Events and Communication
The Center for Sustainability believes that thousands of people taking small steps every day to reduce their impact on the environment and lift up those who have less - power, resources, political clout - is critical to the success of the sustainability movement on campus, in Denver, and globally. To this end, the Center strives to bring engaging, educational, fun, and hard-hitting events to the DU campus and beyond throughout every year.
Center for Sustainability Events
Meaningful
Events are relevant and timely
Ethical
When events are catered, they are vegetarian meals sourced through local, sustainable, women- or minority-owned businesses
Connected
Partnerships with dozens of campus and community organizations bring expertise and a diverse audience
Intentional
Partnerships with dozens of campus and community organizations bring expertise and a diverse audience
Data-Driven
We are always seeking to improve our work and deliver the types of experiences and information our community wants and needs
Each quarter, the DU community can look forward to a full calendar of exciting and fun events. Flagship annual events include:
Pop-Up Thrift Stores
The Center for Sustainability collects materials during move out, sorts them, then provides them to students and the community at an annual Thrift Store during Discoveries Orientation week, allowing students to outfit their rooms at a fraction of the cost of new materials. This keeps materials out of the landfill and makes these items accessible to all students, regardless of budget.
Every fall quarter, the Center partners with the Health Promotion team to run a Swap and Shop clothing thrift store to raise money and awareness around Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Anyone in the DU community is welcome to bring unwanted clothing from their own closets and swap it for clothes that they love. Have nothing to swap? Don’t worry! All the clothes are on sale, and all proceeds go to benefit sustainability and health programming at DU.
Missed these early year events? Don't worry! The Center for Sustainability now manages a year-round brick and mortar Thrift Store located on the first floor of Centennial Towers (1770 S. Williams Street). We are open 6 days a week, all year long, with a rotating inventory of amazing pre-owned items that could be exactly what you're looking for. Learn more and give us a visit!
Fall Sustainability Fair
Join the Center for Sustainability and partners in a fun fall-themed fair that features the Swap and Shop Thrift Store, sustainability-themed workshops, tasty autumn snacks, and a variety of ways to engage with living your best sustainable life. Previous events have included:
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Pumpkin carving with local pumpkins and ways to eat the “guts”
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Beeswax food wrap making workshop
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Recycling and Composting lunch and learn with EcoCycle
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Sustainability Trivia night
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Jam Jam: learn to make jam with local fruits while listening to jams by local musicians
Winter Sustainability Fair
Winter quarter brings the annual Local Market, which seeks to highlight and feature small, local businesses making sustainable food and body products. Attendees will find workshops and opportunities to engage with Center for Sustainability interns and community partners in a variety of fun and educational events such as:
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Film screening featuring a conversation with a diverse panel of experts
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Make-your-own tea bags while getting the “Tea” on sustainability
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Community Dinner prepared with items available in the DU Food Pantry
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Leave No Trace workshops with partners at Subaru
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Hi-Vis sewing to ensure your clothes are visible on dark winter bike rides
Earth Day of DU-ing
The Earth Day of DU-ing seeks to immerse the DU community in the school’s vision of a private University for the public good. Organizing with more than a dozen community partners focused on justice and sustainability in Denver, this event sends students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends out into the wider Denver community to make a tangible and meaningful difference in our city’s vibrant neighborhoods.
This event focuses on making Earth Day into a single day of widespread action. Partnering with Alumni Engagement, Advancement, Parent and Family Relations, DU MarComm, the Center for Community Engagement to promote Scholarship and Learning (CCESL), the Community + Values initiative through the Chancellor’s Office, and many non-profit partners, we leverage the networks of each partner to build collaboration and amplify impact.
Look for information in March and April about this year’s event, finding how to volunteer your time and become part of the effort to make a change in Denver.
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