15 Student Teams Are Launching Sustainability Projects with the Help of Innovation Seed Grants
Fifteen student groups and clubs will receive seed grants from Innovate@BU and sustainability@BU to kick-start a project or develop an intervention that tackles the leading sustainability challenges facing Boston University.
Over 25 applications were received and ideas ranged from tackling fast fashion to on-campus zero waste convenience stores. The finalists are required to meet one or more of the recommendations outlined in the Boston University Climate Action Plan and should fall under one of these four topics: climate change resiliency, emissions and energy, education and engagement, or zero waste.
Meet the fifteen winners of a Sustainability Innovation Seed Grant. This spring, keep an eye out for an update on their progress.
Earth House Dinner’s (Lexia Cicone, Zoe Bardman, Allison Zhang) want to make plant-based meals more accessible by starting with Earth House residents and eventually making them available to all Boston University students.
Climate Kids (Jennifer Oliver, Lindsey Butler, Erin Polka) wants to expand climate change education among the external community by developing videos that teach children how to take action.
Microgreens, Macroterrene (Joey Chen, Eileen Tam) Planting your own greens is easier than you think. Microgreens are low maintenance, have short growing cycles, and are filled with nutrients. By starting a trial run with Earth House residents, students can learn to develop an efficient and low-cost system of growing microgreens. Eventually, this would expand to other areas of campus.
Domestic Induction Water Heater (Tejasva Agarwal) is an eco-friendly method of heating water. The invention provides heat simultaneous to the flow of water, saving space and requiring less maintenance.
Barriers to Entry of Environmentalism (Alexis Rindner) Did you know that the barrier of entry to be more environmentally friendly is only $50? Switching to low-cost induction cooktops can make a big change in air pollutants. The group plans to begin by testing the cooktops in BU’s Earth House kitchens, with hopes to eventually expand to all dorm kitchens at BU.
Conscious Clothing Swap (Francesca Sotomayor, Tobi Dele-Oni, Natalie Swiacki) is a donation/swap for students to promote sustainable fashion practices. They hope to empower students through conscious fashion practices, thoughtful reflections of fast fashion, and connections to the community they in through donations.
Bring Allston Christmas to BU (Matthew Tate, Lily Bryant, Alyssa Helmling, Marilyn Rutecki, Emily Hunter ) wants to limit the number of home goods and furniture waste created on campus by having designated locations on campus for students to drop off and/or adopt.
College Xchange for a Purpose (Avisha Goyal, Aboli Goghari) wants to help students sell/exchange clothes and partner with textile recyclers to reduce landfill waste.
Earth Beats (BU STEAM) wants to make climate change data easier to understand by transforming it into evocative music and eventually host an interactive concert and podcast.
Milkman (Adrian Koumanelis, James Burton, Mikayla Walsh) Feeling guilty about all the plastic you use? Don’t want to give up your favorite brands? Milkman containers plan to partner with well-known brands to help reuse containers once they are empty and brought to a designated return station.
Green Responsibility in Theatre (GRiT) Initiative (Emma Roth, Katey Christianson, Maddy Brown, Angus Goodearl, Jennie Gorn, Maddie Kartoz) Did you know that a mainstage production can create more than 4,000 square feet of wood and metal waste? GRiT intends to implement more sustainable practices within the School of Theatre’s administration, classrooms, and production practices.
Zero Waste Convenience Store (Emily Hardy, Libby McClelland, Abbigale Shi, Sonja Poe) wants to make it easy for BU students to pick up everyday necessities while minimizing their impact on the environment by offering package-free and zero-waste items (bar shampoo, compostable toothbrushes, etc.). Ultimately, the group hopes to launch a chain of zero waste stores at college campuses across the country.
SIGMA: Sustainable Ionic Gradient Membrane Application (Vikrant Sharma, Khalid Isahak) is building technology to make power grids more efficient, saving energy and making new renewable sources of energy viable.
BU on Ecosia (Christopher Park, Molly Retik) wants to make Ecosia the default search engine at Boston University. Ecosia is a search engine that donates 80% or more of its profits to nonprofit organizations that focus on reforestation.
BU Carpooling Collective (Sara Perez, Brian McHale, Julia Dayan, Michael Papa, Julio Membreno, and CleanTech Club) wants to cut down carbon emissions and energy consumption while helping students get where they need to go through a BU Carpool Service.
Learn more about BU’s Climate Action Plan
