University of British Columbia
EN-3: Student Life

UBC has over 30 volunteer-run student clubs, organizations and initiatives focused on environmental and social sustainability. While some activities are in specific departments or faculties, many are open to students of all disciplines. For a full list, please see: http://sustain.ubc.ca/get-involved/students/student-groups

THE CENTRE FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS AT UBC FARM
http://ubcfarm.ubc.ca/about/
The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm is a unique research centre that aims to understand and fundamentally transform local and global food systems towards a more sustainable, food secure future. Through a wide range of interdisciplinary learning, research, food production, and community engagement programs, the Centre acts as a living laboratory committed to finding solutions to challenges facing food systems sustainability and translating solutions to improve personal, community, and environmental health. Situated within a 90-year old coastal hemlock forest, the Centre comprises a mosaic of sustainably cultivated annual crop fields, perennial hedgerows and orchards, and successional forest stands that feed three farmers market, an 80-member Community Supported Agriculture program, and a dozen on and off campus food outlets. In the midst of a city and integrating extensive children, indigenous, and volunteer community engagement activities, the UBC Farm landscape offers an important bridge between the rural and the urban, allowing the Centre to explore and exemplify new paradigms for sustainable communities.

UBC ORCHARD GARDEN
http://theorchardgarden.blogspot.ca/
The Orchard Garden is a ¼ acre organic market garden and outdoor classroom providing collaborative, hands-on, immersive, and experimental learning opportunities for UBC Vancouver students, faculty and staff as well as current Vancouver School Board teachers. The Orchard Garden aims to cultivate a living outdoor classroom that invites learners across disciplines to explore and connect theory to practice through the relationships between teaching, learning, and growing.

SPROUTS
http://www.ubcsprouts.ca/
Sprouts is a 100% volunteer and student-run organization at UBC. Sprouts endeavors to make healthy, affordable, and sustainably produced food accessible to everyone on campus. This student-run enterprise began in 1997 with the creation of the UBC Natural Food Co-op, a bulk buying food co-operative which in 2004 moved to the SUB and opened Sprouts, a student-run grocery store. In 2008 Sprouts was renovated and re-opened as a volunteer-run café, store, and community space serving hot lunches, coffee, and baked goods and selling organic, locally-grown produce and minimally-packaged staple and snack items. Sprouts also runs a bulk buying club, a Sprouts box delivery program, and hosts Community Eats, a by-donation vegetarian lunch on Fridays. As a non-profit and volunteer-run business, Sprouts cafe, grocery store, and the Sprouts Box are able to support Sprouts’ own educational and outreach programs – Community Eats and Sprouts Workshops.

AGORA CAFE
http://blogs.ubc.ca/agora/
Agora Café is a student volunteer-run, not-for-profit café. Agora Café provides affordable, accessible, healthy, local and organic food choices to students and faculty members while training volunteers in food service and business management. This is done to promote the values of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and to aid in UBC’s movement towards sustainability.

SEEDLINGS
http://www.ubcsprouts.ca/initiatives/seedlings/
Seedlings, an offshoot of Sprouts, is a 100% student volunteer-run cafe and eatery in the Thea Koerner Graduate Centre, specializing in raw, vegan, and healthy vegetarian cuisine all of which is organic, as locally sourced as is feasible, and fair-trade (when applicable).

AMS BIKE KITCHEN
http://thebikekitchen.com/The Bike Kitchen is a non-profit community bike shop that provides a space for students and other community members to learn how to use our tools and parts to maintain, repair, and build their own bicycles. The Bike Kitchen also recycles abandoned and donated bikes to provide students with reliable and reasonably priced bicycles. The Bike Kitchen is managed by the AMS Bike Co-op, a student club under the Alma Mater Society, UBC’s student union.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTING 101
http://cussustainability.com/socially-responsible-investing-101/
Organized by the Commerce Undergraduate Society (CUS) Sustainability student group, Socially Responsible Investing 101 is an annual workshop held in the spring, where finance experts from companies such as Vancity Bank, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Renewal Funds, and NEI Investments discuss with students the importance and impact of fusing investing with good social causes.

AMS SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS FUND
http://amssustainability.ca/submit/
Launched in 2012, the AMS Sustainability Projects Fund aims to create a sustainable campus and foster an environmentally conscious culture by funding student-led projects that reduce the ecological footprint of UBC students and their campus. The fund has $90,000 each academic year to support student-led projects related to sustainability. Projects to date have been versatile and diverse. This fund has provided grant money to student-led research based projects, prototypes for new student-created technologies, student-targeted awareness, educational or behaviour change campaign, student-run enterprises and tracking resource consumption on campus. Fund recipients are responsible for managing budgets and project deliverables and report on project progress and outcomes via a blog on the AMS Sustainability website.

UBC STUDENT ENVIRONMENT CENTRE FUNDING
http://secubc.com/funding/
The UBC Student Environment Centre supports many local grassroots initiatives with funding. Funding is considered for projects under $100, between $100 - $500, and over $500. All project proposals must relate to environmental or sustainability issues, may pertain to issues on or off campus and must demonstrate a clear process for project planning, timeline and communicating outcomes to the SEC Treasurers. Funding recipients must also keep clear financial documentation and provide proof-of-purchases made using the fund.

Sustainability themed events are listed on UBC’s sustainability website: http://sustain.ubc.ca/news-events/events

Annual institution-governed conferences, symposia and speaker series targeted at students include:

UBC READS SUSTAINABILITY
http://sustain.ubc.ca/get-involved/students/reads
UBC Reads Sustainability brings well-known sustainability authors to our campus to engage in a campus-wide discussion. It's part book club, part lecture series, and part opportunity to learn beyond the classroom. Above all, it’s a forum for students across disciplines to discuss sustainability issues.

INSTITUTE FOR RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY SEMINAR SERIES
http://ires.ubc.ca/events/seminar-series/
IRES Seminar Series showcase the work of the institute’s graduate students as well as internal and external guests.

UBC SUSTAINABILITY FAIR
http://sustain.ubc.ca/get-involved/ubc-sustainability-fair
The Sustainability Fair celebrates student involvement and initiatives in sustainability at UBC. It highlights sustainability groups on campus, creates a sense of community and promotes collaboration. And, it showcases opportunities for students and others who want to be involved but don't know how or where to start.

UBC FARM SYMPOSIUM
http://ubcfarm.ubc.ca/research-teaching/learning/ubc-farm-symposium/
With more than 150 student projects conducted in collaboration with more than ten different faculties and schools, the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm generates much needed information about food system science, farming technologies, community engagement and environmental stewardship while giving students the opportunity to learn in a unique and increasingly rare hands-on way. Organized by UBC’s student Sustainability Ambassadors, the Symposium showcases the unique learning experience offered at the UBC Farm.

SCARP SYMPOSIUM
http://www.scarpsymposium.ca/
The SCARP (School of Community and Regional Planning) Student Symposium provides a forum for students and members of the planning community from across British Columbia to discuss a current planning issues and learn from a series of keynotes and presentations. Now in its 6th year, this one day symposium addresses current planning issues such as community resiliency and inclusivity, urban, suburban, rural and Aboriginal community design, systems thinking and growth through a lens of environmental, social and economic sustainability.

CHEW ON THIS
http://commonenergyubc.com/2013/01/26/chew/
Hosted by student groups Common Energy UBC, CUS Sustainability and Oxfam UBC, this annual week-long series of workshops, panels and fun events to educate UBC students about current food sustainability issues. These topics range from sustainable packaging, to fairtrade sourcing, to scarcity caused by unequal wealth distribution, to the merits of making food at home.

CHASING SUSTAINABILITY
http://chasing.cussustainability.com/
Hosted by student group CUS (Commerce Undergraduate Society) Sustainability, this full day business sustainability conference is held annually in late October. The conference is designed to educate participants using concrete examples of sustainability practices in various businesses, to inspire participants by showing there is overlap between improving both the environment and the bottom line and finally to connect business students with like-minded peers, professionals and academics.

NEW SUB INTERACTIVE ART INSTALLATIONS
http://mynewsub.com/site/
As part of the SEEDS (Social, Ecological, Economic Development Studies) Program, 4 SEEDS student project teams competed for an architectural bid to create a sculptural centerpiece for the New SUB (Student Union Building) Atrium to engage users in sustainability. Two projects were selected and are currently being installed in the New SUB, currently under construction and opening in January 2015. The art installations are:
1) Timber: a giant mechanical tree that interacts with people when its leaves are touched.
2) Runoff: a series of rotating “floating gardens” suspended from the ceiling

CAMPUS PLACE-BASED STORYTELLING DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
Launched in August 2014, this campus public art installation is a collaboration between the UBC SEEDS Program, UBC’s Creative Writing Program and a Vancouver-based street artist featuring street art and a written story that looks at the role of place and place-making in the stories we tell.

UBC BIKE RAVE
http://ubcbikerave.com/
A celebration of the vibrant cycling culture at UBC, this family-friendly event is in its second year, and is open to cyclists of all ages. This student-organized, UBC sponsored event features bikes decked out with speakers leading cyclists around the beautiful UBC Vancouver campus, stopping periodically to have mobile dance parties at designated spots.

LOBBY GALLERY AT THE LIU INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL ISSUES
http://www.ligi.ubc.ca/LobbyGallery.htm
The Lobby Gallery is a place of contemporary and political documentary work housed in the lobby of UBC’s Liu Institute for Global Issues. The gallery’s mandate is to foster alternative and artistic forms of dissemination of research through critical artistic expression, enabling a space for creative dialogue about global issues. It also seeks to build communication among students, faculty, researchers and the Vancouver public through the exhibition of innovative, engaging and responsible art work.

The UBC Varsity Outdoor Club (VOC) is a member-run student club with members interested in hiking, camping, climbing, mountaineering, kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, canoeing, and many more outdoor activities. The VOC follows Leave No Trace (LNT) principles and on all their trips, and puts special emphasis on them when it's a big "beginner friendly" trip with lots of newcomers.

Common Energy UBC, one of UBC’s largest student sustainability groups, in partnership with UBC, provides monthly themed outreach initiatives at UBC’s two first year residences, Totem Park and Place Vanier. Launched in 2013, this student-led, UBC-sponsored program focuses on one sustainability theme per month throughout the academic year and educates students on these themes through interactive, peer-to-peer engagement. Monthly themes in 2013 included zero waste, energy conservation, water conservation, sustainable food choices, sustainable transportation and Mindful Move-Out.

UBC FARM PRACTICUM IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
http://ubcfarm.ubc.ca/community/practicum-in-sustainable-agriculture/
The UBC Farm Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture is an eight-month experiential learning program designed for aspiring farmers, urban gardeners, environmental educators, and students with an interest in applying their learning about sustainable agriculture and food systems. Students bring a diversity of backgrounds and life experience to the practicum. Program graduates share a vision of livelihoods and lifestyles grounded in sustainable and community-based food systems.

UBC FARM WORKSHOPS AND SHORT COURSES
http://ubcfarm.ubc.ca/community/workshops-short-courses/
The Growing Season Workshop Series connects the UBC and greater Vancouver community with sustainability and life-skill experts. Workshops include cheese making, seed saving, food preservation by fermentation, Shiitake mushroom cultivation, and traditional Maya cooking classes. In addition to the Growing Season Workshop Series, the UBC Farm hosts numerous other short courses and workshops such the Permaculture Design Certificate.

UBC’S GOT SKILLZ
http://commonenergyubc.com/initiatives/ubcs-got-skillz/
Hosted annually by student group Common Energy UBC, these hands-on workshops are designed to help students release some stress as well as learn some crafty DIY skills in a sustainable way. Workshops held in 2013 included DIY Herb Garden, natural medicine, lip balm making and jewelry making.

Numerous sustainability student employment opportunities are available through various departments and research centres. In 2013/2014, UBC employed 33 part-time students in sustainability-related research and staff positions:

UBC Campus + Community Planning: 9 P/T students
UBC Sustainability Initiative: 2 P/T students
Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS): 9 P/T students
Risk Management Services/ Green Labs Program: 2 P/T students
UBC Farm: 11 P/T students

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UBC RIPPLE EFFECT CAMPAIGN
http://rippleeffect.sustain.ubc.ca/
Ripple Effect is UBC’s annual, campus-wide , two-week sustainability campaign, targeted at students. The campaign is designed to increase awareness across campus of UBC’s leadership in sustainability in research, teaching, learning and operations. The campaign message “Make a ripple. Join a Wave. Create a Better World.” inspires students to take pride in their University and engage in societal change towards a more sustainable world. “Emily”, a fictional first year student and self-professed sustainability ‘nerd’, appeared in all campaign materials and wove together UBC sustainability story from a student’s perspective. The campaign was communicated extensively through social media, web, digital signage, videos and mass advertising across campus and on high volume bus routes to UBC.

As part of the 2013 campaign, faculties, units and student groups hosted over 20 Ripple Labs - events that are ‘disruptive’ and create a ‘wow’ moment for students to experience sustainability on campus. Labs highlighted research, focus on behavior change, inspire through art or performance, encourage dialogue, or stimulate action. Examples of Ripple Labs included a Tap Water Taste Test, green building tours, bike tune-ups, a 3D art drawing of a desired subway station at UBC and a Storm Water Theatre Show. Student “Ripple Reporters” were recruited from the UBC Blog Squad to cover specific labs and produce stories of each Ripple Lab which were featured on the Ripple Effect website.

When surveyed post-campaign:

• Fifty-nine percent of students from the Vancouver campus who participated in the Open Minds Forum (a quantitative market research platform) said they were aware of the campaign and/or recalled events or activities from the campaign;
• Sixty-five percent of those who experienced any element of the campaign felt that their knowledge of UBC’s sustainability initiatives had increased ‘somewhat’ or ‘greatly’; and
• Sixty-three percent of those who experienced the campaign reported being ‘somewhat’ or ‘greatly’ inspired to become more sustainable in their own lives.