View this email online.

The 2025 Climate Commitment Action Plan Annual Report is now available online. The report provides an update on progress that has been made since the university's plan was released one year ago. 

CCAP 2024 was developed to help the university work toward a more sustainable future. Created through a collaborative process, the plan reflects the university’s priorities and highlights the steps it is taking to address climate change.

Planning, Sustainability and Project Management helps support this work by bringing efforts together - tracking data, measuring progress, sharing information and offering guidance - in partnership with the Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy.

Please take a moment to review the report and learn what you can do to support the university's five climate commitments.

Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of Sustainability Andy Mitchell was recently selected by Crain's Chicago Business as a 2025 notable leader in sustainability. His work to develop the university's 2024 Climate Commitment Action Plan was cited by the publication along with his ongoing efforts to implement its five climate commitments by 2050. 

Mitchell is one of 56 professionals recognized by Crain's as an Illinois leader who is making strides in addressing climate change, advancing clean energy, carbon reduction and environmental justice. Their work addresses our society's infrastructure and makes progress towards a cleaner, more equitable future.  

PSPM has posted the Sustainability Fund Annual Report for fiscal year 2025. Supported by undergraduate, graduate and professional students, the Sustainability Fund helps advance campus sustainability activities by funding both small, short-term and long-term projects and supporting student travel to sustainability-related conferences.

The Sustainability Fund Advisory Board approved 18 new projects and maintained funding for the Heritage Garden, the Teaching Sustainability Initiative and the Sustainability Internship Program, totaling approximately $295,300 in support for UIC projects and programs.

Funding is available exclusively for university projects. All UIC undergraduate, graduate and professional students, registered student organizations as well as staff and faculty, are eligible to apply.

PSPM is facilitating a for-credit internship program for interested students. The program in partnership with the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs (CUPPA) and the School of Public Health (SPH) by offering a course each fall and spring. The spring US/PUBH 390 course provides sophomores, juniors and seniors with the opportunity to apply sustainability concepts through project-based internships. Students are placed with UIC departments or units to support campus sustainability initiatives while gaining hands-on experience.

The course will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Stevenson Hall 220. Interns will contribute approximately eight hours per week outside of class to their internship assignments.

While this internship is unpaid, students will receive three academic credit hours for their participation. You can add spring semester courses until January 16.

Looking for eco-friendly local businesses close to you? Check out Chicago Environmentalists’ newly updated Interactive Sustainability Map. It has more than 110 secondhand stores, all of the city's refill shops, sustainable grocery stores, free food scrap drop-off locations, Love Fridge and other assorted sustainable businesses. The map also opens up directly into your Google Maps app and can be filtered based on what you're looking for.

Chicago Environmentalists is also seeking volunteer researchers to assist with cataloging sustainability efforts across Chicago. Contact them for more information.

The One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest is free for students to enter. Prizes range from $100 to $1,000 in scholarships plus matching gifts.

The Oak Park-based non-profit organization invites students from age eight to 25 to submit their short environmental films to the Young Filmmakers Contest by June 25, 2026.

Winning films will be screened in Chicago on Sept. 27, 2026 and/or at the One Earth Film Festival in April 2027. Scholarships, prizes and matching grants (from $100 to $1000) will be awarded for three to eight-minute films or animations of 45 seconds or more.

Visit the One Earth Film Festival Young Filmmakers Contest web page for more details. To view past winners, visit its winners page.

This two-minute video explains what the Young Filmmakers Contest is all about.

Many people care about the climate crisis but sometimes feel overwhelmed or unsure how to turn their concern into meaningful action. In November, a Climate Wayfinding workshop at UIC set out to bridge that gap by empowering students with clarity, courage and community.

Supported by the UIC Sustainability Fund and organized by psychology majors Anthony Virruso and Josephine Leclerc, the workshop brought together ten graduate and undergraduate students from multiple schools and disciplines. The students participated in an immersive program developed by The All We Can Save Project and facilitated by Professor Julia Kim-Cohen from the department of psychology.

Spending 12 hours together over three days, students reported increases in “dynamics of climate engagement” and growth in clarity around their role in climate action.

“I feel more at peace with my anxieties and better equipped to deal with my anger and frustration so that I can have more meaningful and generative conversations,” said Lydia Vulich, a graduating senior majoring in civil engineering with a minor in sustainable cities. Participants consistently described the experience as renewing their sense of purpose and strengthening their ability to engage in meaningful, collective climate work. 

“I found this experience extremely eye opening,” said Sylvia Castillo, a sophomore majoring in psychology. “I have found my place amongst this crisis. I truly believe if others experienced what I experienced in Climate Wayfinding, others are capable of this authentic power.”

The Freshwater Lab is an initiative that raises awareness about water issues in the Great Lakes and empowers people to claim and protect the most vital public asset. The lab works alongside students, policymakers, community members, researchers, artists, and government officials to tackle pressing water challenges and support a strong, sustainable future for the region. This work includes investing in and training the next generation of leaders for the Great Lakes.

To mark its ten-year milestone, the group has released a special anniversary video featuring Freshwater Lab alumni whose work is creating real, measurable impact across the watershed.

Subscribe to the Freshwater Lab mailing list to stay informed about its work.

Susan Kaplan, School of Public Health research assistant professor, environmental & occupational health sciences, has published a new book: A Healthy Union: How States Can Lead on Environmental Health.

It describes how and why environmental health protections eroded at the federal level and explores groundbreaking policies across the country and political spectrum, from advancing environmental justice in California to reducing pesticide use in Texas to expanding environmental health education in New York.  

For more information about the book and how to obtain it, please email her at kaplans@uic.edu. 

Before you leave your office, classroom or residence for the holidays and winter break, please turn off all lights, computers, monitors, printers, scanners, space heaters, fans, coffee makers and other electronics. If possible, unplug or turn off power strips for these appliances.

When left plugged in, the equipment needlessly consumes energy, which detracts from the university’s commitment to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions and can affect home electrical bills while you're away.

Additionally, certain electronics can pose a fire hazard when left plugged in and unattended. If you are unsure whether certain work devices can be unplugged, please consult with your information technology staff or a UIC Technology Solutions representative.

Wishing everyone a happy holiday and a safe and healthy new year - enjoy the winter break!

Sustainability and Community Engagement Manager - Northwestern University

Connect with us via Instagram, Facebook and YouTube to stay updated about sustainability-related events, news, jobs and involvement opportunities.

Become an EcoVolunteer
EcoVolunteers help eventgoers properly sort waste, set up and run annual events like the Great Stuff Exchange, talk about UIC’s sustainable initiatives and spread the good word at campus events. EcoVolunteers also help plant trees and native plants on campus.

More information can be found on the EcoVolunteer web page

Join EcoReps
EcoReps act as liaisons between their unit/department and Planning, Sustainability and Project Management. Group members attend webinars throughout the year to learn about sustainability issues and how to make their office space and culture more sustainable. They also share information with their organizations about upcoming sustainability events such as the Great Stuff Exchange, Campus Electronic Recycling Events and Earth Day.

You can find out more on the EcoReps web page.

The Chancellor's Committee on Sustainability and Energy (CCSE) focuses on implementing CCAP 2024 and achieving the UIC Climate Commitments.

Join a subcommittee!