Students at GMC are involved in sustainability by questioning, building, researching and debating. There are countless ways to get involved, but two of the biggest are through the Student Campus Greening Fund and the Green Job Corps.
Student Campus Greening Fund
The Student Campus Greening Fund (SCGF) is a student-run program designed to help put greening initiatives into action that increase awareness about sustainability issues, decrease the school’s ecological impact, and increase the school’s social capital. The Fund is now aligned with the Sustainability 2020 strategic plan, so every project has to be tied to an initiative in the plan.
Every GMC student contributes to the fund through a $30 allocation from the college activities fee. Students design projects and submit proposals, and awards are based on a student vote.
The Green Mountain College Campus Greening Fund was one of three programs on North American campuses to receive a 2009 Sustainability Innovator Award from The Sustainable Endowments Institute.
Application Process
Any current Green Mountain student may submit a Student Campus Greening Fund project proposal. Rolling Grants are accepted year round, and are constituted as anything under $2,500. You can download an application here. Keep in mind that for an application to be considered, it must be submitted electronically to the Presidents at least 72 hours before the scheduled meeting time, and it must include all the appropriate signatures as well as answers to all the questions.
Applications for fall grants (anything over $2,500) are accepted once a year, around late November. Voting then takes place on campus in December, and the chosen projects are announced shortly after voting ends. Fall grant applications are available for download here. The current deadlines are Nov. 13th for the first draft and Dec. 4th for the final draft. All fall grants must go through both drafts. Campus-wide voting is scheduled to take place in early December in Withey Lobby. Please email both rolling and fall grant applications to SCGF’s presidents.
All grants are reviewed at weekly SCGF meetings. Remember: you must submit your grant electronically at least three days before a meeting in order for the committee to have time to review the application, and the application must have all the appropriate signatures as well as answers to all of the questions. This semester SCGF meetings are held Thursdays at 8 p.m. After the grant has been reviewed at a meeting, it is assigned to a grant officer who keeps in communication with the grant writer relaying to them anything the Fund Loving Committee would like clarified, changed, added, or removed from the grant before it can be approved.
Once a project is chosen, it is the student’s responsibility to complete it. Every student who receives a SCGF grant works closely with their assigned grant officer and the director of sustainability to complete their project within the same academic year. When a project is complete relevant receipts and documentation are required to be presented to the Fund Loving Committee to prove completion of the project and proper use of allocated funds.
Fund Loving Committee
Where does this money come from?
It comes out of the student’s activities fee (about $30 per student). This isn’t much per person, but it amounts to over $20,000 a year. The actual fund depends on a number of factors, such as how many students enroll at the college or the percentage of the activities fee that is devoted to SCGF.
What kind of projects does SCGF fund?
The Student Campus Greening Fund is reserved for projects that will help make our community more sustainable as defined by the Sustainability 2020 strategic plan. Projects that benefit the greatest number of students receive priority. Click here to see a sampling of past projects.
Where can I get a SCGF application?
Rolling grant applications (anything under $2,500) are accepted year round and can be downloaded here.
Fall grant applications (anything over $2,500) are accepted once a year, usually around late November, and can be downloaded here.
You can also get a hard copy of either application by contacting any member of the Fund Loving Committee or stopping by the Sustainability Office in Terrace 125.
How can I get involved in SCGF?
SCGF relies heavily on student involvement- we would love to have your support and help! Talk to either the SCGF president, the director of sustainability, or any member of the Fund-Loving Committee to get more information on how to become involved. SCGF holds weekly meetings where we discuss and vote on student grants that are presented to us; if you would like your opinion to be heard, email any member of the Fund Loving Committee and keep your eyes peeled for our table at any club fair.
Is there a limit to the size of my project?
As long as it fits within SCGF’s budget, there is no limit. Voting students take the budget of projects into consideration, but as long as the proposed amount is reasonable, there shouldn’t be an issue. In the past, projects as large as $10,000 were granted full funding.
How many projects are funded each year?
As many as the budget can support and the students approve! It could be as few as one, or as many as 15.
Can I propose a project as part of a group, or do they need to be done by individuals?
SCGF accepts projects proposed by groups, or by individuals. Some of the most successful projects have been proposed by campus clubs or classes. The proposal process and the project follow-through can be rather time consuming, and working in a group can help relieve some of the stress by spreading the work out among a number of people.
Is there a limit to the number of projects I can propose?
No! You may propose as many projects as you would like each year. You can also re-apply with a project proposal that was not initially accepted.
When are proposals due?
Proposals for fall grants (anything over $2,500) are accepted once a year, around the end of November. Voting takes place in early December, and students are notified about the chosen projects soon after voting ends. You can propose a grant for anything under $2,500 at any time throughout the academic year. Students whose projects are chosen then have the remainder of the year to implement their projects.
Green Job Corps
Want a work study job that makes a difference on campus? Join the Green Job Corps and promote sustainability on campus everyday!
The Green Job Corps aims to improve the triple bottom line at GMC: to enhance the social, economic and environmental impact of sustainability initiatives on campus and beyond. We reach out across departments and collaborate on projects that enhance campus sustainability in a holistic manner.
As part of the Green Job Corps, you also receive extra help developing and marketing your work-related skills. Through special training sessions, GJC students set sustainability goals for their departments and receive mentorship on how to incorporate achievements into their resumes.
The Green Job Corps aims to:
- Advance campus-wide sustainability initiatives
- Teach that sustainability is not just environmental, but social and financial as well
- Make your work-study job more meaningful (set concrete goals, build stronger resume, and think outside the box)
- Engage staff in helping to educate you
- Increase student pride & ownership over operations
Positions within the Green Job Corps include Farmhands, Tour Guides, Resident Assistants, GreenMAP employees, Coffee House workers, Natural Areas Crew, Tutors, and Waste Diversion Crew. Special management positions are available in some departments to student workers who want to improve their leadership and management skills.
Past accomplishments include the following:
- Researching and pricing options to create a certified composting facility to accept food scraps from the Town
- Calculating a cost-benefit analysis of installing three-bin waste stations across campus
- Designing and implementing vermiculture system in the residence halls to process food waste
- Carrying-out floor activities for annual energy-reduction challenge, Do it in the Dark
- Decreasing paperwork & utilizing electronic mailings
- Hosting Wild & Scenic Film Festival
- Improving Farm Chore system to increase productivity and improve efficiency
- Raising awareness about waste reduction through outreach efforts
Green Mountain College