The University of Idaho Sustainability Center and the Office of Community Partnerships have awarded grants totaling more than $13,900 to five students and three faculty for the 2013-2014 academic year.

The UI Sustainability Center’s student-led grant program facilitates student engagement in building campus sustainability by awarding up to $9,000 each year to student-led grants. These grants support initiative work in areas such as sustainable transportation, carbon neutrality and climate change. Prior grants have a funded UI transportation survey, climate change seminar series and sub-irrigation system for the UI Pitkin Nursery. UISC Grant recipients for 2013-2014 are:

-Josie Greenwood, a sophomore in environmental science and a member of the University of Idaho Soil Stewards club. Greenwood’s $2,235 grant, entitled “Soil Stewards Investments for the Future,” will fund efforts to help the 10-year-old, student-run farm move closer to campus, purchase needed farm equipment to increase the capacity for growing produce, sell more produce to Campus Dining, and promote the farm.

-Nick Plass, a senior in animal and veterinary science. Plass’s $3,000 grant, entitled “Food and Farm Compost Facility Upgrade: Static Pile Aeration,” will upgrade the compost facility located at the University of Idaho Dairy north of campus. Currently, compostable material generated on campus is delivered to the UI Dairy for composting but the system is near capacity. The static pile system will significantly increase capacity and efficiency as well as increase the quality, safety and sustainability of the final product.

-Kelly Moore, a junior in mechanical engineering. Moore’s $3,000 grant, entitled “University of Idaho Wind Resource Assessment,” will identify UI buildings suitable for wind energy systems and measure the wind source available on those buildings. This research will show whether wind energy could substantially supplement the energy use of the Moscow campus, making the university more sustainable and helping it to realize its energy independence.

The Office of Community Partnerships has awarded five grants worth more than $9,400. OCP’s community outreach grants fund student- or faculty-led activities that specifically benefit Idaho’s communities. Prior grants have funded childhood literacy, Nez Perce Tribe language preservation, community center building design and native plant landscaping at the Intermodal Transit Center. The 2013-2014 recipients are:

-Kali Oliver, a graduate student in anthropology. Oliver’s $1,875 grant is entitled “Aiding the Asian American Comparative Collection.” Her efforts will strengthen the UI Laboratory of Anthropology’s Asian American Comparative Collection (AACC) by expanding the reach of its resources, documentation and comparative artifacts by updating its website and providing online access to a variety of original materials.

-Angela Woods, a senior in sociology. Woods will receive a $1,550 grant for her project entitled “Good Food, Grown Here.” Her project will focus on raising awareness about year-round local food options in Bonner County, Idaho, as well as reducing barriers that exist for low-income families to access local food resources.

-Tami Goetz, faculty in movement sciences. Goetz’s $1,999 grant is entitled “Palouse Bicycle Collective: Education, Access, Empowerment.” The Palouse Bicycle Collective’s (PBC) mission is to serve local community members through bicycle education, bicycle access and empowerment. The goals of the project are to support the PBC, provide educational workshops/clinics, and empower volunteers to give time, knowledge, and skill to the community. The PBC will serve UI students, faculty and staff, as well as community members.

-Jim Ekins, UI Extension faculty in Idaho’s northern district. Ekins will receive $1,977 to fund “IDAH20 Master Water Steward: Teacher-Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Kit Leading Program.” His project will fill gaps in state agency programs by implementing a citizen-science volunteer water quality monitoring and environmental education program. Funding will provide water monitoring test kits and supplies to K-12 classrooms and Master Water Steward Volunteers. The kits and water science curriculum will provide kids and adults with long-term, hands-on science education about clean, healthy creeks, ponds and lakes.

-Iris Mayes, UI Extension faculty for the Coeur d’Alene Reservation. Mayes will receive a $2,000 grant entitled “One Sky-One Earth Food Coalition—Community Orchard Project.” The funds will help provide a local, ongoing source of fresh fruits to the residents of the Coeur d’Alene Reservation. The orchard will provide a location for agricultural education activities such as fruit tree grafting, planting and maintenance, and irrigation system design and maintenance.

The annual grant program solicits proposals each fall and projects must be completed by the following spring. The grant program helps students develop skills they will use well beyond the life of the grant, including grant writing, project management, budgeting, program evaluation, leadership and teamwork.

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