As part of an ongoing commitment to promoting sustainability, on May 28, the sustainability programs at Portland State will host their eighth annual Sustainability Celebration. The program will be held in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, and doors will open at 3:30 p.m. The event is free for students with an RSVP.
“The Sustainability Celebration is a fun and painless way to become familiar with and inspired by all the work, activities and people who make up PSU’s sustainability effort,” said Christina Williams, the communications director at the PSU Institute for Sustainable Solutions. “I always say if you only have time to attend one sustainability event all year, make it this one.”
The afternoon starts with the Sustainability Excellence Awards Ceremony with remarks from PSU President Wim Wiewel and the Institute for Sustainable Solutions Director, Jennifer Allen. Following will be a showcase of sustainability projects by students and faculty across campus, refreshments and live music entertainment.
“We have a short formal program that covers the highlights in sustainability for the past year and honors the brightest stars in our community with sustainability awards,” Williams said. “After that, the food comes out and the fun really begins.”
Forty-four projects will be presented, including those by the Student Sustainability Leadership Council, PSU’s EcoReps, the Portland International Airport and the Portland Food Economy Project.
“It’s just really impressive and inspiring to see projects that are making our campus and our community a better place all grouped together in one venue,” Williams said.
The celebration is a collaborative effort by the Institute for Sustainable Solutions along with the Sustainability Leadership Center and the Campus Sustainability Office.
Sustainability is a large component of the PSU campus. The university continues to make sustainable operational changes with the goal to become a carbon-neutral campus by 2040 in the Carbon Action Plan.
“Sustainability is about social justice, it’s about the environment, and it’s about having a fun, thriving and stimulating place to call home. That’s what we’re celebrating,” Williams said.
More information about the event and sustainability action can be found at www.pdx.edu/sustainability.