Santa Clara University

sustainability at scu

A sideshow of photos from the 2009 Sustainability Decathlon.

 
Sustainability Decathlon 2009
Teams from schools throughout the Bay Area will compete in 10 categories including environmental education, conservation, and social responsibility, to be judged by a panel of SCU faculty and staff specialists.
  • iconSustainability Decathlon Exhibition: May 9, 2009
    Teams participating in the 2009 Sustainability Decathlon will present their efforts to expand environmental education, conservation, and social responsibility.
    When: Saturday, May 9, 2009. 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
    Where: Commons at Kennedy Mall, Santa Clara University
    What: Each team will give a 10-minute presentation. Judges will award points based on each category. A reception at the 2007 SCU Solar Decathlon House will follow the Awards Presentation. Learn More »
  • iconMeet the Participants
    Seven Bay Area high schools are participants in the 2009 competition. Learn more about the schools and their SCU mentors by clicking on the header above. Learn More »
  • iconThe Decathlon
    The 10 categories of the Sustainability Decathlon encompass the three vital aspects of the sustainability revolution: economic, social and environmental. A detailed toolkit will be provided for each student team. This toolkit will include project ideas and resources related to each category. Learn More »
  • iconProgram History
    The Sustainability Decathlon was created in 2007 as a platform to communicate sustainability and engage local youth–an outreach component of the SCU Solar Decathlon project. The Solar Decathlon, an international competition sponsored by the Department of Energy, challenges 20 colleges and universities to build completely solar-powered, sustainable homes. SCU’s entry in 2007 earned third place in this prestigious competition! This year, SCU joins forces with the California College of the Arts.
  • iconA Learning Opportunity
    Students participating in the Sustainability Decathlon have an opportunity to meet SCU students involved in design and construction of the solar home and learn more about this international competition. The Sustainability Decathlon also offers leadership opportunity and an extracurricular academic experience to high school students as they learn and teach their peers about sustainability. As students become involved in this student-led project, they become positively invested in both their high schools and their communities. Students with a variety of strengths, ranging from the sciences and technology to art and writing will find their talents an asset in the competition.
  • iconA Student Initiative
    Teams should be advised by a faculty member but will be distinctly student-led. SCU student mentors will work closely with your school’s team. These undergraduates are enrolled in “Sustainability Outreach,” a course in which they learn about supporting others’ reflections and interpretations of sustainability. SCU students will support the teams by providing leadership and resources from SCU and the SCU-CCA Solar Decathlon team. Teams will have access to funding provided by Intel and will be encouraged to see their ideas come to fruition.
  • iconFebruary through May 2009
    The Sustainability Decathlon will kick off in February 2009 and culminate in May with presentations, festivities, and judging at SCU. During these four months, teams will be invited to several sustainability events at SCU, including tours of the 2007 SCU Solar Decathlon house! Not only will the Sustainability Decathlon be a learning opportunity for your students, but they also have the potential to support the 2009 SCU-CCA Solar Decathlon entry. For example, teams participating in the Sustainability Decathlon must develop a meal consisting of locally-sourced food. The Solar Decathlon team may use these ideas as they create a dinner in Washington, D.C., to show judges the functionality of the solar home’s kitchen.
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