Syracuse University
EN-3: Student Life

Student Association - Sustainability Group

The Student Association Group within the Student Association actively promotes sustainability and environmental awareness across campus. It welcomes students from all academic schools and colleges at SU, believing that this diverse representation brings valuable ideas, skills, and connections to the group, thereby enhancing outreach and awareness efforts.

Slow Food SU

Slow Food SU is the local chapter of the Slow Food Movement, advocating for food that is good, clean, and fair. Our community of students celebrates sustainable, local food, cooking traditions, cultural diversity, and community engagement. On campus, we facilitate opportunities for members to cook and eat together, engage in community initiatives aligned with our mission, and provide a welcoming space for all students to explore and celebrate food.

Food Recovery Network at SU and ESF

The Food Recovery Network (FRN) is a national, student-run organization that collects unused food from Syracuse University’s dining centers, cafes, and student centers. This food is then distributed to local social wellness agencies, including homeless shelters, transitional housing organizations, refugee programs, and children’s programs. More information can be found here.

SU-ESF Habitat for Humanity

Founded in 1991, the SU-ESF Habitat for Humanity campus chapter collaborates with the local Syracuse Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Together, they work to eliminate sub-standard housing in Syracuse and participate in Alternative Spring Break Trips across the country. Learn more about their work here.

NYPIRG SU and ESF

The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) is New York State's largest student-directed organization focusing on consumer rights, environmental issues, government reform, higher education affordability, and local hunger and homelessness. The SU and ESF chapter advocates for these causes and engages in impactful advocacy work. Explore more about NYPIRG here.

Pete’s Giving Garden was installed on campus to ensure there were fresh vegetables and herbs in the food pantries on campus. Sustainability Management partnered with Hendriks Chapel, and Falk College of Sports & Human Dynamics and install vegetable gardens on SU's South Campus property. The garden is open to a students, faculty, and staff who would like to learn how to garden, volunteer to help with the garden, and we host educational events in the garden. https://sustainability.syracuse.edu/get-involved/volunteer-opportunities/petes-giving-garden/

Enactus is a network of leaders committed to using business as a catalyst for positive social and environmental impact. We educate, inspire, and support young people to use innovation and entrepreneurship to solve the world’s biggest problems.

The Enactus United States via SU Whitman School of Management M.S. in Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises M.S. in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises (EEE) program provides immersion in a rigorous curriculum and relevant practical experience to give you the preparation and confidence to navigate your path to entrepreneurial success. Our program is designed for students with a passion for entrepreneurship in any industry or type of business. Our specialized career tracks, combined with access to resources and mentorship through our Couri Hatchery, help you develop the tools and mindset to turn your dreams into reality. Panasci Business Plan Competition The Panasci Business Plan Competition is a campus-wide student business plan competition, hosted by the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship, and made possible by long-time Whitman supporter, the late Henry A. Panasci, founder of Fay's Drugs. While there are many steps involved in translating great ideas into great businesses, a key step is the creation of a business plan. A business plan may address the uncertainties surrounding the many decisions you have to make about your business. It is a blueprint and a roadmap. The Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship is hosting the annual Panasci Business Plan Competition for students at Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF in spring 2022. Applicants in the Panasci Business Plan Competition will write and submit a business plan for the chance to advance to the semi-finals and finals, held on virtually on April 8-9, 2022. With more than $42,000 in cash prizes, this competition is a great opportunity to compete for seed funding for your business (or idea). It’s also a great way to network with competition judges including high-level entrepreneurs and alumni.

March 20, 2024, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Image courtesy of Suz Te Tai: Karetu Valley, Northland, Aotearoa New Zealand Krushil Watene (University of Auckland, New Zealand) Indigenous philosophies are germane to advancing sustainable and equitable social, economic, environmental, and cultural development, worldwide. Watene discusses Indigenous contributions to how sustainable development is conceptualized, designed, and implemented at both local and global levels. In addition, Watene focuses on how insights from Māori tribal communities are transforming how sustainable development should be understood and pursued. This event is part of Krushil Watene's mini-residency as 2023 Jeannette K. Watson Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Humanities. Sustain Our Campus We invite the campus community to stop at Sustain Our Campus to ask the experts the questions you’ve been wanting to ask but didn’t know who to ask! We have brought together the sustainability-related campus organizations, services, and groups that serve SU and ESF, students and professionals, who oversee sustainability on our campus from recycling to food services. This event occurs during SU/ESF’s Earth Week, at the Schine Student Center. It is an education and awareness event for students, faculty, and staff. Learn more about the sustainability-related organizations that work at or are affiliated with Syracuse University and SUNY ESF, learn what they do for SU and ESF, and how they work together. A Conversation with Tom Steyer Join us for a fascinating conversation with former 2020 presidential candidate, philanthropist, investor, businessman and climate activist Tom Steyer. This highly interactive in-person conversation open to the Syracuse University campus will be led by Jay Golden, Pontarelli Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Finance and director of the Dynamic Sustainability Lab at Syracuse University. The conversation will explore Tom’s pathway from Wall Street investor to founding a highly successful hedge fund and then making the pivot to being one of the best-known and respected climate and environmental activist in addition to his passion for philanthropy. We will explore Tom’s views on how the investment community and geopolitics are both driving and impeding meaningful progress and how they can be more effective through greater collaboration. Tom will also share his views and advice for students interested in making impactful impacts through their careers and personal lives. 21nd Annual NYS Green Building Conference Join us at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown for The 22nd Annual New York State Green Building Conference, hosted by SUNY ESF in partnership with: U.S. Green Building Council New York Upstate Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE). Grocery Bingo Wednesday, April 3, 6-8 p.m. Maxwell Auditorium Sustainability Management, in collaboration with SUNY ESF and Hendricks Chapel, will host grocery bingo. Students will play bingo and those who win will be offered a bag of groceries as a prize. All Syracuse University and ESF students are welcome to attend. Volunteer in Pete’s Giving Garden Wednesday, April 10 or 17, 11 a.m.-noon Pete’s Giving Garden, South Campus Spend an hour contributing to Earth Month by gardening with Sustainability Management, in collaboration with Wellness Initiatives. Volunteers will help prepare the gardening beds for seeds and seedlings that will be planted in late May. Alongside readying the beds for future seeds and plants, cold-weather seeds like broccoli and cauliflower will be planted. For those with mobility concerns or a preference for standing while gardening, Pete’s Giving Garden provides ADA beds. The garden is located behind the Inn Complete on South Campus. Bats as Pollinators: Building Bat Houses for Conservation Wednesday, April 24, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bird Library Sustainability Management student interns will host a tabling event to raise awareness about the importance of bats and their role as pollinators and hand out pamphlets on how to build a bat house. Seeds from Pete’s Giving Garden and our Bee Campus USA Garden will also be given out. All are welcome to stop in and learn about pollinators! Importance of Composting Thursday, April 25, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Promenade, outside Schine Student Center A Sustainability Management intern will host a tabling event to educate faculty, students and staff on the importance of composting and how to dispose of items properly. There are also plans to offer pots to replant plants. The table will be outside on the promenade, weather permitting. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategies Monday, April 29, noon to 1 p.m. Vitral event, register online In this virtual event session, Sustainability Management will touch on how the University’s greenhouse gas emissions are tracked and categorized. Additionally, you’ll learn about the energy efficiency projects recently completed and other strategies to reduce energy use and emissions both on campus and at home. Earth Day 2024 Keep in mind that Earth Day is officially Monday, April 22.

Working with the VPA school they hosted a Bee Campus USA event and created an art installation around bees and Bee Campus USA.

Since 1935, the Syracuse University Outing Club has been getting Syracuse students out into Syracuse he wilderness to explore the great outdoors. From rock climbing to caving to backpacking to biking to paddling and more, SUOC provides one of the most active and comprehensive outdoor programs of any University-run outing club. All outings are organized and conducted with the expectation that participants will “Leave No Trace.” https://suoc.syr.edu/

Importance of Composting Thursday, April 25, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Promenade, outside Schine Student Center A Sustainability Management intern will host a tabling event to educate faculty, students and staff on the importance of composting and how to dispose of items properly. There are also plans to offer pots to replant plants. The table will be outside on the promenade, weather permitting. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategies Monday, April 29, noon to 1 p.m. Vitral event, register online In this virtual event session, Sustainability Management will touch on how the University’s greenhouse gas emissions are tracked and categorized. Additionally, you’ll learn about the energy efficiency projects recently completed and other strategies to reduce energy use and emissions both on campus and at home.

Sustainability Management offers paid internship programs via Pe-te's Giving Garden and our Peer-To-Peer Student Internship Programs Description Pete’s Giving Garden, Garden, is a vegetable, herb, and native pollinator garden. Job Description - Oversee all garden operations - Collaborate with Hendricks Chapel, Falk College, and Sustainability management Staff/Professors - Must be able to work outside during various weather conditions - Organize and oversee weekly Friday volunteer hours - Learn and oversee all garden responsibilities - Ensure the garden is watered, weeded, and fertilized - Oversee the harvest of the garden produce - Weigh, clean the produce, and package it for delivery to the two pantries’ - Delivery of produce to Hendricks’s pantry - Assisting in developing a garden guide - Promote a non-discriminatory and educational workplace - Interns will work 12 – 15 hours per week o Workdays will require three-hour shifts, including one weekend shift Peer-To-Peer Internship Sustainability Management is looking for students who can engage other students to serve as educators in a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach program. Educators will teach students how to educate our campus community about our sustainable initiatives. Educators will help disseminate information regarding sustainability concepts and promote sustainability throughout the campus community. In addition, serving as an educator is a valuable learning experience for students to deepen their understanding of sustainability while developing outreach and education skills.