Chelsea ColleyHeld every October, Campus Sustainability Month is an international celebration of sustainability in higher education. Throughout the month, colleges and universities organize events on campus and elsewhere to engage and inspire students and other campus stakeholders to become agents for sustainable change. The goal is to raise the visibility of sustainability in higher education and provide sustainability advocates with a platform to increase campus engagement around sustainability.
You can be involved, too! Join us at the following events to celebrate:
Sustainability Trivia
Test your knowledge in the Cats Den during our Trivia Tuesday! Event will be co-hosted by the Office of Sustainability and Student Government Association! The theme of this trivia will be sustainability, going green, and other eco-friendly initiatives! Come solo or play with a group of friends. Prizes will be given out to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners! Click here for more information.
If you can’t make it to the in-person trivia night, follow UKY Sustainability on Instagram to find out how to participate in sustainability-related trivia all month long! The top three scorers will receive a prize!
AASHE Global Conference for Sustainability in Higher Education
For the third year in a row, the University of Kentucky is proud to announce that it will serve as a host institution for the Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education. The virtual conference will take place from October 18 – November 3 and will be available to all University faculty, staff, and students for FREE.
Registering for the Conference
Per AASHE requirements, free registration is open to currently enrolled students and currently employed staff and faculty. Alumni and professors emeriti are not eligible. AASHE offers 3 full days of live content and networking, plus eighty days of on-demand access (through December 31). As a Host Institution, we have unlimited registration passes for our campus only, as well as unique opportunities to be recognized for our commitment to sustainability. Registration closes at 11:59 pm on November 3, 2022.
Sign up using the instructions below to gain free access to this great event:
- Click HERE to register (select Attendee).
If you are a Presenter or Student Presenter, use the Presenter Access Code provided in your acceptance email. You will need to add a ticket to your registration first to be prompted for your Presenter Access Code. - Fill out all the relevant fields.
Use your institutional email address only. The Discount Code is linked to your institution’s email domain (@uky.edu). Other email addresses (such as Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo) will not work with the Discount Code and will be deleted. - After entering your ticket, but before clicking Checkout, enter the following Promotional Code and hit Apply: UNIKY150922
This will drop your total to $0.00. - Complete your registration.
Join students, faculty, staff, and leaders in sustainability for a live viewing of the AASHE conference held IN-PERSON on October 18th from 8 am-6 pm at the Healthy Kentucky Research Building (HKRB) Atrium. This will be an excellent networking opportunity and all students are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be supplied. Click HERE to learn more about the in-person viewing event.
With a theme of “The Urgency of Now,” this year’s Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education is a clarion call for transformative sustainability solutions that match the speed and scale of the challenges we face.
To learn more about the announcement of the conference schedule and the full list of keynote speakers, visit https://www.aashe.org/conference/.
Sustainability Showcase and Student Poster Competition
Following the AASHE viewing, join the Office of Sustainability for the annual Sustainability Showcase on Tuesday, October 18th from 5:30-7:30 pm in the Healthy Kentucky Research Building (HKRB) Atrium. Learn about sustainable projects happening at UK, network with others involved with sustainability, and enjoy light refreshments throughout the evening.
Students, Faculty, and Staff from every area of our campus are leading exciting, sustainability-focused programs. These programs provide high-impact research and learning opportunities for our students and faculty, have significant positive environmental and economic impacts on our operations, and provide resources and support for a foundation of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion at the University of Kentucky and across the Commonwealth.
Click HERE to learn more about the Sustainability Showcase,
Graduate and undergraduate students are also invited to submit an abstract and poster in a sustainability research poster competition that will be held in conjunction with the annual UK Sustainability Showcase.
Register HERE for the Student Research Poster Competition.
Energy Efficiency Day
October 5th is the nationally celebrated Energy Efficiency Day! Here are some tips on how to save energy at work and at home.
- Turn off the lights. This small act leads to huge savings over time. You can also consider using less lighting, such as a lamp with an LED bulb.
- Unplug. Many appliances use “vampire energy” when not in use.
- Take the stairs. Elevators, especially older ones, use an enormous amount of energy. Consider taking the stairs whenever possible.
- Sleep mode. Set your monitors and computer to go into sleep mode more quickly. This will reduce the amount of energy they consume when they are not in use.
- One degree. Changing your thermostat setting can produce significant savings on your energy bill. Even altering it just one degree can save you up to 3%.
- Change your bulbs. Changing out old light bulbs to LEDs can save up to 40% on energy usage for lighting.
- Decorating. Spice up a room with colorful heavy curtains. They will help keep the cold out and the heat in.
Tree Week 2022
Join us for the Urban Forestry Initiative’s fifth annual Tree Week as we celebrate the trees and greenspaces around us with our friends, neighbors and communities. Tree Week 2022 events include tree plantings, tree walks, tours and hikes, educational programs for youth and adults, art, yoga, and much more in communities throughout Kentucky.
Click HERE to view the daily schedule of events!
Campus Kitchen
The Campus Kitchen at the University of Kentucky (CKUK) is a student-powered organization dedicated to reducing food waste and eliminating food insecurity. Throughout October, Campus Kitchen is hosting a variety of fun events such as cooking classes, free meals, and food drives. You don’t want to miss out!
Flood Relief Service Trips
Join UK’s Appalachian Center for a flood relief service trip to Perry County, Kentucky in partnership with the Housing Development Alliance. The trip will involve mucking & gutting homes so that the homeowners have a cleaner slate to start again. This means: removing mud/debris from homes and crawl spaces, removing damaged materials (insulation, drywall, floor coverings, etc…). Homes will then be treated with fungicide to ensure that the home and it’s occupants will not have to deal with unnecessary moisture and mold in the long-term.
Click HERE to learn more.
Veterans Resource and Business Summit
The University of Kentucky is extremely proud of its long-standing relationship with the men and women who bravely serve this country. We know that thousands of veterans transition from active military service each year. We are here to help veterans find opportunities to advance their education, find meaningful careers, and build business opportunities. At the University of Kentucky we are creating an atmosphere for inclusivity to thrive. Click on the flyer below to register for the Veterans Resource and Business Summit!
Participate in Other Events On and Off Campus
- October 5th, 12th, and 19th: Farm to Fork Lunch Pickup @ Ag North from 11 am-1 pm
- October 10th and 27th: Walk with a Doc @ The Aboretum from 5 pm-6 pm
- October 12th: Equity in Gaming @ the Gatton Student Center C-201 from 12pm – 2 pm
- October 14th: International Book Project @ the Gatton Student Center from 1:30 pm- 4:30 pm
- October 17th – 21st: National Forest Products Weeks
- October 27th and 28th: 7th International Forum on Sustainable Manufactering @ Woodward Hall, Gatton College of Business & Economic
- October 12th – 18th: Global Climate Change Week
Originally posted September 27th, 2022
Help us celebrate Campus Sustainability Month at UK. Choose one or more events to attend during October and don’t forget to invite your friends!
