The Great Green Idea

Previous winner holding event sign in front of recycling bins.

Do you have an eco-friendly idea that you would like to see implemented on campus?

Projects are scored by members of the Sustainable Campus Fee Committee and the top ideas are awarded the following:

1st Place: $300

2nd Place: $200

3rd Place: $100

This contest opens the first week of each Fall Semester and closes November 24th.

William Campagna: Increase solar implementation on campus.
Amanda Cooper: Have a campus-wide tag sale when students can upcycle clothes and items no longer needed in their dorms.
Catalina Lizardo: Encourage students to share and lease school resources to help reduce the demand for new products.

Julianna Smith: “Trash” items can be upcycled into art installments on campus.
Oliver Cates: Students should have the accessibility to recycling more in campus housing.
D’Angelo Colon: Raise concern about energy usage and lighting in campus classrooms.

Amanda Cooper: Implement a virtual student ID program to reduce plastic waste and increase convenience for students.
Zawna Schumacher: Transition the Foy to a green gym utilizing micro inverter technology in gym equipment which would produce electricity to power the Foy facilities.
Sarah Martin: "Gov's Farmers Market" an on-campus market that would support local businesses and make sustainable, healthy produce available to students.

Alessa Tomboc: Create sustainability kits for incoming freshman to help promote a sustainable lifestyle throughout campus. The kit would have a reusable water bottle, a reusable bag, stainless steel cutlery, and a metal straw. This would allow students to be able to make a small difference in the community and have great long-term effects for our environment.
Marissa Mize: Build insect hotels around campus (mainly near the native plant garden) to increase the number of pollinators in the area. Not only will this lead to beneficial pollination of plants, but it will also increase the biodiversity of insects around campus. While most people don't like insects they are vital for plant survival. For example, spiders and some beetles are beneficial for controlling plant-damaging insects, and bees and butterflies contribute to pollination.
Matthew Scott: Swap out all of the shower heads in the campus dorms and the Foy Fitness Center bathrooms with pressure efficient shower heads to save water. This is more possible if done building by building over the span of a few years. We could test how the water consumption is effected on a few buildings and measure improvement; if it works we could put them in every shower on campus.

Holly Lotta: Designate several spaces toward the front of a few of the parking lots to cars coming to campus with two or more students. This would minimize the ever growing demand for parking spaces and reduce vehicle emissions.
David Battoe: The maker movement has always been about empowering creativity on a more individually focused level. By using emerging technologies such as 3D printing, cnc engraving, and recycled plastics (made on location via machines designed after the Precious Plastics Project) we can enable anyone, from any background, to become involved in shaping our world. This space would allow students to come and design things to help themselves and others in areas from accessibility to artistic expression.
Myah Jennings: I would like to minimize and prevent that waste by having Furbished Food Friday! This could be at any or every dining location on campus, where they would collect food that is still able to eat to give to students every week at a reduced price.

Mary Palmer: 4 Day Class Week- If we reduce the class week to just four days a week, it would decrease emissions around campus by at least 20%. Classes could be structured as 1.5 hour classes on each day.
Mary Palmer: Make a change, Get Some Change- Students can return empty soda bottles to a receiving bin, and the bin would dispense a nickel as a reward.
Lilly Cheek: Bleachless bathrooms- Replace all of the bleached-white paper towels with the regular brown paper towels in every bathroom on campus.

Frank Burns and the Student Government Association: Bike share is a rapidly growing health promotion initiative that greatly impacts community’s health. I would like to introduce a bike share program to Austin Peay State University. I believe a system like this would increase students’ physical activity, while providing students with sustainable means of transportation around campus as well as the Clarksville community. A Bike share system will be aesthetically appealing to the campus and will serve as a great incentive to incoming students.
Frank Burns: The National Pan – Hellenic Council is an international organization consisting of 9 historical organizations. The council is recognized at multiple Universities across the country. Compared to Austin Peay other universities have physical representation of the council. I am proposing a NPHC Garden that will add to the aesthetic appeal of the school as well as contribute to the diverse nature we hold dear here at Austin Peay. In the garden, there will be solar powered lighting. I want this to be a space that all members of the Austin Peay community can come to and learn.
Lilia Poveda: Austin Peay Recycles. I believe that there should be recycling bins offered in each dorm room. This would benefit APSU because it would show that students care about the environment and that Austin Peay wants to help make that difference.

Scoring Criteria

The Sustainable Campus Fee Committee, including students, faculty and staff will judge the entries. We are looking for small to large scale projects that engage student sustainability at APSU! Only current students are eligible to apply.

Creativity & Innovation- How original or unique is this idea?
Diversity & Inclusion- How does this idea cultivate campus inclusivity and tolerance?
Student Engagement & Reach- How many members of APSU's community does this idea positively reach, especially students?
Breadth & Impact – Does the project advance sustainability in many dimensions or only one?
Savings & Feasibility- How feasible is this idea and does this idea have potential to save our campus money in the long run?