Past Funded projects

Past Funded Projects

Explore the innovative student-led projects that have been funded by the Student Green Fund to advance sustainability at CWU.

2025-2026 Funded Student Green Fund Projects

  • Student Budget Friendly Cookbook on Campus

    Amount Awarded: $1000

    Project Description

    This project will create a student budget-friendly cookbook featuring 14 simple recipes using ingredients commonly available through the Wildcat Pantry and Wildcat Farm. Physical copies will be available through the Wildcat Pantry and Multicultural Center, with a digital version accessible by QR code. The cookbook will reduce barriers to healthy eating and help students build practical cooking skills while encouraging the use of campus food resources.

    Project Status: Active - Implementation Phase

  • Sustainability Resources Magnet in Residence Halls

    Amount Awarded: $635

    Project Description

    To make sustainable living practices more accessible to students, this project will place educational magnets on refrigerators throughout one residence hall as a pilot program. The magnets will provide simple tips for reducing energy and water use, managing and properly recycling. By putting sustainability information directly in students’ living spaces, the project aims to encourage small, everyday changes and evaluate whether the approach should be expanded to additional residence halls.

    Project Status: Active - Implementation Phase

  • Converting Dean Hall Paper Towel Dispensers into Efficient Electric Hand Dryers

    Amount Awarded: $14,923

    Project Description

    This project will replace paper towel dispensers with six Dyson Airblade V hand dryers in Dean Hall restrooms. The upgrades are expected to save approximately $1,300 annually while reducing paper consumption and the water and resources required to produce paper towels. This project builds on previous Student Green Fund efforts to expand efficient hand-drying options across campus and further advance sustainability in one of CWU’s LEED certified buildings.

    Project Status: Active - Implementation Phase

  • Wildcat Pantry Weekend Refresh: A Weekly Meal Kit and Hygiene Care Pop-Up

    Amount Awarded: $4,110

    Project Description

    This project will launch Weekend Refresh in partnership with the Wildcat Pantry. Beginning Fall 2026, up to 80 students each week will be able to choose from Friday pickup packages featuring stove-top meal kits, microwave meals and snacks, or hygiene supplies. By providing essential food and care items when other campus resources have limited availability, the program will help support student well-being and reduce barriers to reliable access to basic needs.

    Project Status: Active- Implementation Phase

  • Creating a Student E-waste Collection Program

    Amount Awarded: $1,600

    Project Description

    To improve e-waste disposal options for students, this project will reinstate an e-waste collection sites around campus. The program will collect electronics such as laptops, monitors, and computers, helping keep electronics out of the landfill and ensuring they are responsibly recycled, or disposed of. This collection program will also build on previous efforts by the Primate Awareness Network on campus.

    Project Status: Active - Implementation Phase

  • Combatting E-waste and Forced Obsolescence with Open-Source Operating Systems

    Amount Awarded: $3,050

    Project Description

    This project will refurbish 10 laptops that would otherwise be discarded. Computers will be repaired and updated with open-source operating systems, helping bypass software support limitations and keep devices in use longer. Once restored, the computers will be made available at no cost to students in need.

    Project Status: Active- Implementation Phase

  • Reducing Paper Towel Waste in SURC Restrooms

    Amount Awarded: $16,326

    Project Description

    This project will install 12 Dyson Airblade V hand dryers in remaining Student Union and Recreation Center (SURC) restrooms. Building on a previous Student Green Fund project, the new dryers will further reduce reliance on single-use paper towels while providing a more efficient hand-drying option. Together, these upgrades are expected to save over $9,000 annually in paper towel costs and significantly reduce waste generated on campus.

    Project Status: Completed

  • Use Condom Sense

    Amount Awarded: $1,400

    Project Description

    To increase convenient access to sexual health supplies, this project will install condom dispensers in high-traffic locations throughout the Student Union and Recreation Center (SURC), including public bathrooms and Recreation Center locker rooms. This pilot will make condoms more accessible to students during their everyday activities while helping reduce barriers related to convenience and stigma. Usage and student feedback will also help guide future expansion of the program.

    Project Status: Completed

  • Curating Sustainable Relationships: Community relationships and the environment

    Amount Awarded: $305

    Project Description

    Through a community-curated exhibit centered around your “coolest thrift store find,” this project will bring young adults together to share, discuss, and creatively display their favorite thrifted items. By highlighting reuse and secondhand shopping, the event will encourage conversations around sustainability while creating an engaging, collaborative museum experience. The project will also explore how young adults engage with museums through surveys and interviews, contributing to research on community learning and visitor experiences.

    Project Status: Completed

    People talking to each other at curating connections eventPeople looking at the thrifted items displayed at curating connections

2024-2025 Funded Student Green Fund Projects

  • Campus Bike Share Pilot Program

    Amount Awarded: $13,020

    Project Description

    In partnership with Outdoor Pursuits and Rentals (OPR), this pilot program will introduce a fleet of 10 bikes, equipped with helmets, locks, and lights, available for students to rent at little to no cost. The program aims to reduce unnecessary driving and make sustainable transportation more accessible for all Wildcats.

    Project Status: Active - Implementation Phase

  • Planting Native Plants on Campus

    Amount Awarded: $250

    Project Description

    A patch of campus lawn will be transformed into a vibrant, drought-resistant native plant garden during an Earth Day volunteer event. This project not only supports local biodiversity but also encourages water-wise landscaping practices right here at CWU.

    Project Status: Completed

  • Introducing Sustainable Washing Practices to Campus

    Amount Awarded: $385

    Project Description

    This project will help students make small but impactful changes to their daily habits by promoting environmentally friendly laundry practices. Students can look forward to an informative Earth Week display in the SURC, sustainable product giveaways, and even a chance to win a Guppy Friend washing bag.

    Project Status: Completed

    Sustainable Laundry Tips
  • Expanding Access to Free Clothing on Campus

    Amount Awarded: $1,100

    Project Description

    This project supports the creation of a new free clothing location through a partnership with Career Services and the Wildcat Pantry, focused on providing everyday wear for students. The funding will help transform an underused space by adding clothing racks, storage cubbies, and a private changing area. Once complete, the location will centralize donated clothing on campus, reduce financial stress for students, and promote a culture of reuse over waste. 

    Project Status: Active - Implementation Phase

  • Waste Standardization and Addressing Recycling Contamination at CWU

    Amount Awarded: $23,500

    Project Description

    To help tackle recycling contamination, this project will standardize waste stations at the Student Union and Recreation Center by adding new bins for trash, recycling, and compost. These will be paired with waste education signage. The goal is to reduce contamination, lower campus waste costs, and prepare students for future composting efforts at CWU. 

    Project Status: Completed

    Waste Diversion at CWU
  • Expanding the Wildcat Farm Food Forest

    Amount Awarded: $2,300

    Project Description

    This project will enhance the Food Forest at the Wildcat Farm by expanding the herb garden, adding a small vegetable plot, extending the walking path, and installing educational signage. Food forests model natural ecosystems to grow food sustainably while supporting biodiversity. This expansion will offer students hands-on learning about local food systems, sustainable gardening, and the value of ecosystem restoration, right here on campus. 

    Project Status: Completed

  • Cutting Waste with Hand Driers in the SURC

    Amount Awarded: $14,600

    Project Description

    To reduce paper towel waste and greenhouse gas emissions, this project will replace outdated hand driers and remove paper towel dispensers in SURC restrooms, installing 18 Dyson Airblade V hand driers. These upgrades are expected to save over 3,000 pounds of paper towels annually ($6,000 in costs savings) while also improving hygiene and lowering long-term operating costs. 

    Project Status: Completed

  • Improving Visibility for All-Gender Restrooms

    Amount Awarded: $900

    Project Description

    This project will install directional signage near gendered restrooms across campus to help students, staff, and visitors more easily locate all-gender restrooms. Each sign will include a QR code linked to CWU’s restroom map, making access clearer and more inclusive. This effort supports a welcoming campus environment and aligns with broader sustainability goals around equity, well-being, and inclusive infrastructure. 

    Project Status: Completed

  • Water Refill Stations for Residence Halls

    Amount Awarded: $5,400

    Project Description

    To reduce single-use plastic waste and improve access to clean drinking water, this project will install ELKAY H2O water bottle refill stations in Quigley Hall and Kamola Hall. By retrofitting older buildings with modern hydration stations, CWU students will have better access to filtered water, helping to decrease plastic use while promoting health and sustainability. 

    Project Status: Completed

  • Supporting Native Pollinators with Bee Hotels at Wildcat Farm

    Amount Awarded: $1,500

    Project Description

    This project will enhance habitat for solitary native bees by installing bee hotels made from sustainable, non-toxic materials at CWU’s Wildcat Farm. The bee hotels provide safe shelter and support for native pollinators that are essential to local food production and ecosystem health. Educational signage will also be installed to help visitors learn about native bee species, their role in biodiversity, and how to support pollinator conservation efforts on and off campus. 

    Project Status: Completed

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