University Celebrates Earth Week with Multiple Events
A commitment to sustainability is ingrained into the fabric of West Chester University.
It’s particularly evident annually during Earth Week, celebrated on campus this year
Monday, April 21, through Saturday, April 26, when the Office of Sustainability (OoS) coordinates multiple events.
Earth Day is marked each year on April 22. This is the 55th anniversary of the movement for a cleaner environment.
Tuesday, April 22
The annual Zero Waste Summit, themed “It’s Not a Disposable Earth,” kicks off the week on Tuesday, April 22. Visit the Sykes Student Union Ballrooms between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for giveaways, snacks, demonstrations, and information on living a low- or zero-waste lifestyle. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
Find inspiration on ways to reduce waste, take advantage of “Green Light Specials,” and complete presentations at various tables to earn gifts and passport prizes. Among the variety of offerings: Get free professional clothing at the Career Closet and have simple sewing repairs made at the mending table.
Environmental groups from campus and beyond will be on hand. Students from select University classes including global studies, sustainability, Honors, and sociology will display research related to sustainability and waste reduction.
Read more about this year’s Zero Waste Summit here.
Wednesday, April 23
The Earth Week Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar features Dr. Linda Stevenson, professor and assistant chair of political science, discussing “Teaching and Learning Sustainability: An Interdisciplinary Global Studies Approach.” Running 50 minutes, it will take place in person in Sykes Student Union 209 or via Zoom and is free and open to both campus and community.
Programs are recorded and archived in the Francis Harvey Green Library’s Digital Commons site. The series is co-sponsored by the Office of Sustainability along with the Office for Research and Sponsored Programs and the Sustainability Council’s Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee.
The final seminar for the semester takes place in person and via Zoom on Wednesday, April 30, with Dr. Karin Volkwein-Caplan, professor of kinesiology, talking about “Healthy Aging in a Sustainable Manner.”
For more information and the Zoom link, visit wcupa.edu/sustainability or write to sustainability@wcupa.edu.
Graduating Students: Go Green!May 2025 grads can take the “green graduate pledge” and be entered to win a free photo session with a professional photographer! Simply opt for sustainable alternatives during your graduation photo shoot. Enter by April 30 to be eligible. You can even enter at the Zero Waste Summit in Sykes on Tuesday, April 22. Glitter is litter. Most of it isn’t biodegradable. It can be harmful to the campus wildlife and winds up washing into the storm drains where it pollutes waterways. Did you know you can borrow items from the Francis Harvey Green Library to make your graduation photos festive in true Golden Rams style? Purple and gold ribbon wands and reusable leis may be checked out from the Library Help Desk using your RamCard. You’ll receive a tote bag with a variety of props to use while taking your grad photos. At your commencement ceremony, leave your program on the chair after the ceremony if you don’t plan to keep it. They can be reused for subsequent ceremonies. Be sure to demonstrate respect for our beautiful campus and fellow Golden Rams by leaving the photography sites in the same condition (or better!) than you found them. |
Thursday, April 24
On Thursday, April 24, professor and Korean author Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim will lecture on “Earthbound: Theology at the Intersections of Climate and Justice” for WCU’s Sixth Spirituality and Sustainability Colloquium. All are welcome to attend this free event at 6 p.m. in Mitchell Hall, Room 102.
Dr. Kim is a professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion in Indiana and an ordained Presbyterian Church (USA) minister. She has authored or edited 24 monographs exploring intersectional themes of gender, religion, and politics. One of the volumes she co-edited is Planetary Solidarity: Global Women’s Voices on Christian Doctrine and Climate Justice, which brings together leading Latina, womanist, Asian American, Anglican American, South American, Asian, European, and African woman theologians on the issues of doctrine, women, and climate justice.
Learn more about the Sixth Spirituality and Sustainability Colloquium here.
Friday, April 25
Arbor Day across the nation will be celebrated on Friday, April 25, and the University is hosting a tree planting in the Gordon Natural Area on South Campus. President Laurie Bernotsky will help plant a tree between 12:30 and 1 p.m. The event takes place rain or shine. Guests may park in R lot and walk a short distance along Stadium Road to the dedication site.
In addition, the University is celebrating the installation of three beehives on South Campus at Glen Echo at approximately 1:15 p.m.
Saturday, April 26
The University’s Office of Sustainability partnered with the West Chester Green Team and the Unitarian Congregation of West Chester to co-host “On Stewardship of Earth, Personal Reflections” with Dr. Sa’ad Afshan, chair of the department of peace and conflict studies at Swarthmore College. The Earth Day-related event includes tables with environmental information and a celebration of Middle Eastern heritage with the theme “Peace Is a Green Issue.” It takes place Saturday, April 26, at 5 p.m. at the Unitarian Congregation at 501 South High Street in West Chester. Tickets are $25 and under and are available here.