Knox College
EN-3: Student Life

The following list highlights the student groups on campus that consider sustainability in their programming. All groups are student-governed. The Alliance for Peaceful Action (APA) intends to raise awareness and support for human rights all over the world. APA strives against apathy in the student body and in the world and also tries to be sustainable in what they do for the campus. Bee Club is designed to promote and steward the local Honey Bee population with a mission is to spread the importance of the Honey bee's role to all members of the Knox community. The Bike Club was founded with the goals of: giving all students access to bikes and bike accessories, helping students realize the joy of biking, and encouraging the environmental alternative of biking for travel. The Blessings in a Backpack student group provides students with a backpack of food to take home with them on the weekends. For some, this may be all the food they will have for those days that they are not in school. Food Recovery Network (FRN) is made up of dedicated volunteers who strive to reduce food waste and promote food justice through education and prevention within the local Galesburg community. Friends of Green Oaks (FOGO) focuses on the appreciation of nature including: environmental awareness, educational opportunities, trail clearing, invasive species control, small prairie burns, and general clean-up. The mission of Garden Club is to garden with the environment in mind, to learn about all types of living creatures both within and beyond the garden, and to implant campus discussions about food justice as an important aspect of larger social issues. The Knox chapter of Habitat for Humanity’s goals are to eliminate poverty and homelessness, create affordable housing, and raise awareness about the environmental impact of construction while trying to be as sustainable as possible in creating new homes. Students for Sustainability (S4S) seeks to promote education and support of environmentally friendly practices. They are constantly promoting ways to maintain a sustainable lifestyle, including sponsoring many events on campus, some of which are the largest campus events each year, such as Earth Week. In addition to the important governance function of Student Senate, there is a standing Senate Sustainability Committee that deals directly with issues on campus involving sustainability.

Since 2008 Knox College has had a student-run, on-campus garden. In 2011 the program became official and The Knox Farm was founded. It is comprised of a curriculum-based urban farm used for Environmental Studies classes and research projects and a student-managed production space that produces about a ton of food a year for the campus cafeteria. Garden Club maintains multiple Monarch Waystation gardens around campus, which are planted with native flowering plants that help support Monarch populations and encourage other pollinators' health.

Knox students established the Student Sustainability Fund in 2008 as a student-run and student-driven funding source for campus sustainability projects. Administered by the Student Senate's Sustainability Committee and drawn from student activity fees, any student can request funds for a project that will directly increase the sustainability of the Knox College campus.

Prairie Fire Bioneers Conference This annual conference is hosted at Knox College and includes re-broadcasts of the national conference along with an in-person keynote speaker and local expert presentations and workshops. Earth Month Students organize multiple events during each week in April, culminating in an Earth Day Festival and Speaker, to highlight sustainability and environmentalism.

Knox regularly has movie screenings and brings in speakers that display various cultural arts events. The 2018 Bioneers conference also plans to include an arts track that will bring local experts in written performance and visual art.

Environmental Studies course field trips (ongoing), Geology course field trips (when taught), the Alaska summer internship program (every summer), and Green Oaks summer term (every-other year, the last in 2016), all provide curriculum-based outdoor education opportunities that follow these principles.

Eco House, a permanent theme house on campus, is a residence dedicated to celebrating and practicing earth-conscious living, accepts students as space is available and is required to do campus-wide programming on sustainable living through the academic year. A goal of the Students for Sustainability student organization is to educate on sustainable choices, therefore they host workshops on various sustainable life skills, such as growing microgreens and making your own soap.

The Office of Sustainability employees about 10 students to assist with ongoing sustainability initiatives, such as non-traditional recycling, composting, the Bike Shop, and the Farm.

Each year since 2014, Knox students are offered the opportunity to sign the Graduation Pledge of Social & Environmental Responsibility, and to wear the associated green ribbon on their commencement regalia.

The President's Council on Sustainability offers students the opportunity to join with faculty, staff, and administrators in defining the priorities and actions of the college with regards to sustainability. This group meets weekly, and participating students contribute through decision-making task forces, discussion, and deliberation.