I know that I want to do something that is able to impact different communities and bring people together around agriculture or something in the culinary arts. – Forge Garden Apprentice Abby Grimm '24

Welcome back to our Compass newsletter, a periodic look at the paths the Center for Sustainability has navigated and the new directions we’re heading in pursuit of building a more humane, just, and sustainable world. 

Graduating Forge Garden Apprentice Abby Grimm was featured in a SCU senior profile series and her video embodies the spirit of what we do at the Center for Sustainability – care for our common home through caring for the common good.

Read on to learn about the many ways we are continuing to live out our commitments to our strategic sustainability action plan and involving the campus through playbook badges, research, events, and more.

By the Numbers

• SCU is engaged: Overall, the Center for Sustainability engaged with 399 people in 10 events this quarter! 
  • This school year, 300 students volunteered at the Forge Garden, and we served 440 free plant-based meals at Nourish Nights!
  • The Center also collaborated with 4 classes in 3 majors (Communications, Management, and Environmental Studies) leading waste characterizations, giving class tours, and providing specialized applied learning projects.
  • The Center for Sustainability shared frequently this spring – in the ten week quarter, we published 37 new LinkedIn posts, 21 Instagram posts and 41 stories (excluding weekly playbook badge stories and reposts)
• SCU’s into gifts: On our annual Day of Giving, Sustainability Initiatives ranked…
  • #10 campuswide in total dollars raised ($211,177)
  • #14 campuswide in total number of gifts (142),
  • and 3 challenges met on Day of Giving! Thank you for your support!
• SCU is doing their part:
  • 115 participants in the Buy Nothing SCU Facebook group
  • Playbooks: 1,110 actions completed, 176 badges earned, 11 Broncos have earned the first 6 badges (7 of that group earned the final changemaker badge!)
  • 31 students graduated with a Sustainability Minor, a Sustainable Food Systems Minor, or both.
  • 60 trees tracked during the campus tree tracking events
  • This year, the Forge Garden harvested 2,300 lbs of produce and gleaned 780 lbs of produce from trees around campus

A Bright Beacon: Student Sustainability Leaders and a Staff Transition

Congratulations to our Fellows!

This quarter was an exciting one for all of our Research Fellows as they presented their research in multiple venues! 

First, all of the Fellows presented at tUrn Week’s new event – the “Climate Research and Creativity Symposium” on April 23. Attendees heard about research from ENVS 195 class projects, Agroecology, Climate Resilience, and Food Justice Lab teams, along with the Sustainable Food Systems and Silicon Valley Power Sustainable Futures Fellows. 

The SVP Sustainable Futures Fellows had two additional opportunities to present their research – first, the current SVP fellows presented their findings at the May 28th City of Santa Clara Council meeting. The next day, May 29th, several current and former fellows helped co-hosts Veronica Johnson and Dylan Houle talk about “Building the Next Generation of Climate Leaders” during an online webinar for AASHE (Association of Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education).

Future Plans for SVP Students

There’s more great news from the Silicon Valley Power Sustainable Futures Program! 

Congratulations to graduating scholars Amy Kim and Yajaira Orozco! 

Additionally, Sosna Araya (Environmental Studies (B.S.) '25 | Minors in Economics and Sustainability) will be starting an internship in Fall 2024 with the City of Santa Clara in the Silicon Valley Power Department. Sosna explains, “Some of my tasks include assisting with policy, programs, community outreach, and implementation of Climate Action Plan strategies. I eagerly look forward to this incredible opportunity to contribute to this exceptional department and grow professionally as I start my experience with Silicon Valley Power!"

Center Staff Goodbyes: Graduating Students

Our student leaders are a big part of why the Center for Sustainability is able to support sustainability change making on campus.  While we’ve celebrated our graduating students in a number of ways, we wanted to take the space to thank them again. We can’t wait to see where you go in the world and the ways in which you will continue to build a more humane, just, and sustainable future. Thank you to:

Center Staff Goodbyes: Maria Judnick returns to the English Department

After two years serving as the Communications and Reporting Program Manager, Maria Judnick is returning to teach in the English Department, where she began her career at SCU in 2013.  In her two years, Maria has done some great work for the Center. Among the highlights of her tenure: 

• Maria played a major role in facilitating the development, launch, and initial implementation of SCU's Sustainability Strategic Action Plan, Sustainable SCU: Leading Through Laudato Si'. She also wrote the Center's response to Laudate Deum and hosted several discussions during tUrn week on the Laudato Si’ focused film The Letter. Maria will continue to serve on the committee working to build a spiritual labyrinth at SCU.
• Maria created the Sustainability Thought Leaders program and started the Center’s LinkedIn page to help profile their efforts. The Center has nearly doubled the number of social media posts from the start of Maria’s tenure to help advertise the great sustainability work being done around SCU. In addition to pitching stories for a full-page sustainability spread in the Spring 2023 Santa Clara Magazine, Maria co-wrote an article “A Sustainable Playbook for 2023” for the SCU website. She also worked closely with UMC on many student and Center-related stories, including several highlighted in this newsletter. 
• Maria collaborated with the English Department and HR to create a university-wide maternity share shelf to help expectant parents share pregnancy clothing.