Hear from projects that we have funded during the 17-18 academic year:
Exploring Your Universe (EYU) is one of UCLA's largest science outreach fairs, and is put on by the science departments every fall quarter. This year, the Renewable Energy Association's Learn & Teach project built a demonstration to educate children and families about different forms of renewable energy that are possible in urban and suburban settings. We constructed a model suburb containing three elements: solar panels, green roofing, and community gardens. We explained the benefits as families walked past, and at the end, children were able to add their own energy efficient contribution to the city by drawing a picture and adding it to a board. Children were also able to interact with solar cars we built, which directly showcased the power of solar panels. They were also able to race these cars. This continues to be one of our most popular demonstrations. At the end of the day, our poster was filled with creative drawings of the children's solutions to climate change. There was a constant stream of people at our booth, and we did not have a dull moment for the entire five hours we were there.
Thanks to the TGIF mini fund we were able to make UCLA a member school of the Post Landfill Action Network (PLAN). PLAN allows students and faculty to access any of the materials they offer such as workshops, brochures, documents, and other educational services. These are all focused on ways to become zero waste. We hope the student body will find these useful and implement zero waste practices in their own lives and on campus. We have conducted a waste profile of UCLA with our PLAN campus coordinator and he has highlighted areas in which we can improve. Students are finding PLAN to be useful, and we are continuing to spread the word about access to PLAN.
The Renewable Energy Association partnered with the Hill and various other sustainability organizations to promote campus sustainability and environmental awareness on the Hill. We had students play a quick, educational game to gauge their interest in climate issues and asked them to fill out a quick survey to record their responses. Our booth focused on making students aware of the impacts their daily decisions have on the environment.
The Energy Jobs Fair that occurred on November 20th, 2017 was a huge success. Eight companies attended, representing the various aspects of sustainability, including water management, renewable energy, and advocacy. The companies were able to give students insight into their respective fields as well as provide internship and even job opportunities for students of all majors (including all types of engineering, environmental science, political science, and business). This four-hour event hosted seventy-five students representing a variety of majors who were able to successfully network with professionals as well as gain experience for future jobs fairs. This event was open to all students, regardless of their membership to the Renewable Energy Association, but through it we were able to boost the attendance in project meetings in the following weeks.
Take a look at our previous granted projects that reduce UCLAs negative impact on the environment and that educate the student body on sustainable issues.
Program |
Organization |
Amount Rewarded |
Navajo Water Project |
American Society of Civil Engineers |
$240.00 |
Higher Education Movement: Our Next Generation |
The Association of Hmong Students |
40 TGIF Water Bottles |
PREP Bruin Life Weekend |
UCLA Yield Committee |
$62.00 |
Air Quality Monitor |
Institute of Environment & Sustainability, Sustainability Action Research, Air Quality Team |
$465.00 |
Electronic Laboratory Notebooks for UCLA Research |
Electronic Laboratory Notebooks for UCLA Research |
$173.00 |
Farmers Market Publicity Merchandise |
E3: Ecology, Economy, and Equity |
$350.00 |
Southeast Asian Admit Weekend |
The Association of Hmong Students, Thai Smakon, United Khmer Students, Vietnamese Student Union |
150 TGIF Water Bottles |
LAUNCH |
Alpha Epsilon Delta, Office of Residential Life |
80.00 |
Message in a Melody Concert 2017 |
Message in a Melody |
$354.41 |
Transfer Raza Day |
Transfer Raza Day |
100 TGIF Water Bottles |
Afrikan Student Union's Admit Weekend |
UCLA Residential Life |
150 TGIF Water Bottles |
Sextravaganza |
UCLA Residential Life |
$208.00 |
UCLA Econauts |
USAC Facilities Commission, Sustainability Committee |
$220.00, 25 TGIF Water Bottles |
Annual College Day |
UCLA Muslim Students Association |
$57.00 |
Juntos Podemos: Promoting Health Equity through Community Medicine |
Black Latino AIDS Project, Donation of Tissues and Organs, Latino Student Health Project |
$500.00 |
Fair Trade Coffee at Farmers Markets |
E3: Ecology, Economy, and Equity |
$150.00 |
Biofuels Project |
Renewable Energy Association at UCLA
|
$305.40 |
Facilities Management Accountability Project |
USAC Facilities Commission |
$235.00 |
Learn and Tech Program |
Renewable Energy Association, Los Angeles Family Housing |
$181.22 |
Greek Life Recycling Program |
Kappa Delta Sorority, USAC Facilities Commission |
$101.95 |
Sustainability Video Watch Party |
USAC Facilities Commission |
$147.50 |
Sustainability Youth at UCLA |
Sustainable Youth at UCLA |
$352.91 |
Little Tokyo Service Center |
CHAMP |
$476.30 |
University Catholic Center Beautification Project
|
Catholic Students Association |
$149.25 |
Plant Care Education Workshop |
Dig: The Campus Garden Coalition |
$41.25 |
Solar Charger Support Project |
USAC Facilities Commission |
$77.34 |
Exploring Your Universe Booth |
Renewable Energy Association |
$200.00 |
Food Cluster Gardening Pilot |
Dig: The Campus Garden Coalition |
$495.00 |
Sage Hill Nursery |
Sage Hill Task Force, UCLA Department of Geography |
$174.32 |
Islanders Maintaining Unity and Access |
Pacific Islands Student Association |
100 TGIF Water Bottles |