Sustainability Fairs
In 2018, the City of San Jose launched an ambitious initiative known as Climate Smart San Jose. The plan made San Jose one of the first major U.S. cities to chart a course to meet the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets of the international Paris Agreement and aligns with Central San Jose resident goals to improve community health.
CommUniverCity’s travelling Sustainability Fairs contribute to those efforts by teaching the importance of sustainability to the younger generation in hopes that they will take action into their own hands. SJSU students in Dr. Bobbi Makani’s Business 16 class led workshops at after school programs to teach children about sustainable living. This year, we visited five local elementary
schools, taking over afeterias and transforming them into interactive learning spaces. SJSU students gave demonstrations and led discussions on sustainability topics ranging from energy efficiency to water conservation. At each station, children engaged in a fun hands-on activity that reinforced sustainable behavior. Games included recycling relays, getting dirty with a worm compost bin, and making crafts from recycled materials. Valley Water partnered with CommUniverCity for this project, co-hosting a station for the children and provided water conservation tools such as toilet bowl leak-detecting tables and shower timers to promote water conservation.
Project Impacts
95% of elementary school student participants increased their awareness on waste reduction and energy conservation
70% of elementary school student participants learned to incorporate environmentally sustainable practices into their daily lives
88% of elementary school student participants gained new knowledge of healthy foods from attending the event
Students Engaged
Residents Engaged
Hours of Student Service
Value
Faculty Lead
Bobbi Makani (Marketing & Business Analytics)