Category: Sustainability

Sustainability Student Associate Positions Open for Fall 2022 @RooseveltU

The Sustainability Studies Program @RooseveltU is hiring up to two undergraduate students to work as Sustainability Student Associates for the Fall 2022 semester. Information and application instructions for this position can be found on the RU Student Employment website: to apply, just login to the Handshake job posting system and upload your letter of interest, résumé, and writing sample. These positions are funded by the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program as well as Testa Produce; FWS and non-FWS eligible students are therefore welcome to apply.

The application deadline is Friday 9/02/22 and interviews will be conducted the following week via Zoom or in person. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. A cover letter, updated résumé, and writing sample (which can be a paper written for an RU class) are required for the application. Please note your FWS eligibility status in your cover letter.

Applicants should explain their interest in advancing campus sustainability as well as highlight their prior knowledge about and/or skills in relevant sustainability issues and practices (e.g., recycling, gardening, event planning, data analysis, student outreach, etc.)

Desired Majors: Sustainability Studies, Sociology, or Biology preferred; however, all majors will be considered.

Required Skills/Knowledge: Knowledge of and interest in sustainability; strong writing/editing skills; effective communication skills; dependability, strong work ethic, and ability to work independently.

Scope of Duties: These $17/hour student positions will work at the Chicago Campus as well as remotely to support the mission, pedagogy, and service work of the SUST Program at Roosevelt by the following (other duties as assigned):

  • developing & supporting campus sustainability projects in consultation with the program director, department faculty, operations and planning staff, and the RU Green student organization;
  • providing logistical and communication support for sustainability-related activities, events, and projects, both on- and off-campus;
  • supporting student experiential learning, recruitment, retention, & career development efforts;
  • coordinating & promoting departmental events & campus outreach (e.g., Campus Sustainability Month [October], SUST Symposia, & Earth Month);
  • performing current student and alumni outreach;
  • serving as the primary student liaison between the SUST Program and the university community in the revision and advancement of RU’s 2015-2020 Strategic Sustainability Plan;
  • managing the Roosevelt Urban Sustainability Lab (RUSLab) & WB Rooftop Garden

Student Associates will work closely with the SUST Program Director, Prof. Mike Bryson, and utilize the Roosevelt Urban Sustainability Lab at the Chicago Campus as their home base. Funding for the position is provided by federal work-study funds.

Please email Prof. Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu) for questions about the position or application process.

Greening RU & Saving Big Bucks: A Recap of Spring 2022 Campus Sustainability Student Presentations in SUST 250

by Alyssa Spleha (BA ’22), Sustainability Student Associate 2021-22

The reports are in for Roosevelt University’s SUST 250 Sustainable University course and the results are astounding! Throughout the semester, SUST 250 students have been identifying and tackling some of RU’s sustainability weak spots. Broken up into five teams, the class focused on the athletics department, dining center, student orientation, general waste, and sustainability leadership. Through conducting research and consulting students, faculty, and staff, each team found solutions to major problems, all of which include substantial cost-saving measures.

The Athletics Team tackled four main areas within the department: replacing disposable water cups with reusable water bottles, assessing choices for ethical sourcing of non-game day wear, donating used gear, and conducting future materials audits. By switching to reusable water bottles, the athletics department could save $204-352 per year and reduce their waste immensely. In addition, the team found that by donating old gear, the university could write that value off on its taxes.

Athletics Presentation S22 Wk14Download

The Food and Dining Team focused on reducing dining center waste and explored the option of reusable dining ware. One of the main issues they identified was the lack of labeling on the disposable dining ware as well as the lack of labeling on trash receptacles throughout the cafeteria. By switching to reusable dining ware, not only is it much easier for diners to properly dispose of their waste, but it will save the dining center a whopping $58,866 in the first year and an even more impressive $65,500 per year thereafter. (Remember that number!) Moreover, giving new students a set of their own dining ware to reuse again and again will reduce theft and greatly reduce waste.

Food and Dining Center Presentation S22 Wk14 updatedDownload

The Student Orientation Team wanted to promote awareness of sustainability to new and transfer students by creating a PowerPoint presentation and a comical skit for the orientation team to present to incoming students each semester. With this presentation, incoming students will be well-versed in the basics of sustainability and Orientation Leaders can promote good waste-reduction habits. If all students collectively reduce their waste, it will save RU money in annual disposal fees and more importantly reduce the university’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Student Orientation Presentation S22 Wk14Download

The Waste Team had the pleasure of conducting a waste audit of a heavily used disposal area in the dining center. They first conducted a pre-audit by weighing each waste bag collected from these receptacles: trash, recycling, and compost. Then, by further inspecting the contents of each bag, they discovered that an alarming proportion of compostables was being thrown in the trash. More specifically, over 90% of the trash by weight was compostable. They further found that the lack of labeling on packing items students to unknowingly throw out recyclable and compostable materials instead of properly disposing of them, despite the presence of recycling and compost bins throughout the campus. The team concluded that taking away unlabeled bins would encourage students to properly sort through their trash at the designated trash-sorting areas.

Waste Presentation S22 Wk14Download

Last but not least, the Sustainability Leadership Team examined the accomplishments of past and present sustainability leaders at RU to make a case for why RU needs a designated sustainability coordinator on staff. Not only would a sustainability coordinator stay on top of reporting our sustainability efforts, but they would be able to write grants, create positive PR through green certifications, and implement cost-saving projects such as all the ones listed above. Just implementing the recommended switch to reusable dining ware in our cafeteria would generate more than enough annual savings to fund a full-time sustainability coordinator as part of the university’s operating budget — a staff person who in turn would identify other areas of savings as well as revenue generation.

In addition, implementing a “green fee” of $5 per semester per student could generate approximately $33,070/year to be used on specific sustainability projects such as creating a climate action plan, implementing student-led projects, offering professional development for faculty and staff, and much more. Besides these cost-savings, the team noted that supporting sustainability-related commitments to reduce carbon emissions, minimize waste, and promote environmental and social justice — all of which would be led and supported by a sustainability coordinator — is an ethical obligation of the university as well as a key fulfillment of its 2015-20 Strategic Sustainability Plan‘s goals and recommendations.

Leadership Presentation S22 Wk14Download

All in all, the students of SUST 250 each identified areas within the university that can be improved and would save the university tens of thousands of dollars every year. Beyond these remarkable cost-savings, though, as a social justice-oriented institution we are ethically obligated to prioritize projects such as these. By having a sustainability coordinator guiding these projects, the possibilities and savings far outweigh the initial upfront costs.

Want More? Watch these Zoom Videos of the SUST 250 Team Presentations:

Topic: SUST 250 Campus Sustainability Symposium 2022 (Food/Dining and Student Orientation) Date: Apr 19, 2022 10:50 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Meeting Recording: https://roosevelt.zoom.us/rec/share/PdNsQwc_flzTfM0D_4n3XMK7NE1lChxIKRFcwtxiRBy4hPDjKrpSSsge6wswYiPS.v__yiQoTNZstY3Oj

Topic: SUST 250 Campus Sustainability Symposium 2022 (Athletics, Leadership, and Waste) Date: Apr 21, 2022 10:51 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Meeting Recording: https://roosevelt.zoom.us/rec/share/1gI5wq2lmT2jCybabzwYcds6FjpEmIix8iNCvgthSqAxsYSKc2NJXCyEg65DwEDG.mfue7NiK8swvZ5Us

Earth Month 2022 Activities & Events @RooseveltU

This April is #RUEarthMonth2022, and there are lots of ways to go green at Roosevelt as part of our university sustainability efforts, whether you’re on or off campus — from attending talks and webinars by invited speakers to hearing presentations by current students to joining in the student org RU Green’s activities to performing acts of community service.

Throughout April — Student Survey on Sustainability: If you’re a current RU student, please take a few minutes to complete this survey on campus sustainability issues. The survey is part of a student team project on sustainability leadership in this spring’s SUST 250 Sustainable University course. Thank you for your participation and input!

Wed 4/13 5:30-6:30pm — RU Green Information Forum on Pipelines: Join students in RU Green in learning about pipelines infringing on Indigenous lands and rights, as well as some other issues of environmental racism. RSVP and event details here.

Mon 4/18 thru Fri 4/22 — Spring 2022 Roosevelt Student Research and Inquiry Symposium: a week-long virtual event featuring a mix of live sessions, poster presentations and pre-recorded oral & performance studies presentations on a wide range of topics. Student presentations will be posted on the site during RSRIS week. Register for sessions ahead of time (not required) to receive a link to add the event to your calendar. Check the schedule here.

Tues 4/19 11am-12:15pm — SUST 250 Campus Sustainability Presentations: Join the students of SUST 250 The Sustainable University as two teams present their projects on the dining center and student orientation, with time for Q&A from the audience. Attend live in WB 616 or by Zoom. Details here.

Tues 4/19 5:00pm — RU Green Beach Cleanup: Help clean up trash on the beach and celebrate the Earth by getting out and enjoying the lakefront with students of RU Green. Let off some steam by throwing seed bombs throughout the city where the ground could use a bit of love. Bring your UPass and meet in the WB Lobby, after which we will take the 29 bus to Ohio Street Beach. Email RU Green for more info.

Wed 4/20 2:00pm — Environmentalism in Illinois: RU Green hosts special guest speaker Iyana Simba from the Illinois Environmental Council for a special presentation environmental justice in Illinois and Chicago. Iyana Simba is the City Programs Director at the Illinois Environmental Council; an advocate and organizer around environmental justice issues, especially clean water access; and a member of Environmentalists of Color Network and the Chicago Urban League’s Metropolitan Board. Event will be live at RU in AUD Ida B. Wells Lounge and streaming on Zoom. Event info here; zoom link also can be found at https://linktr.ee/rugreen.

Thur 4/21 11am-12:15pm — SUST 250 Campus Sustainability Presentations: Join the students of SUST 250 The Sustainable University as three teams present their projects on athletics, sustainability leadership, and waste, with time for Q&A from the audience. Attend live in WB 616 or by Zoom. Details here.

Fri 4/22 2:30pm — Music in the Park: Unwind before finals by getting outdoors and listening to nature-themed orchestral music performed by Chicago Center of Performing Arts (CCPA) students. This event will be an immersive art and nature experience taking place around Maggie Daley Park. If weather is bad, this event will be held at the Maggie Daley Play Gardens located at 337 E. Randolph St. Sponsored by RU Green and the Center for Arts Leadership. Email RU Green for more info.

Fri 4/22 — Earth Day Service Opportunities & Events throughout Chicago, sponsored by the Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) and other organizations. Check out the many events listed here by C3 as well as these by the Cook County Forest Preserves. Help clean up parklands, restore natural areas, and meet conservation-minded and nature loving sustainability nerds from across the city. Fun and rewarding in a deeply spiritual and dirt-under-your-nails kind of way!

​Sat 4/23 10am-5pm — Earth Day Climate Summit: Hosted by the Sunrise Movement at Benito Juarez Community Academy (1450 W Cermak Rd, Chicago, IL 60608). “Be in community with other young folks ready to bring change to our City and beyond! In Chicago, we have an opportunity to set a precedent for how cities should be led, and set a future for all Chicagoans to thrive. In order to achieve this, we need to work collaboratively with groups, coalitions and organizations across the City that are making intersecting demands for Environmental, Social, Economic and Racial Justice, to help guide a new batch of energized youth, 14-35 years old!” Event info and registration at linktr.ee/rugreen or bit.ly/earthday-summit. Email RU Green for more info.

Mon 4/25 12-2pm — Rooftop Garden Cleanup: Come to the rooftop garden on the 5th floor of the Wabash building (in the back of the fitness center) and help prepare the garden for the growing season! Make sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Email RU Green for more info.

Tue 4/26 9:30am-12:15pm — Bubbly Creek Cleanup: Join students in Prof. Mike Bryson’s SUST 250 Sustainable University class @RooseveltU on a community service field trip to Canal Origins Park on Chicago’s Near Southwest Side. We’ll continue our yearly tradition of picking up litter along the riverbanks of Bubbly Creek where it meets the South Branch of the Chicago River. Enjoy great views of the Chicago skyline, fresh air, and a gratifying sense of fun and companionship as we work together to clean up our adopted city park! Event info here.

Tue 4/26 4-5pm — RSC Webinar on Prison Justice and Sustainability: Join this informative webinar sponsored by the Resilience Studies Consortium on the relationship between sustainability and prison justice. Features speakers from the Sustainability in Prisons Project, the University of Puget Sound’s Freedom Education Project, the Evergreen State College’s Gateways for Incarcerated Youth, and Evergreen State College’s Justice Involved Student Group. Organized by the Resilience Studies Consortium, Evergreen State College, and Roosevelt University. Event info here.

Wed 4/27 11am-12pm — Resilience in Times of War in Europe: Join this informative webinar sponsored by the Resilience Studies Consortium on the crisis in Ukraine and its relation to the country’s present resilience and future sustainable development. Speaker Andrii Holovko is a professor of management and marketing at the Ukrainian National Forestry University, and a longtime colleague of our RSC member institution in Germany, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development. Zoom info TBA.

Wed 4/27 5pm — Trivia Night Fundraiser: Come to AUD Ida B. Wells Lounge and compete with your peers for a chance to win sustainability themed prizes by correctly answering questions about environmental justice in a fun trivia night event! Get a team of 5 or less together and register for the event beforehand by going to https://linktr.ee/rugreen and clicking on “Trivia Night Registration.” We will also be collecting donations for Indigenous Environmental Network; please consider donating if you can. Event info here.

Fri 4/27 1-3pm — Schaumburg Bioblitz: As part of the City Nature Challenge 2022, we are hosting a bioblitz. Let’s find all the species we can on Roosevelt University’s Schaumburg campus. All Roosevelt community members are invited to take part. Make an iNaturalist account to upload observations. Meet at the volleyball court (north side of parking lot). Open to members of the Roosevelt University community: students, staff, faculty, alumni. Contact edangremond@roosevelt.edu with questions. More info on the City Nature Challenge here: https://www.chicagowilderness.org/page/citynaturechallenge (you can participate on your own too!). Event info here.

Elevate Your Education this 2022 Summer in SUST 390 Rooftop Garden @RooseveltU

This coming summer semester (2022) the Sustainability Studies program will reprise our popular and innovative special topics course, SUST 390 Rooftop Garden, at the Chicago Campus. The class will utilize RU’s unique 5th-story rooftop garden on its LEED Gold-certified Wabash Building as a living classroom for a hands-on, place-based, get-your-hands-dirty learning experience.

  • Title/number: SUST 390 Rooftop Garden (section 10)
  • Semester offered: Summer 2022 (10 weeks from May 31 thru Aug 8)
  • Location: Chicago Campus
  • Day/time: Online learning commences 5/31, with garden workdays and field trips to selected urban farms/green rooftops in the Chicago region scheduled by the instructor according to students’ availability.
  • Pre-req: ENG 102

SUST majors and minors may take this class to fulfill an upper-level SUST 3xx requirement, but 390 also is open to students at large seeking an experiential learning course, needing a general education course, or desiring elective credit.

RU President Ali, staff, and students harvest greens from the WB Rooftop Garden during the #AmDreamConf service day, 15 Sept 2016 (photo: RU Media)

Course Theme: Rooftop Gardens, Campus Sustainability, and Urban Agriculture

Diana Ramirez (BA ’17) works the garden plots on the WB Rooftop Garden, July 2017 (photo: M. Viveros)

Gets your hands dirty in this ten-week hybrid course which focuses on the unique urban ecosystem, the green rooftop, and features work in and stewardship of the fifth-story Roosevelt University WB Rooftop Garden in downtown Chicago. Students will learn about the relationships among food, biodiversity, waste, urban agriculture, green space design, and campus sustainability leadership through multiple modes: reading, participating in online discussions, taking field trips, and working in the RU garden during the summer late spring / early summer planting and growing season.

Course requirements and activities include online interaction through Blackboard; participation in garden workdays as scheduled by the student and instructor; and field trips to other urban community gardens and farms, whether rooftop or street-level. Participation in this course constitutes a significant contribution to the sustainability of RU’s Chicago Campus, and helps our community make progress on our 2015-2020 Strategic Sustainability Plan.

Moses Viveros sowing seeds in the rooftop garden, August 2017 (photo: D. Ramirez)

The RU Rooftop Garden in Chicago was started in the spring/summer of 2013, the first growing season after the opening on the Wabash Building in fall 2012. Since then, it has been funded and managed by the Department of Physical Resources, with work being done primarily by student interns and volunteers from the Sustainability Studies Program in the College of Arts & Sciences.

For questions and more details about this course, please contact Vicki Gerberich (vgerberich@roosevelt.edu), adjunct professor of Sustainability Studies; or Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), professor & director of Sustainability Studies.

Maria Cancilla (BPS ’18), Prof. Vicki Gerberich, and Michelle Giles (SUST senior) during #AmDreamServiceDay 2018 (photo: M. Bryson)

Mansfield Institute Kickoff Event on 2/1: Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement

Join Roosevelt’s Mansfield Institute on 2/1/22 to recognize our current Fellows for Activism and Community Engagement and community partners. Attendees will hear about the program experience of current fellows, learn about the 2022 program, and meet our community partners. Register here! All Roosevelt students from any college or major with at least 45 credits are eligible to apply for the fellowship program. The selected 2022 fellows will take part in the Social Justice in Action internship-based course, a three-day seminar, and work with a social justice-focused, community-based organization for which they will receive a summer stipend. For more information, contact Prof. Heather Dalmage, Director of the Mansfield Institute (hdalmage@roosevelt.edu).

Environmental Sustainability Committee Meets on 12/13 @4:30pm

RU’s Environmental Sustainability Committee will convene virtually on Monday 12/13 from 4:30-6pm for an open discussion of campus sustainability projects, issues, concerns, and goals. We will get an update on a recent student sustainability forum held on 11/29, share information with each other from across departments, and identify potential projects and initiatives for the Spring 2022 semester.

The ESC is an open committee that welcomes participation across colleges and departments from all members of the RU community: students, faculty, staff, administration, and alumni. Of special focus this year is the updating of our 2015-20 Strategic Sustainability Plan. We also are pleased to report that Roosevelt’s membership in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) provides anyone with an active RU email address full access to AASHE’s online resources.

Hope to see you there on 12/13! If you cannot attend, please take a moment to email any ideas, questions, and/or suggestions to the ESC (see contact info below).

Zoom info: https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/94378920390

RSVP / questions / suggestions to Prof. Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), Dept. of Sociology & Sustainability, CAS

Eden Place Founder Michael Howard Addresses the Resilience Studies Consortium on Environmental Justice

Mr. Michael Howard, CEO and co-founder of Eden Place Farms and Nature Center in Chicago IL, will address the Roosevelt and Resilience Studies Consortium (RSC) communities on Tuesday, 26 Oct 2021, at 11am CST on the topic of “Sustaining Environmental Justice in a Pandemic.” Please join the faculty and students of SUST 350 Service & Sustainability at Roosevelt University and ENVS 397 Environmental Justice at Western Colorado University as they host Mr. Howard’s virtual presentation and a Q&A session. This presentation is made possible by the generous funding of the RSC — thank you!

Michael Howard’s life passion is to improve the quality of life for the citizens of the Fuller Park community on Chicago’s South Side, both financially and environmentally. As Founder and CEO of the Fuller Park Community Development (FPCD) organization in the 1990s, he has worked to address housing, education, and environmental issues that have kept this generally African American and low-income community in poverty and disrepair.

In the late 1990s, Michael and his wife Amelia Howard led the effort to clean up a three-acre vacant lot near their Fuller Park residence that was piled two stories high with illegally dumped waste. With help from many in the community, the site was cleared of debris and restored into a thriving green space called Eden Place — still the only nature center on the entire South Side of Chicago. In the early 2010s, Eden Place opened its farm operation about a half-mile south of the nature center. They host community events, market their produce to local restaurants and farmers markets, and provide ecology, urban farming, and nutrition workshops to citizens of Fuller Park and beyond.

Since 2014, students in Roosevelt University’s SUST 350 Service & Sustainability class have volunteered one morning a week in a multi-year service project at Eden Place, helping with farm chores, repairing and painting structures, building trails, planting and harvesting crops, and organizing events to support the organization’s mission. In return, Eden Place has taught them much about the process and importance of community organizing, the rigors of urban environmental conservation and farming, and the challenges of fostering sustainability and community resilience in this era of social and economic stress.

Zoom Login Info:

Topic: Michael Howard on Environmental Justice for RSC
Time: Oct 26, 2021 11:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/97714968242
Meeting ID: 977 1496 8242

For More Information:

Contact Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), Professor & Director of Sustainability Studies, Roosevelt University

The Resilience Studies Consortium, of which Roosevelt is a charter member, is a network of small liberal arts Institutions dedicated to sustainability and community resilience, place-based educational experiences, and shared academic and co-curricular offerings in ways that empower students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving world.

SUST 350 Students Organize Concert & Fun Fest @ Eden Place Farm (Fri 10/15) & Nature Center (Sat 10/16)

Dear RU community — The students of Prof. Mike Bryson’s SUST 350 Service & Sustainability class have dedicated this past week to planning two pop-up events to help our longtime community partner non-profit org, Eden Place Nature Center and Farm, survive and thrive in these difficult pandemic times.

  • Friday 10/15 Music! “Farm Aid” benefit concert (6:30pm, doors open at 6pm) to save Eden Place Farms (live in person at 4911 S. Shields Ave., Chicago). Live concert is free to attend in person, with suggested donation and mandatory vax proof; make any online donation for livestream access.
  • Saturday 10/16 Family Fun! “Family Fun Fest” event at the Nature Center the following day, Sat 10/16, from 12-4pm to connect with the community and help raise funds. Details below.

Here’s how you can help with Saturday’s Fun Fest!

Where: Eden Place Nature Center (4417 S. Stewart Ave.) — 10min walk from the 47th St station on the Red Line, or EP staff can pick you up at the station if needed

When: Set up from 9:00am-12:00pm , event at 12:00pm-4:00pm , clean-up 4:00pm-5:00pm

What: Looking for at least 1-2 people to manage the raffle/pumpkin pick-up booth and a wristband seller at the entrance during 12-4pm event. Also looking for raffle donations from local businesses, saleable clothing items and/or plants in small pots.

Activities: Train ride and pumpkin/plant pot painting (wristband activities), bake sale, raffle, thrift and houseplant sale, and free games such as jumbo Jenga, basketball, cornhole, etc.

RU Contact People:

  • Alyssa Spleha (aspleha@mail.roosevelt.edu), SUST 350 student event organizer (main student contact for volunteering at event)
  • Gabriel Gonzalez (ggonzalez25@mail.roosevelt.edu), SUST 350 student thrift sale organizer (for dropping off gently used clothing @WB today or Friday)
  • Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), SUST 350 prof (for general questions)

Eden Place Contact Person:

  • Michael Howard (michaelhow@msn.com), Eden Place executive director and co-founder

If you have some time this week to contribute to this effort, please get in touch with Alyssa or Gabriel to find out how you can help and discuss logistics. The most pressing need is for a couple extra people to help work the entrance and booths at the Fest. However, if you can bring some clean articles of clothing to WB for the thrift sale, that’d be great too. Sorry about the short notice, but we’re doing the best we can on a tight deadline!

All off-campus volunteers would need to complete the RU Travel Waiver Form. Return to me (mbryson@roosevelt.edu) prior to the event. 350-98 RU Waiver Forms 2021Fall.pdf

Peace and thanks to all,
The SUST 350 Service / Eden Place Team

Help Save Eden Place Farms! Benefit Concert this Friday 10/15

Dear lovers of good music and supporters of urban agriculture in Chicago: this Friday 10/15 at Eden Place Farms, local musicians Wyatt Waddell and Headed Home will perform at 6:30pm in a livestreamed benefit concert. Located in the heart of the Fuller Park community at 4911 S. Shields Ave., Eden Place Farms is an iconic family-run urban farm on Chicago’s South Side.

To view the concert and support Eden Place, please make a donation at this link. After your donation, you will receive a link for the livestream event. No donation is too small! If you prefer your live music in person, admission is free and donations are accepted/encouraged; just be sure to bring your mask and proof of vaccination. Doors open at 6pm at the Farm.

The story of Eden Place is as inspiring as it is improbable. Eden Place Nature Center was founded on the site of an illegal waste dump by community activists Michael and Amelia Howard, who built a Nature Center in the late 90s and established their Farm about 15 years later. Eden Place has been a longstanding community hub and green oasis in the Fuller Park neighborhood, and is seeking to raise money to help recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and continue its mission to provide fresh organic produce and environmental education to its community. Though it has experienced setbacks this past year, Eden Place is a resilient and high-impact institution known throughout the US and beyond for its urban conservation work here in Chicago.

Roosevelt University has deep ties to Eden Place, as well. Since 2014, RU students each fall semester have worked onsite at the Nature Center and Farm through Prof. Mike Bryson’s SUST 350 Service & Sustainability class. Students from all walks of life learn what it’s like to work on an urban farm and in return provide their labor and ideas to the staff at Eden Place in a process of reciprocal learning and cooperation. This summer of 2021, five student interns with the Mansfield Institute’s Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement program have worked 10 hours per week at Eden Place helping to cultivate and harvest crops, build and repair structures, and work productively as a team. We in the Sustainability Studies program at RU are grateful to have Eden Place as a community partner and look forward to many more years of collaboration.

Thanks to the Roosevelt students of SUST 350 for helping organize this concert, and to everyone reading this for all for your past support of Eden Place! Please spread the word to everyone you know who appreciates healthy food and good music.

SUST 350 students help build a hoop house at Eden Place Farms, Fall 2019 (M. Bryson)
SUST 350 students harvest veggies, Sept 2021 (M. Bryson)

Apply Now for SUST Work-Study Opportunities for 2021-22

The Sustainability Studies Program @RooseveltU is hiring up to three undergraduate students to work as Sustainability Student Associates for the Fall 2021 semester. Information and application instructions for this part-time position can be found on Student Employment website: to apply, just login to the Handshake job posting system and upload your letter of interest, résumé, and writing sample.

The application deadline as been extended to Friday 10/08/21 and interviews will be conducted the following week via Zoom. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. A cover letter, updated résumé, and writing sample (which can be paper written for an RU class) are required for the application. Note your FWS eligibility status in your cover letter.

Applicants should explain their interest in advancing campus sustainability as well as highlight their prior knowledge about and/or skills in relevant sustainability issues and practices (e.g., recycling, gardening, event planning, data analysis, student outreach, etc.)

Desired Majors: Sustainability Studies, Sociology, or Biology preferred; however, all majors will be considered.

Required Skills/Knowledge: Knowledge of and interest in sustainability; strong writing/editing skills; effective communication skills; dependability and strong work ethic.

Scope of Duties: This $15/hour FWS student position will work at the Chicago Campus as well as remotely to support the mission, pedagogy, and service work of the SUST Program at Roosevelt by the following (other duties as assigned):

  • developing & supporting campus sustainability projects in consultation with the program director, department faculty, operations and planning staff, and the RU Green student organization;
  • providing logistical and communication support for sustainability-related activities, events, and projects, both on- and off-campus;
  • supporting student experiential learning, recruitment, retention, & career development efforts;
  • coordinating & promoting departmental events & campus outreach (e.g., Campus Sustainability Month [October], SUST Symposia, & Earth Month);
  • performing current student and alumni outreach;
  • serving as the primary student liaison between the SUST Program and the university community in the advancement of RU’s 2015-2020 Strategic Sustainability Plan;
  • managing the Roosevelt Urban Sustainability Lab (RUSLab) & WB Rooftop Garden

Student Associates will work closely with the SUST Program Director, Prof. Mike Bryson, and utilize the Roosevelt Urban Sustainability Lab at the Chicago Campus as their home base. Funding for the position is provided by federal work-study funds.

Please email Prof. Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu) for questions about the position or application process.