The Consortium’s Student Sustainability Design Challenge kicked off this fall with more than 250 students, representing 16 schools from across Southwestern Pennsylvania, attending two kickoff events. Six new schools joined the SSDC this year, with 300+ students slated to participate as the program continues into the winter and spring.
Representatives from nearly 40 community organizations, businesses, and post-secondary institutions volunteered their time, joining students in sustainability discussions, sharing their experiences and career pathways.
The Consortium launched the SSDC in 2023 as a way for students to explore sustainability careers while building their own soft skills and agency through student-driven, authentic, community-focused projects. This year, the Consortium sought to bring the SSDC to schools in Greene, Fayette, and Washington counties (SSDC South), hosting a new kickoff event at Washington and Jefferson College. The program also returned to Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh for a second kickoff event for students in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.
The SSDC continues to expand–not just geographically–but also in terms of the students engaged in these real-world challenges. This year, we are excited to have a team of fifth-grade students from West Jefferson Hills join the program, representing our first foray into elementary-level design challenges.
This year’s program includes several new opportunities, including professional development workshops for SSDC educators, as well as mini-grant funding that will allow students to pursue prototypes for their sustainability projects. The Consortium team also introduced students to a new brainstorming tool, called a Lotus Blossom; they used this simple divergent thinking tool to jumpstart project ideas for further development.
Throughout the program, students are encouraged to explore sustainability in all of its facets through the lens 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals; this helps students broaden their perspectives on sustainability by highlighting topics as wide-ranging as infrastructure, gender equality, or even health and wellbeing. The diversity of Global Goals also offers a content-friendly on-ramp for educators, offering relevant connections for nearly every content area.
Throughout the winter, students will brainstorm sustainability solutions, visit with industry experts, and return in the spring to share their ideas with their peers and professionals. If you are interested in joining the SSDC or participating as a program partner, contact Candice Murrell at cmurrell@tcfpe.org.
The SSDC is made possible by generous support from our premier sponsor EQT, as well as our sponsors Ebara Elliott Energy, PPG Industries, and UPMC. Thank you to our workshop presenters, guest speakers and hosts:
