Environmental Literacy EPAC Workgroup

With approximately 22,000 students located at the UConn Storrs campus, the University of Connecticut is aware more than ever of its impact on the local environment and has therefore increased its efforts to educate students, faculty, and staff regarding their daily impact upon important natural resources. To further these efforts, the Environmental Literacy Workgroup strives to identify areas of improvement in environmental awareness and education, as well as to advertise and promote environmental leadership and outreach throughout the UConn community. By promoting new academic courses, hosting environmental speakers series and "green" career panels, and developing environmental outreach and education events, we continue to advance environmental stewardship and progress at UConn.

Meeting notes from the workgroup can be found here.

Highlights

The Environmental Literacy Workgroup has helped with a number of events and programs, including:

• creation of an Environmental Studies B.A. degree program, in collaboration with the Provost's Environment Committee
• environmental art competitions, such as Sustainable Depictions in 2010 and Environmental Expressions in 2007
• creation of the EcoHouse and Spring Valley Farm Living and Learning Communities, in collaboration with ResLife
• a biennial environmental awareness survey on campus since 2006
• the biennial Environmental Leadership Awards, which recognizes students, staff, and faculty
• organized numerous teach-ins, conferences, and events about topics like global climate change as far back as 2004