Thank you to the nearly 130 of you who joined us at Penn State DuBois on Monday, May 15th, 2023 or Penn State Hazleton on Thursday, May 18th, 2023 for the annual Commonwealth Campuses Sustainability Forums.

This was our sixth year gathering to inspire each other, learn about the campuses’ sustainability initiatives, and together, explore solutions to advance sustainability progress. This year’s theme — Catalyzing Sustainable Alliances for the Future – provided administrators, faculty, staff, and students a variety of opportunities to engage, share experiences and find synergies for empowering sustainability at your campus and its community.

The year we were delighted to return to in-person attendance. Workshops focusing on a variety of topics were offered over the course of both days. Registration is now closed for this year’s forums. Stay tuned for information about upcoming forums in fall of 2023 and spring of 2024.

Detailed descriptions of the agenda and the workshop sessions are available to download at the buttons below. The basic agenda was as follows:

Morning

  • 9 -10 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
  • 10 a.m. – Noon Morning Plenary Session
    • Welcome from Chancellor
    • Three moderated roundtable discussions on issues of importance to Commonwealth Campuses
    • Closing Remarks by Lara Fowler, Interim Chief Sustainability Officer and Director of the Sustainability Institute
  • Noon – 1:30 p.m. Lunch and Networking
  • 12:45 – 1:25 p.m. Campus Tour (optional)

Afternoon

  • 1:30 – 4 p.m. Dual Afternoon Session — Taking Your Sustainability Curriculum to the Next Level

or

  • 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. First Afternoon Sessions
    • An Introduction to Using Storytelling in Your Work
    • The Power of STARS: A Sustainability Assessment Tool
    • Harnessing the Potential of the Student Engagement App (Thursday 5/18 only)
    • Chancellors Session (open only to CWC chancellors, presidents or designees)
  • 2:30 – 2:45 p.m. Break and Afternoon Refreshments
  • 2:45 – 3:45 p.m. Second Afternoon Sessions
    • Community Engagement from the Community Partner’s Perspective
    • A World of Possibilities: Funding Opportunities in Sustainability
    • Greening the Gram: Advancing Sustainability through Social Media