Are you interested in learning more about sustainability? Do you value learning from personal testimonies, workshopping and digging deeper into issues pertaining to environmental, financial, and social equity? If so, then UC’s Sustainability Summit might be the right fit for you.
The Sustainability Summit emerged from the University of Cincinnati’s office of Sustainability and have continuously offered an annual platform for students to come together through co-planning and create change on campus and throughout the city. This weekend-long summit has provided the opportunity for numerous students to take initiative, learn from each other and then create practical solutions to real-life issues.
In the past years, the Sustainability Summit has followed an activist agenda where community stakeholders, professors, local non-profits and other planners create lectures and intentional talks to touch upon a wide variety of topics: environmental racism, global warming, housing, poverty, intentional communities, local agriculture, etc. These keynote speakers are decided in advance by the planning committee, student led organizers, along with other break-out session speakers. In between these talks, workshops allow for students to apply new knowledge through interactive activities, broadening their professional and personal skill sets. At the end of each day, students divide into teams and work together to first focus on an issue that they would like to address, apply the tools learned throughout the day and then create innovative projects. These projects do not simply stay at the summit but are implemented into the world. In the past, summit teams have envisioned refillable water bottle stations, green infrastructure templates, and activist coalitions that are all making change on Cincinnati’s campus today.
Although the summit is primarily a learning opportunity, the social aspects are equally as important. In order to make activism a larger part of the university’s culture, the Sustainability Summit strives to create an inclusive atmosphere where students can learn from one another through open dialogue and bonding activities. This includes sharing meals, late-night bonfire sessions and a wide variety of games. Having the summit open to all students helps bridge the gap between different age groups, majors and backgrounds through the shared desire for empowerment and positive change.
The Sustainability Summit has typically taken place at local parks, such as Huston Woods, for up to 60 students enrolled at the university, however; with such unprecedented times, the structure of the summit must change as well. This year, the Sustainability Summit will be held virtually, containing a resurgence of advocacy and community building. We believe that hosting the Sustainability Summit during such a time is more essential than ever, as new questions have emerged from current events, and these new questions call for unique solutions. Be sure to check in on any updates for the 2020 Sustainability Summit on the Office of Sustainability’s website and Facebook page; we hope to see you all there!