Welcome to 2026! The ASCP has a variety of exciting programs and opportunities available to students, faculty, and staff. Keep scrolling to learn more! |
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The ASCP is conducting its bi-annual survey! Help us direct our next campus initiatives by giving us your feedback! The ASCP is a student fee-funded department that serves all four institutions with a mission to reduce campus-wide ecological impact and dependency on carbon-based fuels. Visit our website for more information on previous survey results. |
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Sustainable Labs Committee Meetings Are you passionate about sustainability in the lab? Do you have ideas to share, or do you want to connect with others across CCD, CU Denver, and MSU Denver? Join us at the Sustainable Labs Committee meetings! Collaborate with others from all three institutions to help make our campus labs more sustainable: - Monthly meetings on the first Friday of the month at 1:30 pm
- Open discussion and idea sharing
- Faculty and research students welcome
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2026 Freezer Challenge! The Freezer Challenge is a free competition designed to encourage energy efficiency through best practices in lab cold storage management (fridges, freezers, and cold rooms). The program has saved a total of 76.8 million kWh since its beginning. Sign up to be part of the Auraria Sustainable Campus Program's tri-institutional team. Compete for the chance to win a PRIZE! |
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Looking to donate? Drop donations in the bin outside Room 346. If you have a large item/several bags to donate, email scp_contact@ahec.edu. |
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Join us in our fight against hunger and food waste on campus by using the Share Meals app! Sign up to see which events around campus have food that will be available to community members. You can find free food nearby through Share Meals; see how much is available and how long it’s up for grabs. The app also has a list of centers across campus where students can find free food, personal care items, and other helpful resources. Sign up today by downloading the app on your phone or by using the web version! Click here or the image above to navigate to our webpage for more information and to get started. |
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We are hiring a part-time Waste Diversion Student Associate and a part-time Marketing (Social Media) Student Associate positioned to start February 23, 2026. The applications close February 8, 2026. For more details regarding these positions, visit sustainableauraria.org/jobs. To apply, visit your respective university job posting site (Handshake, Symplicity) or email your resume and cover letter, plus any additional supplemental materials you would like to include, to scp_contact@ahec.edu. We look forward to reviewing everyone's applications and welcoming new ASCP team members this Spring! |
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Humans can use snow shelters to stay warm too. Igloos use only body heat to warm up, and can be 100 degrees warmer than outside. Read more fun facts about snow here. |
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Lauren, a student at Auraria, asked, “how can we support the start of composting programs in our own communities?” Our campus, Denver, and Colorado as a whole all have great compost programs. Composting is an important way to keep food waste out of the landfill while building soil health and providing nutrients for plants. Remember to first only take the food that you need, feed hungry people, compost, and then use the landfill as a last resort. Learn more about the food recovery hierarchy here. On campus, the ASCP has implemented a closed loop compost system. This means that most of the food on campus, that is either part of the preparation process or does not get eaten, gets composted on site. People cannot bring food scraps from home. A new part of our program is vermicomposting, which is composting with worms! This project was presented to SACAB and passed unanimously in April 2025. The ASCP expanded the vermicompost project because worms make a very valuable, high-nutrient form of compost. The final products from both our regular compost and vermicompost systems are used for landscaping around campus. If you live in a single-family home in Denver, you should already have compost pickup available to you through the city. If you live in an apartment, because of the update to Denver’s Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance, compost and recycling will be required to be available to tenants starting on September 1, 2026. Make sure your landlord or property owner is aware of this change. Happy composting! |
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Winter Fest - Spring 2026 Welcome Week Come visit our table between 2-5 pm on Thursday, January 22 in the Tivoli Turnhalle! Thank you to the Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion (CMEI) for including us in the event! |
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Sustainability Workshops Next month, we're kicking off our Sustainability Workshop Series! The Sustainability Workshop Series offers a unique opportunity to learn core environmental sustainability concepts and discover how to turn knowledge into action. This free five-course program covers essential sustainability topics, including water and energy consumption, waste management, and environmental justice. You will explore these issues through various lenses—global, national, local, and individual—and gain the tools to promote sustainable change in any career path. Workshop Details The Sustainability Workshop Series is open to students, faculty, and staff from the Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Colorado Denver, and Auraria Campus. The program includes five two-hour courses, offered twice in both the Fall and Spring semesters. Sustainability 101 Through an Environmental and Social Justice Lens February 11, 4-6 pm in Tivoli 329 February 13, 10am-12pm in Tivoli 542 Water Conservation with the OWOW Center February 18, 4-6pm in Tivoli 329 February 20, 10am - 12pm in Tivoli 542 The State of Waste February 25, 4-6pm in Tivoli 329 February 27, 10am - 12pm in Tivoli 542 Energy and Climate Action Planning March 4, 4-6pm in Tivoli 329 March 6, 10 am-12pm in Tivoli 542 Applied Sustainability Exercise March 11, 4-6pm in Tivoli 329 March 13, 10am-12pm in Tivoli 542 There is still time to sign up for courses this semester! Learn more about the workshop courses and how to register using the link below. We hope to see you there! |
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Water Workforce Summit and Career Fair The Water Workforce Summit and Career Fair is an opportunity to convene students, water industry professionals and employers, water-related educators and trainers, workforce development specialists, and other stakeholders to discuss and address water workforce needs across the state. The next Water Workforce event series will be the 2026 Water Workforce Summit & Career Fair on February 12-13, 2026 at CSU Spur in Denver with the Water Workforce Summit being held on Thursday, February 12 and the Career Fair on Friday, February 13. |
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Winter Bike to Work Day Pledge to ride on February 13! The annual Winter Bike to Work Day celebrates commuters who choose biking year-round to travel to the office, run errands and visit with friends by riding their bikes instead of driving alone in their cars. Find out more and pledge to ride here! |
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Tips for winter biking from DRCOG: - Wear a helmet and bright, reflective clothing to increase visibility and safety
- Bring layers and waterproof, breathable clothing for unpredictable weather and road conditions
- See and be seen. Have both a front light and a back light of at least 500 lumens for the front light and 100 lumens for the rear light
- Check your bike regularly to ensure chains, tires, brakes and lights are in working order
- Run tires at lower pressure for better traction on icy or snow covered trails; consider switching to tires with better grip
Colorado law requires the use of a headlight and at least a rear reflector during times with insufficient light (like sunrise and sunset). However, we recommend headlights and taillights as well as rear reflectors at all times to be as safe as possible. If you're unable to bike to work, walking, carpooling, and public transit are also great, sustainable options! |
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Recycle Colorado is hiring! Recycle Colorado is hiring a Program Coordinator! This is a part-time, remote position. Find out more about the position here. |
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Sustainability Impact Challenge The Blair Gifford Mile High Sustainability Impact Challenge will bring together interdisciplinary student teams, subject matter experts, and community partners to develop actionable sustainability solutions for downtown Denver, with an emphasis on real-world feasibility and implementation. The program is designed to complement applied learning and project-based coursework across disciplines. Teams must include at least one student from any Colorado-based university, but may also include non-students, with the goal of building strong, interdisciplinary teams. What's next: - Kickoff Event: January 22, 2026
- Team development and capacity-building workshops throughout Spring 2026
- Final Pitch Night in May 2026, with cash awards and implementation funding for finalist teams
Please fill out this form to RSVP for the kickoff if you are interested in participating, or just want to stay informed. |
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Be the first to know about upcoming events |
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Interested in how we all help to reduce Auraria's ecological impact and dependence on fossil fuels? Check out our team page! |
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