What is a Sustainability Officer?
The Sustainability officer is a position on the Student Council with the purpose of enhancing their campus through implementing green events and educating the student body on sustainability.
What is the mission of the program?
The mission of the program is to add Sustainability Officer positions to Student Governments with the goal of embedding sustainability on campus.
How does this benefit schools?
How does this benefit students?
Sustainability News
In a first-time effort to engage high school students in the building of artificial intelligence (AI), Intel and the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy have partnered with the City’s Student Council Sustainability Officers Initiative (SCSO) to help identify an un-native plant, buffalo grass, in desert regions for ultimate removal. Buffalo grass is harmful to our environment and invasive. Sustainability Officers and their student bodies will use a tool called LabelMe and the Anaconda software to scan and label buffalo grass images discovered. Each student will be responsible for labeling one image a week over a four-week span. The project kicks off the week of March 20.
Resources
City of Phoenix Sustainability Officer Campus Framework
Phoenix Union Lead Sustainability Officer
Arizona Greening Events Guide for Schools
ASU Sustainable Cities Greening Events Implementation Guide
Sustainability Officer Resource Guide
Annual Sustainability Challenge
The City of Phoenix, City Manager's Office of Sustainability hosts an annual Sustainability Challenge for the Phoenix Union High School District in partnership with ASU Sustainable Cities Network. The Sustainability Challenge is an opportunity for high school students to learn and implement sustainable practices in their schools. Students use the Greening Events Guide for Schools to earn points in the challenge. The theme of the challenge changes each year. Check out some of our past challenges and winners! Past winners have received a combined total of $20,000 to embed sustainability on their school campus.
2022-2023 Sustainability Challenge (March 20 - April 21)
This year's theme was Every Drop Counts and was all about water conservation and what we can do to reduce our water usage.
Week One: Water Conservation is in Style
Week Two: Save Every Drop
Week Three: Desert Minded
Week Four: Respect the River
Week Five: Now Water We Gonna Do?
Past Winners:
2021-2022 Fashion for the Future
1st Place: Wilson College Prep
2nd Place: Bioscience High School
2019-2020 Green Games
1st Place: Franklin Police & Fire Academy
2nd Place: Bioscience High School
3rd Place: Cesar Chavez High School
2018-2019 Green Yo Prom
1st Place: Bioscience High School
1st Place: Franklin Police & Fire Academy
3rd Place: Betty H Fairfax High School
2017-2018 Food and Fitness Challenge
1st Place: Linda Abril Education Academy
2nd Place: Alhambra High School
3rd Place: Wilson College Prep
Follow us on Instagram:
@everydropcountsphx
Contact Us:
Interested in starting a Sustainability Officer program at your school? Reach out to Margret Montag at margret.montag@phoenix.gov or Darice Ellis at darice.ellis@phoenix.gov to learn more or get started!
