SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOPS
Our free Sustainability Workshop Series for all students, faculty, and staff.
Learn more about sustainability and how to apply it to your personal and professional life!
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The Sustainability Workshop Series is a five-course program that offers education on a breadth of environmental sustainability core concepts as demonstrated through a direct application model. Topics including water and energy consumption, waste management, and environmental justice will be discussed in a global, national, local, and individual framework. Students will learn how to employ strategies of systems thinking and critical theory.
These tools can be applied to all professional disciplines. Students will also learn how to evoke sustainable behavior change in their future careers by utilizing their deeper understanding of the sustainability core concepts and having knowledge of real-life examples that provide proof of concept to their leadership. Furthermore, by providing a comprehensive overview of the major themes in sustainability work, students will be exposed to a wide range of possible career trajectories as well as access to current professionals working in the field.
Workshop Details
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The Sustainability Workshop Series is open to students, faculty, and staff from all three institutions – the Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and University of Colorado Denver – as well as staff from the Auraria Campus.
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The program includes five two-hour-long courses, and each course will be offered twice a semester. See the workshop course descriptions and schedule below.
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CU Denver students will earn the Sustainability Through Service Certificate by attending all five courses, conducting 15 hours of service, and completing a reflection. Students have one year to earn the Certificate.​​​​ Learn more about the CU Denver Certifications here.
MSU Denver students will earn the Applied Sustainability Principles Badge by attending all five courses. Students have one year to earn the Badge. Learn more about the MSU Denver Micro-Credentials here.
If you are not pursuing the Sustainability Through Service Certificate or the Applied Sustainability Principles Badge, you do not have to attend all five courses. All attendees must register for the course(s) before attending. See registration details below.
Workshop Registration
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The form will ask you to select which course(s) you will be attending on which date(s). See the workshop course descriptions and schedule below.
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Workshop Courses
Sustainability 101 through a Social and Environmental Justice Lens
This course explores the fundamental concepts and practices of sustainability and social and environmental justice. Students will develop systems thinking skills to analyze environmental, social, and economic challenges while critically evaluating various perspectives on human-environment relationships.
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February 11, 4 PM to 6 PM (Tivoli 329)
February 13, 10 AM to 12 PM (Tivoli 542)
Water
This course explores water usage and conservation, examining the realities of our water systems today with guest speakers from the One World One Water Center. Participants will gain practical insights into the history of water rights in the U.S., pressing topics like water usage and AI, and water stewardship through a guided exercise and discussions on global and local water issues.
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February 18, 4 PM to 6 PM (Tivoli 329)
February 20, 10 AM to 12 PM (Tivoli 542)
The State of Waste
This course examines how waste permeates local, national, and global systems, exploring its connection to consumerism, commodity chains, and ecological footprints. Students will learn about waste management techniques and explore strategies for waste reduction on various scales.
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February 25, 4 PM to 6 PM (Tivoli 329)
February 27, 10 AM to 12 PM (Tivoli 542)
Energy and Climate Action Planning
This course explores the connection between increasing energy demands and greenhouse gas emissions. Participants will gain practical insights into renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the importance of climate action planning on local and global scales. This course includes a tour of the solar array located on top of the Auraria Library. The solar array is only accessible via a ladder and is not wheelchair accessible. Accommodations will be made as requested.
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March 4, 4 PM to 6 PM (Tivoli 329)
March 6, 10 AM to 12 PM (Tivoli 542)
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Applied Sustainability Exercise
Students will explore the influence of local policy on campus operations and apply their knowledge to real-world sustainability challenges within the Auraria Campus and Denver through a group exercise. Students will also have the opportunity to network, explore other sustainability opportunities, and determine their personal climate action through a reflection.
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​March 11, 4 PM to 6 PM (Tivoli 329)
March 13, 10 AM to 12 PM (Tivoli 542)