Green Fund Grant Program | Sustainability | SIU

The SIU Green Fund Project Grant

Instituted in 2009, the Green Fund has awarded funding for 340 projects, totaling over $3.6 million allocated in sustainability across the SIU Carbondale campus community. Categories of projects have included food, energy efficiency, renewable energy, greening/grounds, transportation, waste, and outreach for sustainability efforts.
Funded projects have ranged from events, to graduate and undergraduate research, to long-term investments in facilities on campus to ensure a sustainable future for the SIU campus.

Every current SIU student, faculty, staff, or campus unit is eligible to apply for a Green Fund project grant. Awards are currently being reviewed once a year by the Green Fund Committee, which is composed of one faculty member, one staff member, and the three student members of the Sustainability Council.

Do you have a sustainability project idea? Consider applying to the Green Fund! Information on previously funded Green Fund projects can be found on our Green Funded Projects page. 

Above is a showcase of some of the funded projects. You can download the pdf version here.

Be in the Know with Climate Change Education in Higher Education.

A recent study by an SIU faculty and student has indicated that the overall knowledge on climate change among college students is low. As one of the Green Fund sponsored research projects, the authors have published their paper on "Assessing climate change education on a Midwestern college campus".

Their findings indicate that "science-focused majors had the most favorable attitudes for climate change acceptance and highest knowledge about climate related issues, while participants majoring in Engineering and Mass Communications had the lowest climate science knowledge".

Abstract
Multiple disciplines address climate change; however, despite statements of consensus from professional societies, it is unclear whether the correct information is being conveyed to students. The purpose of this study was to survey student's (n = 264) knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors behind climate science and climate change related principles. Overall, participant knowledge of climate change was low, yet attitudes favored sustainability and climate change acceptance (r = 0.452, p = 0.0001). Science-focused majors had the most favorable attitudes for climate change acceptance and highest knowledge about climate related issues, while participants majoring in Engineering and Mass Communications had the lowest climate science knowledge.

Read the full paper here.