"Transformation is not accomplished by tentative wading at the edge” – Robin Wall Kimmerer
Happy New Year! Welcome back to our Compass newsletter – a periodic look back at the paths the Center for Sustainability has navigated and the new directions we’re heading in pursuit of our goals.
Here at the Center for Sustainability we are anything but tentative in our commitment to make better, stronger, and faster changes to build a more humane, just, and sustainable world. You might liken our 2022 growth to that of bamboo, one of the fastest-growing plants in the world and a sustainable building material. Keep reading to orient yourself to our updates from the last several months, and to learn about more growth coming in 2023!
By the Numbers
- 2022 brought an expanded team – 5 full-time professional staff, 2 faculty associates, 19 student coordinators and garden apprentices, 3 Silicon Valley Power Sustainable Futures Fellows, and 8 Forge Garden chickens
- Transformation from Varsi to a new office in Bergin Hall
- Weekly Nourish Nights providing 433 free meals for SCU students experiencing food insecurity
- 16% of all Forge produce harvested sent to the Bronco Pantry
- 5 buildings (including the Library and Learning Commons) and all exterior lights upgraded to LED
A Bright Beacon: The Silicon Valley Power Futures Program
In June, SCU and Silicon Valley Power, the City of Santa Clara’s municipal electric utility, announced the new Silicon Valley Power Sustainable Futures Program, funded by a five-year $375,000 grant to provide scholarships and fellowships to up to 35 future leaders in sustainability, clean energy and related areas. Each year, four transfer students from local community colleges will receive scholarships for sustainability-related studies at Santa Clara, and three students from underrepresented socioeconomic backgrounds will receive $5,000 fellowships to fund applied research through the Center for Sustainability. The first program cohort was officially launched on October 26.
Meet the first fellows cohort: Seniors Declan Bernal (double major in Environmental Studies and Political Science), Ayla Flanagan (Environmental Studies major), and Connor Grady (General Engineering major, Sustainable Engineering concentration)!
Sustainable SCU: Leading Through Laudato Si'
SCU is one of 130+ founding universities from around the world committed to Pope Francis’ 7-Year Journey Towards Integral Ecology through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. This year, the Center for Sustainability along with the Division of Mission and Ministry is working with more than 80 faculty, staff, students, and community members to develop a Sustainability Action Plan – a pillar of the university’s new strategic plan – that will identify crucial campus changes and updates across academics, engagement, and operations.
This plan will be built from input offered by more than 440 participants during idea-generating events! It will guide the university through 2030, helping SCU to more deeply incorporate the goals of the papal encyclical Laudato Si’ focusing on integral ecology. If you’d like to be involved in our focus group or read more about the areas of each of the five working groups, check out our website!
Event Highlights
There’s always something happening at the Center!
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- In October, the Forge Garden celebrated Harvest Fest with pumpkin carving, hot cider, and crafts, and the student journal The Owl organized a Coffeehouse performance at the garden.
- Other events at the Forge included the annual Barnless Barn Dance during tUrn week and Forge Garden Sessions concert presented by KSCU!
- In November, more than 30 students attended our Meet the Sustainability Minors event.
- During Mission Week, The Forge hosted a workshop with Digital Humanities where participants created Letterpress cards and pressed flower bookmarks for holiday gifts!
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CfS in the News
Awards and Recognition
Stories featuring the Center
Thought Leadership
- Toby McChesney Joins Veggielution Board of Directors
Santa Clara University’s vice provost for graduate programs and a member of the Leading Through Laudato Si' Academics Working Group, Toby McChesney, has been elected to the board of Veggielution.
- Implementing the Laudato Si’ University Pathways: To change everything, we need everyone
In Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, Chad Raphael and Lindsey Kalkbrenner from the Center for Sustainability and Alison Benders from the Division of Mission and Ministry explain how universities can collaborate across groups and campus areas to implement the pathways.
- A Sustainable Playbook for 2023
Center for Sustainability's Maria Judnick and Lindsey Kalkbrenner share suggestions for new year’s resolutions to help make better, stronger, and faster changes to build a more humane, just, and sustainable world.
Viewing the Horizon: Upcoming Events
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Open to: Graduate and undergraduate students
We are hiring! This position supports garden maintenance, the Friday Farm Stand, Nourish Nights, workday volunteer hours, Center for Sustainability programming, and more. Apply by January 31.
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Open to: SCU faculty and staff
The Sustainability Workshop Series is a new program for faculty and staff to learn about sustainability through multiple lenses and develop strategies for building a more inclusive campus.
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Open to: Everyone
Join us at the Forge for free workshops on topics like the basics of home gardening, beginner chicken care, and sourdough-making tips!
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Open to: Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members (various events)
The University Global Coalition declared March 6-10 to be UN Sustainable Development Goals Action and Awareness Week. Each day, SCU will highlight the SDGs with engaging events and collaborations.
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Open to: Students, faculty, staff, and alumni
We're excited to bring back the EcoFashion Show — an event centered around sustainable solutions to fashion! Broncos are invited to participate in a variety of roles.
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Open to: Everyone
On March 17, all SCU community members are invited to participate in our Leading Through Laudato Si' focus group meeting. These meetings share updates on each Working Group's progress and allow anyone to provide feedback.
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Open to: SCU and non-SCU faculty
This annual workshop helps faculty members to develop a module on sustainability in an existing course, or to create a new course focused entirely on sustainability. Applications open in early February.
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Open to: Graduate and undergraduate students
Our summer internship at the Forge offers a group of students the opportunity to learn about organic gardening and sustainable food systems in the community. Applications opening soon!
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Thanks for reading!
Take care, Your friends at the Center for Sustainability
PS... Wondering why this newsletter is called "The Compass"?
We understand sustainability through the framework of four points of a compass: N (Nature), E (Environment), S (Society), and W (Well-Being). This concept was developed by Alan AtKisson as a systems-thinking approach to sustainability, and is now used to teach students around the world through the organization Compass Education.
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