USSU Sustainability Committee
As of September, 2016, the Office of Sustainability has partnered with the USSU Sustainability Committee to provide sustainability grants to University of Saskatchewan students. The committee's enhanced funding capabilities, increased oversight, and student leadership makes it the perfect way to help U of S students fund their sustainability-related projects, intiatives, or events.
Pick Your Shade Packages
To make sustainability funding even easier on students, we've made a pre-made set of packages that ratified student groups can take advantage of through the USSU Sustainability Committee.
2018/2019 Funded Projects
Mindful Living Club Meditation and Mindfulness Package
Funded For: $244
The Mindful Living Club is a student group that gets together regularly to practice yoga, meditation, and community discussion in an effort to encourage mindfulness and positive mental/emotional health outcomes. They received funding again in 2018/2019 from the USSU Sustainability Committee to purchase yoga mats and tea for their weekly free yoga sessions open to everyone.
Undergraduate Environmental Programs Office EcoHack 2018
Funded For: $1,400
The Undergraduate Environmental Programs Office in coordination with the Office of Sustainability, the School of Environment and Sustainability, and the College of Engineering, hosted EcoHack, Saskatchewan's first environment and sustainability-themed hackathon at the University of Saskatchewan in November 2018. The event saw USask students organize into groups to solve sustainability problems over a single weekend for partner organizations in the community and offered valuable networking and real-world problem solving skills for students from a variety of disciplines
Marketing Students Society Midterm De-Stress Event
Funded For: $200
The Marketing Students Society received funding in 2018/2019 to fund a de-stressing event during midterms, providing students with free yoga classes, snacks, and therapy dogs during the stressful midterm season.
Mechanical Engineering Infusion Pump Capstone Project
Funded For: $477.50
A group of mechanical engineering students received funding to design and build an infusion pump as part of their capstone research project. The ME495 students partnered with the College of Medicine's Division of Social Accountability to create the pump for implementation in partner medical institutions in Mozambique, while the design was made available for similar implementation in other low-income countries around the world.
Mechanical Engineering Solar Water Heater Capstone Project
Funded For: $106.49
A second group of mechanical engineering students received funding to design a solar hot water heater as part of their capstone research project. The ME495 students partnered with the College of Medicine's Division of Social Accountability to create the pump for implementation at the Mozambique Canada Maternal Health Group in Massinga, Mozambique.
Spectrum 2019
Funded For: $1,239.31
The student planning group of Cameco Spectrum 2019, a triennial exposition on science and technology run by students of the College of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan, were provided funding to promote sustainable practices, healthy eating, and waste minimization to the approximately 10,000 members of the general public who attended the event. The funding helped to promote the use of reusable water bottles and proper recycling behaviours, minimize food and packaging waste at concessions, and provide healthier food options to the public.
SaskInvent FarmArm
Funded For: $2,479.65
SaskInvent, a multi-disciplinary student group focused on developing innovations in medical equipment, was funded to design and build a new and improved trans-radial prosthetic arm for a Saskatchewan farmer who was experiencing pain and ill fit from his older prosthetic.
U of S Aero Design Team Sustainable Competition Aircraft
Funded For: $1,670
The U of S Aero Design Team has been funded by the USSU Sustainability Committee for several years not to help build sustainable variants of competition RC aircraft to compete in international competitions. Their funding this year helped to source sustainable building materials while increasing the performance and reducing the environmental and economic impacts of the plane.
Student Group Refrigerator Replacements
Funded For: $2,477.23
Funding was made available for three student groups—the Geological Engineering Students Society, the Saskatoon Engineering Students Society, and the Education Students Society—to replace their older, inefficient lounge refrigerators with new, high-efficiency models to improve energy efficiency around campus.
ENVS 401 Native Species Green Feature
Funded For: $150.59
A group of ENVS 401 - Sustainability in Action students were funded to implement a green feature in the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre for students to see and view where traditional native plant species originate from and what they look like.
ENVS 401 CHEP Garden/Education Site Improvements
Funded For: $300
A collaborative project between a group of ENVS 401 students and CHEP Good Food was funded to improve urban food production at their garden/education site. The project implemented a series of low tunnels to extend the growing season and provide pest production. It also constructed indoor germination racks to provide early season transplants for the garden site.
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship of Canada Sustainable Events Package
Funded For: $299.36
The USask Intervarsity Christian Fellowship of Canada was allocated funding in to purchase sustainable materials (e.g. reusable mugs and recycled materials) to reduce the environmental impacts of their group events.
ENVS 401 Learning Garden Project
Funded For: $63.16
An ENVS 401 - Sustainability in Action student group was given funding to create "The Learning Garden", a demonstration microgreens project in the Agriculture Building. Trays, soil, and seeds were purchased to grow the microgreens in the Agriculture Atrium. Finished microgreens were harvested, bagged, and given away freely to students accompanied by education on microgreen growing and nutrition. Educational videos were also created to provide additional educational opportunities in the future.
USSU Centres DivaCup Collaboration
Funded For: $979.50
A collaboration between students, the USSU Centres, and DivaCup was funded to provide Diva Cups (reusable menstrual products) to students free of charge.
ENVS 401 Aquaponics Education Unit
Funded For: $437.50
An ENVS 401 - Sustainability in Action group was funded to create a portable aquaponics system to be used for increasing public exposure and participation in aquaponics in Saskatoon. The group partnered with local organizations to increase urban food security while educating the public about aquaponics.
ENVS 401 Bee Habitat
Funded For: $900.90
An ENVS 401 - Sustainability in Action group was funded to provide a functioning bee-friendly habitat established on university grounds and several other sites around Saskatoon while providing educational awareness about the importance of native bees.
Vegans of USask Event
Funded For: $300
A university event featuring speakers presenting about various aspects of sustainable eating, cooking, and shopping was funded to take place at the University of Saskatchewan
2017/2018 Funded Projects
Funded For: $2,000
Food for the Future is a continuous project led by EnactUS University of Saskatchewan, a team of student, academic, and business leaders from across the province who use entrepreneurial action to create a better and more sustainable Saskatchewan. The project is an Indigenous community garden project that addresses food insecurity in Northern Saskatchewan by connecting community champions with funding and education to start and sustain community gardens.
Beginning in 2015, the group started a garden in Beauval consisting of 15 raised bed gardens. In addition to starting the gardens, EnactUS brought in gardening experts from Saskatoon to help lead educational workshops on healthy eating and effective gardening. Its second season saw an expansion into St. George’s Hill and Pelican Narrows, both communities that had suffered from the lack of nearby grocery stores. Food for the Future is now in its 3rd year of operation and has expanded to the communities of Dillon and Cumberland House.
In 2018, the USSU Sustainability Committee’s contribution of $2,000 helped the group continue its existing operations and expand into new territory: indoor hydroponics. By connecting with a group from Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador, the group hopes to identify portable, indoor hydroponics gardening solutions to enable community gardening projects in northern Saskatchewan communities even during the winter months.
Funded For: $3,000
The U of S Aero Design Team was funded again in 2017/2018 for two separate but related requests. Their balsa wood plane design has been presented and tested in international competitions for years now and serves as a demonstration concept for lightweight, fuel efficient aircraft made of sustainable materials. Their requested funding went to sourcing sustainably produced balsa wood and new electric components intended for reuse to ensure that the plane designs stay fuel efficient for years to come.
Funded For: $900
Ducks Unlimited Canada Saskatoon Chapter is a student group chapter of Canada’s longest-running wetland preservation group. The group was funded by the USSU Sustainability Committee in the 2016/2017 academic year and received further funding in 2017/2018 to assist in new construction and the maintenance of previously constructed waterfowl nesting boxes and platforms along the banks of the South Saskatchewan River. The boxes will provide bedding and safety for hens and ducklings to safely lodge.
Funded For: $500
U of S student Teresa de Hoop received funding from the USSU Sustainability Committee in 2018 to help build a clay oven for Opaskwayak Cree Nation's community garden. This oven will help in teaching cooking techniques and community-building exercises centred around community gardening.
Funded For: $500
The Planning Students Association succeeded in obtaining USSU Sustainability Committee funding for their third annual MOMENTUM student planning conference. The conference ran for its third successful year in March 2018 and included topics on active transportation, environment and food security, planning for growth, and planning with Indigenous communities. Committee funding went towrads helping to provide sustainable food and event planning for their conference dinner.
Funded For: $319.33
The Nursing Students Association in co-ordination with the Saskatoon YWCA held a series of workshops and related projects that provided members of Saskatoon's core neighborhood communities valuable resources and information related to finding health professionals.
Funded For: $300
The Environmental Engineering Students Association received funding in 2017/2018 to initiate a sustainably-run student coffee operation in the Engineering Building. The Building is one of few on campus without a coffee vendor located within and the student group took it upon themselves to offer a weekly coffee sale which provides FairTrade certified coffee and locally-made donuts to students. The initial funding went to providing signage, coffee, and donuts for the first event, with profits returning to the club to support future sales.
Funded For: $300
The Mindful Living Club is a student group that gets together regularly to practice yoga, meditation, and community discussion in an effort to encourage mindfulness and positive mental/emotional health outcomes. They received funding in 2018 from the USSU Sustainability Committee to purchase yoga mats for open use by their current and potential members.
Funded For: $100
The Environmental Studies Students Association (ESSA) received funding in 2017 to host an environmentally-themed documentary film night. Funding went towards licensing the film for screening and providing snacks and refreshments. Film nights like this help to engage the campus community in environmental issues and to raise awareness and membership of sustainability-related student groups.
2016/2017 Funded Projects
Funded For: $2,000
Food for the Future is a continuous project led by EnactUS University of Saskatchewan, a team of student, academic, and business leaders from across the province who use entrepreneurial action to create a better and more sustainable Saskatchewan. The project is an Indigenous community garden project that addresses food insecurity in Northern Saskatchewan by connecting community champions with funding and education to start and sustain community gardens.
Beginning in 2015, the group started a garden in Beauval consisting of 15 raised bed gardens. In addition to starting the gardens, EnactUS brought in gardening experts from Saskatoon to help lead educational workshops on healthy eating and effective gardening. Its second season saw an expansion into St. George’s Hill and Pelican Narrows, both communities that had suffered from the lack of nearby grocery stores. Food for the Future is now in its 3rd year of operation and has expanded to the communities of Dillon and Cumberland House. The USSU Sustainability Committee’s contribution of $2,000 helped the group begin the process of moving from community gardens to community greenhouses in order to expand the growing season.
Funded For: $200
The University of Saskatchewan Innovative Energy Team (USIET) is a student group based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan focused on designing and building unique and creative energy systems, from solar to conventional fossil fuels. USIET hopes to inspire and challenge its members to look beyond their previous experiences to develop an intrinsic understanding of energy, innovation and design to create the next generation of thinkers to help maintain Western Canada's place as a global energy center.
The USSU Sustainability Committee funded USIET for $200 to have one of their groups design and implement a hydroelectric downspout turbine to generate electricity from rainwater flowing through a downspout at the Engineering Building. The build was a proof of concept to show that this simple technology exists and to demonstrate how it could be used at everyday places like the university.
Funded For: $385
Green Legal is a University of Saskatchewan environmental law group that aims to increase environmental awareness and involvement within the College of Law, build environmental law and policy analysis skills among members, and support community-based non-governmental organizations through law and policy research. Just Rights is a student group also based out of the College of Law that focuses on educating the campus community and raising awareness regarding human rights.
With help from the USSU Sustainability Committee, Green Legal and Just Rights were able to hold a paint night fundraiser for EcoJustice, Canada’s only national environmental law charity that provides funding to lawyers to use litigation to defend and protect the environment. Extra steps were taken to ensure that materials for the night (including the paint) were locally sourced and kept waste to a minimum.
Funded For: $750
University of Saskatchewan Aero Design is a student group open to members of all U of S disciplines that teaches members about the mechanics of flight through designing competition-ready planes. The group received funding from the USSU Sustainability Committee to design and build a lightweight balsa wood plane for the SAE Aerodesign East competition, demonstrating a lightweight and energy efficient airplane design made from sustainable materials.
Funded For: $500
The Planning Students Association succeeded in obtaining USSU Sustainability Committee funding for their second annual MOMENTUM student planning conference. The conference ran for its second successful year in March, 2017 and included topics on active transportation, environment and food security, planning for growth, and planning with Indigenous communities.
Funded For: $280
ENVS 401 – Sustainability in Action is an undergraduate course at the University of Saskatchewan that offers the capstone project portion of the Undergraduate Certificate of Proficiency in Sustainability. Each year, student groups in this class choose sustainability-related projects on campus to pursue and present on them at a symposium held at the end of the year.
This year, one of the course’s groups approached the USSU Sustainability Committee to obtain funding for their project intended to increase awareness and interest in bee-friendly areas on campus and in Saskatoon. The group used the money to purchase two flower planters to be placed at the south end of the Bowl paired with informational signage on the importance of bees. Free seed packets would also be made available at the planters, which are used to create an educational opportunity for students, faculty, staff, and the general public to learn and interact with bees and bee habitats.
Funded For: $450
Ducks Unlimited Canada Saskatoon Chapter is a student group chapter of Canada’s longest-running wetland preservation group. The group was funded by the USSU Sustainability Committee to construct and place a series of waterfowl nesting boxes and platforms along the banks of the South Saskatchewan River. The boxes will provide bedding and safety for hens and ducklings to safely lodge.
Sustainability Student Group Grants
The Office of Sustainability still offers student grants in smaller amounts directly to student groups looking to fund sustainability-related initiatives, programs, or events. Applying groups may now be referred to the USSU Sustainability Committee at the discretion of the Community Engagement Co-ordinator.
To be eligible for a grant, your group must:
- Be ratified by the USSU
- Request a specific amount (grants generally have a soft maximum of $300)
- Provide an itemized allocation of the grant funds
- Explain how the grant funds will directly further sustainability efforts at the University of Saskatchewan
If you would like to apply for a student group grant for your initiative, event, or activity, follow the link below.
Examples
Examples of previous student group grants include:
- Purchasing reusable dishware for student lounge areas to reduce waste.
- Purchasing of film screening rights and refreshments for sustainability-related documentary film nights.
- Rental of space or equipment for on-campus sustainability-related events
There are lots of ways for your group to engage with sustainability on campus! Remember, sustainability is environmental, economic, and social in nature; any group on campus can apply for these grants and there are many ways to engage with sustainability outside of environmental reasons.