Western Washington University
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

The Sustainability, Equity, & Justice Fund is a student-fee funded grant program that supports new sustainability initiatives at Western Washington University. Project teams work to create and implement projects that positively impact environmental, social, health, and economic practices on our campus and in our community. The funding is available to all current Western students, staff, and faculty, as long as the projects are student-focused and fit within the mission and priorities of the SEJF program. Grants are awarded in a three-tier structure:

Small Grants: up to $5,000
Medium Grants: $5,000-$35,000
Large Grants: over $35,000

This program is a co-curricular opportunity: SEJF program staff assist project teams in developing their sustainability ideas, support the research and writing phase of all proposals, and ensure that projects are successfully implemented. SEJF program staff conduct numerous outreach methods to educate the Western community on grant opportunities, one of which is hosting quarterly informational sessions called "Idea Labs." These info sessions are an easy way for students to learn about the grant program, determine whether their idea aligns with the SEJF mission, and ask questions about how to navigate the grant submission process. Each team is also provided with a toolkit - a document that leads teams through every step of the grant process. Also, this program employs two student ambassadors who assist in outreach through class raps where information about SEJF is presented in courses throughout the university.

Projects completed during FY2021-2022: 11
Total funded in FY2021-2022: $440,558.40
Average dollar value for FY2021-2022: $40,050.76
FY2021 WOHESC 2021 Scholarships: $5,000
FY2022 WOHESC 2022 Scholarships: $11,480
FY2022 Affordable Housing - Opportunities and Challenges to Creating More: $500
FY2022 Cabo Verde Island Education Abroad Project: $50,000
FY2022 Strengthening Experiences for Black & Brown Men at Western: $25,000
FY2022 Period Postal: $34,000
FY2022 Climate Leadership Certificate Program, Cohorts 2&3: $117,739.60
FY2022 Film Screening - Expedition Reclamation: $800
FY2022 Waiwai Ho'opa'a - Equitable Access to Housing, Food Security, and Recreation for families in Puna: $4,690
FY2022 Mobile Field Station Housing for WWU Sustainability Pathways Students in the Methow Valley: $189,000
FY2022 Furniture Fest: $2,348.80

The Campus Sustainability Planning Studio (CSPS) is student research aimed at the transition to sustainability, providing hands-on, problem-based learning where student research teams help WWU and the broader community achieve sustainability in energy conservation, waste reduction, transportation, local foods, green purchasing, green building, sustainability media, and more!

All Western students are welcome to take the planning studio. Override must be provided for certain disciplines.

Within the Institute for Energy Studies program the following course and components of other courses demonstrate an example of Campus as a Living Laboratory
Energy Conservation in Campus Buildings
The students enrolled in ENRG 461 were assigned buildings (as 4 different teams) on campus for energy assessment as a part of their end of course project. They assessed mechanical and environmental systems in buildings to identify energy conservation opportunities.

https://energy.wwu.edu/

Western’s Bellingham campus now receives 100 percent of its electricity from wind power from the new Skookumchuck Wind Facility as part of Puget Sound Energy’s Green Direct program, which allows corporate and governmental customers to purchase the equivalent of 100 percent of their electricity from a dedicated, local, renewable energy resource.

Energy from the wind farm, located on Weyerhaeuser timber land in Lewis and Thurston counties, enables Western to officially reduce its carbon footprint, as recognized by the state, by about a third, or approximately 11,000 tons.