Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.20
Liaison Josh Lasky
Submission Date May 14, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

George Washington University
ER-T2-1: Student Group

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.25 / 0.25 Shannon Ross
Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Yes

The name and a brief description of each student group:

• Green GW - The mission is to unite the student body, administration, and faculty alike to create a more environmentally friendly and green campus while simultaneously increasing awareness of environmental issues. In addition to various events on and off campus to raise awareness of sustainability issues, each year Green GW runs a Light Bulb Trade-In where they hand out free compact fluorescent light bulbs in exchange for incandescent light bulbs. This event helps reduce GW’s footprint and the footprint of its staff. They also perform innovative student engagement activities, such as an annual "Trashion Show", where students compete to create clothing out of trash and recyclable materials. See http://studentorgs.gwu.edu/greengw/

• Net Impact - Net Impact’s mission is to improve the world by growing and strengthening a network of new leaders who are using the power of business to make a positive net social, environmental, and economic impact. http://studentorgs.gwu.edu/netimpact/

• Environmental Law Association - ELA is a student-run organization that works to bring together law students interested in environmental protection and provide educational, career, and networking opportunities in the practice of environmental law. http://docs.law.gwu.edu/stdg/ela/.

• Campaign GW - Campaign GW is an ongoing forum for students to directly share their ideas with the administration and participate in the decision-making process on future GW campus development issues, including sustainability.

• Food Justice Alliance – The Food Justice Alliance is a GW student organization founded the spring semester of 2009 to restore the environment, promote community, build relationships, and pursue justice through food. The FJA partnered with the Office of Sustainability to launch the first on-campus community garden in fall 2009.

• GW Energy Group – The GW Energy Group strives to enhance the networking and educational opportunities for students and the GW community interested in investment, development and regulation of the energy and sustainable development industries. With a focus on the Renewable Energy, Cleantech and Green Building markets, the group meets regularly to develop skills, share experiences, contacts, and coordinate speakers/events. See http://studentorgs.gwu.edu/merlin-cgi/p/so_printRegisteredOrgDetail/d/2469

• GW Year of Service – In 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama issued a challenge to the GW community to complete at least 100,000 hours of community service. GW students volunteered 163,980 hours. The projects addressed the environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainability. The tradition of service carries on, with students engaging in community service year-round.

• Roots & Shoots -The Roots & Shoots program is about making positive change happen—for people, for animals and for the environment. Roots & Shoots members identify problems in our community and take action to do something about it, whether it afflicts people, animals, or our environment.


List up to 4 notable recent activities or accomplishments of student group(s):

- GreenGW hosted a "Trashion Show" during Earth Week 2012, 2013, and 2014 to raise awareness about material waste and recycling. This fashion show featured designs made out of trash and recycled materials.

- The Food Justice Alliance planted a garden on campus and has received numerous accolades for their efforts. They were the recipients of a 2011 Nature's Path Contest and won $20,000 towards garden enhancement and expansion. The Real Food Challenge Student Working Group is a committee within FJA that in 2013-2014 assessed the university's percentage of sustainable food purchased through campus dining, which led to GW signing the Real Food Challenge Campus Commitment.

- The Environmental Law Association participated in the ABA's Million Trees Campaign and planted trees on GW's campus in spring 2012

- GW Net Impact and the GW Energy Club host an annual symposium called the Business Response to Climate Change. The event brings together policymakers, business leaders and academics to discuss solutions to a changing planet.

In addition, in spring 2012 GW hosted the Clinton Global Initiative University and numerous students' commitments were featured during the conference. Teams offered solutions to increasing recycling at DC events, education programs to reduce bottled water usage, a plan to build biomass facilities in Africa, and an innovative bamboo bicycle for the developing world.

Additionally, through the Knapp Fellowship for Entrepreneurial Service-Learning, student projects receive funding to develop their social-impact ideas. Past winners include students proposing a food co-op for Foggy Bottom, and a plan to increase recycling at DC events.


List other student groups that address sustainability:
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The website URL where information about student group(s) is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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