SIUC awards more than $79K in Green Fund Grants during Earth Day celebration

CARBONDALE, Ill. (KFVS) - Southern Illinois University Carbondale awarded more than $79,000 in Green Fund Grants during its Earth Day celebration.

The money went to nearly a dozen sustainability projects including a butterfly pollinator garden, an electric transit trolly, green roof improvements, composting, recycling bicycles and more.

“We received a wide range of applications for this grant cycle,” Andrew Taylor, program coordinator of campus outdoor programs and sustainability, said in a news release. “The Sustainability Office received requests that focused on each of the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and financial. The Green Fund Committee awarded grants to in-depth scientific research projects addressing environmental sustainability that can help create a cleaner tomorrow as well as projects addressing social sustainability here on campus by addressing concerns such as food insecurity and providing rewarding volunteerism opportunities in the region. Projects were also funded to address financial sustainability through providing free or low-cost transportation alternatives.”

The Green Fund Grant committee reviewed a total of 29 project proposals.

You can click here for more information on the grant-winning projects.

The committee is made up of a student chairperson, three additional students and one member each from the staff and faculty.

According to the university, the grants are funded by a student green fee of about $10 per semester. They say it was adopted in 2009 after a student-led initiative.

Including this recent round of funding, SIU has awarded more than $3.8 million to 368 sustainability projects.