working to strengthen our relationship with the community and benefit our campus

Women in Science at Evergreen (W.I.S.E.) - An on-campus club at the Evergreen State College dedicated to building community around the common goal of reducing discrimination and unconscious bias in the sciences and STEM fields. Inclusive, open to all students, and committed to equity.


The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):
Does the institution have gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems?:
Yes

A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:

Evergreen has an organic farm and multiple community gardens on campus. Students may work on the farm while studying sustainable agriculture, join a larger teaching garden such as Demeter's garden (managed by the student group Evergreen State Permaculture), or request a small garden plot to manage by themselves, either near the farm or among the residence halls. The farm offers a CSA, stocks a farm stand on campus, and sells to our on-campus food vendors.


The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):
Does the institution have student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes (e.g. cafés through which students gain sustainable business skills)?:
Yes

A brief description of the student-run enterprises:

The Flaming Eggplant Cafe is a student-originated, student-run, non-hierarchical worker collective cafe at the Evergreen State College. All major decisions are made in all staff meetings using consensus. They have a strong focus on providing local organic food options that are affordable to college students.


The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):
Does the institution have sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills?:
No

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
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The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):
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Does the institution have conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
Yes

A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:

Evergreen has a long-standing environmentally-themed event - the Rachel Carson Forum, which is is student managed by MESA, the Masters in Environmental Studies Student Association.

Also, Evergreen is a partner in the yearly WAHESC, the Washington Higher Education Sustainability Conference.


The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):
Does the institution have cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
No

A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:

N/A


The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):
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Does the institution have wilderness or outdoors programs (e.g. that organize hiking, backpacking, kayaking, or other outings for students) that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
Yes

A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:

Evergreen's The Outdoor Program (TOP) provides a variety of outdoors fitness, mountain climbing, snowshoeing, paddling, sailing, surfing, rock climbing, Leave no Trace training, and other camping and hiking activities in the great Pacific Northwest outdoors. TOP serves students at Evergreen as well as students from our local community college.

This program is not student-governed.


The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):
Does the institution have sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences (e.g. choosing a sustainability-related book for common reading)?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
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The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
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Does the institution have programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
Yes

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:

Sustainability Housing is for students who are committed to a more environmentally-conscious lifestyle, issues such as social justice and sustainable agriculture, and related activism. Students selected will have an exciting experience testing new sustainable-living retrofits and showcasing the upgrades for campus guests.


The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:

Graduate Students interested in sustainability are encouraged to apply for Sustainability Fellowships. These project-based fellowships offer students an opportunity to engage with on-going sustainability projects while gaining real-world experience in a variety of key skills. In the winter and fall of 2019, fellows will work with either the Office of Sustainability or the Sustainability in Prisons Project.


The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:
Does the institution have graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
No

A brief description of the graduation pledges:

N/A


The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
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Does the institution have other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives?:
Yes

A brief description of the other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:

The Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) is a partnership founded by The Evergreen State College and Washington State Department of Corrections. Their mission is to bring science and nature into prisons. They conduct ecological research and conserve biodiversity by forging collaborations with scientists, inmates, prison staff, students, and community partners. Equally important, they help reduce the environmental, economic, and human costs of prisons by inspiring and informing sustainable practices. Students may engage with both educational and research opportunities.

SPP is co-managed by students, professional staff, and faculty.


The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available (optional):
Estimated percentage of students (full-time and part-time) that participate annually in sustainability-focused co-curricular education and outreach programs (0-100):
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.