Uni Greener

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  Pitch Deck

Inspiration

Employers hold high expectations for EPFL students. When they see a student's transcripts, it can have quite an impact on them. EPFL also has high expectations for their future actions for sustainability: so why not combine the two?

What it does

The green credit provides recognition for students who take action both in their daily lives and in more focused project efforts to live a more sustainable life. It takes what they learn in the new courses focusing on sustainability and gives them the chance to apply it in the real world.

How we built it

We analyzed the university policy rigorously, and identified areas where they failed to provide concrete explanations for how actions could be taken. We then looked at initiatives universities encourage both at EPFL and at other successful cases to determine what actions should be encouraged.

Challenges we ran into

Structuring this program will require working with the faculty and university leadership to understand how this new credit should be evaluated. We debated whether to make it involved with the sustainability classes, but ultimately decided it should be extracurricular.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We spent most of our time brainstorming ideas. For a time, it seemed like everything we could think of had already been done. The university is analyzing all aspects of their operations for sustainability, as well as incorporating it into the study program. What was missing, however, was applying the classroom knowledge in the real world. This program will give students the recognition they deserve as they reach out to teach the community about sustainability, find new and exciting cross disciplinary projects where they can apply sustainability, and eventually bring sustainable action to the job market. Not only does this provide a unique opportunity for students at EPFL, but it also helps the university to reach their goals directly. We expect this system to aid in establishing EPFL at the forefront of the march towards a sustainable future.

What we learned

Coming from outside EPFL, we were unfamiliar with the actions they are taking. Talking to students from EPFL, it seemed they were also unaware. There is so much information available, it is easy to get overloaded and lose focus of what is important. The know-how to live and work more sustainably is out there, so we don't want to create another app or web page. It may be unusual for a Hackathon, but it seems now is the time for structural change to put our theory into practice.

What's next for Uni Greener

In the future, we need to define how to measure the actions in a more detailed manner to ensure this program isn't taken advantage of.

Built With

• epfl
• policy