The Center for Public Engagement with Science (PEWS) is excited to announce Sustainability@UC Week 2025 (January 27th – February 1st), a collaborative effort organized by the UC Office of Sustainability, the School of Environment and Sustainability (SEaS), Student Government, and PEWS. With a week full of events and activities for students, researchers, educators, staff, and the public, there’s a way for everyone to get involved in sustainability at the University of Cincinnati! Learn more below, then visit the event website for a full schedule and to register!
The History of Sustainability@UC Week
The first Sustainability@UC Week was organized by PEWS in January 2024, with support from the Research2030 Initiative of the UC Office of Research and a UC Provost Office Faculty Award. The week featured Dr. Mitchell Thomashow, a leader in environmental learning.
This year, again with support from the Office of Research, PEWS is excited to be collaborating with the Office of Sustainability, the School of Environment and Sustainability (SEaS), Student Government, and many other organizations across UC to create a more extensive and wide-reaching program of events for UC and public audiences.
Events
Sustainability@UC Week will include a number of events directed at both the UC community and the public, including a gardening workshop, a sustainable art fair, a film screening and discussion, a public lecture and reception, an all-day film festival on kids television and sustainability, and a critical walk around UC’s campus. You can learn more about these public events and register here!
For UC educators, there will be a collaborative grant planning session, a sustainability educators’ lunch, and a webinar on creating cultures of sustainability in the lab.
UC graduate students are invited to attend a grad sustainability celebration and a green jobs speaker panel/networking session (also available to undergrads), and UC undergraduates can learn about sustainability tips for the winter during SustainabiliTEA and attend an informational session about the Environmental Literacy Certificate.
There are many more events for all members of the UC community, including a campus opportunities fair, a greenhouse sale, a research and discussion group, and a street sweep.
Check out a detailed schedule of events and register here!
UC Sustainability Awards
To celebrate UC students, staff, and faculty doing exemplary work in sustainability, the Office of Sustainability will host the UC Sustainability Awards on Thursday, January 30th, right before the public lecture. Nominations for these awards are still open: any member of the UC community is welcome to submit a project that they feel meets the criteria outlined in either the Sustainability Faculty Award, Sustainability Student Award, Sustainability Research Award, or Sustainability Staff Award category (details here).
The intention of the Sustainability Awards is to encourage and incentivize the UC community to build and enhance our culture of sustainability while also supporting academic excellence, urban impact, and innovation. Nominations will be accepted on a rolling basis until January 17th, 2025, and each award winner will receive a $250 cash prize. Submit a nomination here!
Campaigns
In addition to a variety of events and activities, this Sustainability@UC week will also feature several campaigns to motivate participation and engagement.
The “One Bag of Trash” initiative, sponsored by Clean Up Cincy, allows students to earn volunteer hours during Sustainability@UC week by filling up trash bags with litter.
A punch card contest will offer prizes for students and student groups who attend the most events. Stay tuned for more information!
Learn more and register
Please join us for this exciting week, and spread the word! For more information, visit the event website, register, and email engagingscience@uc.edu with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!