University of Virginia
IN-4: Innovation 4

SustainaUnity began in the fall of 2010 when it was clear to students that there was a need for more collaboration among these disconnected sustainability groups across the University. SustainaUnity began operating as a hub with a website where the contact information and links to all the student groups are available, as well as various resources for students interested in sustainability. SustainaUnity also runs an email listserve with around 50 student leaders and has begun holding different events where these leaders are invited to come meet each other and network with other members.

What is unique about SustainaUnity is that SustainaUnity approaches improving sustainability different from most student organizations. Whereas many groups seek to implement small, tangible projects like building a garden or hosting a speaker, SustainaUnity looks at the entire student experience from before admission until after graduation and looks for ways to improve the quantity and quality of engagements that students have with sustainability. This is best shown with the chart which can be found through the link below. The chart helps SustainaUnity track their progress for improving student engagement so that by the time students graduate, students will be more knowledgeable and willing to engage in these important issues throughout their lives and careers. This intentionally broad focus and clear methodology for students to examine progress and plan for the future with regards to sustainability initiatives at UVA has yielded a wealth of initiatives and impact that would not have existed without it, as indicated by the orange boxes on the chart below.