Campus Sustainability Month is bringing green events to Pitt

October is Campus Sustainability Month, an annual event hosted by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education to spotlight sustainability at colleges and universities. This year, Pitt Sustainability is bringing the community a number of chances to work toward a greener future. Here are five ways you can get involved, on and off campus:

Attend a free sustainability conference

The Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education is a conference focusing on sustainability and environmental justice — and Pitt can help you attend at no cost. This year’s events will explore how higher education can meet future sustainability challenges, both on campus and in the surrounding community.

As a host institution for the conference, Pitt is hosting several sessions with 200 free spaces for students and employees to attend. The conference, organized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, will run from Oct. 12 to Oct 14. Read more and learn how to register on the Pitt Sustainability website.

Take part in Civic Action Week

Civic Action Week, running from Oct. 4 to Oct. 9, will bring workshops and volunteering opportunities, including events focused on environmental justice and helping local conservation organizations.

Visit the Pitt Civic Action Week website to learn more about chances to get involved.

Listen to talks from community experts on environmental justice

What is “environmental justice”? Join a group engaged with community-focused approaches to sustainability in a series of talks exploring the topic. Speakers include students and faculty members across a variety of disciplines, including sustainability, health, policy and engineering.

The talks will be held on Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. View the speaker lineup and register on the Pitt Sustainability website.

Check out a “green speakeasy” event on food security

Hosted by the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation and the University Honors College, “green speakeasy” events bring together people working on green issues and sustainability to meet and share ideas.

The first in the series for the 2021-22 academic year will feature a talk by Sara Eckhouse, executive director of Foodshot Global, a platform that provides funding for ideas to create healthier and more equitable food systems.

The virtual event will be held on Oct. 19 at 4 p.m.

Take a weekend mini-course about cities and social justice

Just as cities bring people together, they also put social issues in stark relief. The Pitt Global Studies Center is offering a remote weekend mini-course using cities to examine issues like gentrification, migration and inequality.

The course will take place from Friday Oct. 22 to Sunday, Oct. 24, and students may receive a course credit for attending. Learn more and register on the Pitt Global Studies Center website.

Check out the Pitt Sustainability event calendar for even more ways to get involved.