Needs From: Winthrop University

This will be the second of multiple MLK Day Service opportunities. 

The Office of Sustainability honors Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy through service and volunteerism, demonstrating how joining in service can transform your life and the lives of others through systems thinking, futures thinking, and self-awareness. Service not only improves the community, but it also has the power to unite people, build bridges, and heal divides, and Campus Green is a place to gather and share experiences. The theme gardens are home to endangered sunflowers, wildflowers, and native pollinators (bumble bees, carpenter bees, butterflies, and other insects). This space illustrates the intersectionality of human and natural systems.

Campus Green is a place to gather and share experiences.  The theme gardens are home to endangered sunflowers, wildflowers, and native pollinators (bumble bees, carpenter bees, butterflies, and other insects).  This space can show how human and natural systems are interconnected.   However, these gardens require regular maintenance to remain vibrant all year.   In January, our tasks include cutting back the dead plants, weeding, mulching, and planting annuals and perennials.

Litter clean-up participants move beyond theoretical environmentalism, bridging the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world application by developing collaboration, practicing problem-solving, assessing normative thinking, and illustrating systems thinking regarding waste streams.

Sponsored by Keep York County Beautiful and Rock Hill Clean and Green, the Polar Day Litter Clean-up incentivizes the need to address litter as an ongoing problem in our community and on Winthrop's campus. We must stay vigilant in our efforts to clean it up and improve the appearance of our communities and campus.  

This litter clean-up is open to STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF.

Litter clean-up participants move beyond theoretical environmentalism, bridging the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world application by developing collaboration, practicing problem-solving, assessing normative thinking, and illustrating systems thinking regarding waste streams.  

Sponsored by Keep York County Beautiful and Rock Hill Clean and Green, the Spring Into Spring Litter Clean-up incentivizes the need to address litter as an ongoing problem in our community and on Winthrop's campus. We must stay vigilant in our efforts to clean it up and improve the appearance of our communities and campus.  

This litter clean-up is open to STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF.

Litter clean-up participants move beyond theoretical environmentalism, bridging the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world application by developing collaboration, practicing problem-solving, assessing normative thinking, and illustrating systems thinking regarding waste streams.  We must be vigilant in improving ourselves in natural and human environments.

Earth Day was never intended to be a celebration.  Rather, it brought attention to the environmental crisis and its effects on human and natural systems.  It brings people together to express their shared values and illustrate how daily actions are crucial to protect the planet and its inhabitants from threats like climate change and pollution for future generations.

Therefore, we need to move beyond theoretical environmentalism. In the context of "Sustainability Education Competencies" (often aligned with UNESCO frameworks), these activities bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world application by developing collaboration, practicing strategic and integrated problem-solving, understanding, and negotiating values and ethics, and illustrating systems thinking regarding waste streams.

This litter clean-up is open to STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF.

The Office of Sustainability supports service and volunteerism, demonstrating how joining in service can transform your life and the lives of others.  Volunteerism not only improves the community, but it also has the power to unite people, build bridges, and heal divides.

Installed by Eagle Scouts, this service will honor their contribution to Winthrop University.  Volunteers will weed, cut back dead plants, plant, and mulch.

The Office of Sustainability supports service and volunteerism, demonstrating how joining in service can transform your life and the lives of others.  Volunteerism not only improves the community, but it also has the power to unite people, build bridges, and heal divides.

There are two themed gardens on the north side of Tillman Hall, facing Margaret Nance.   Installed by Eagle Scouts, this service will honor their contribution.  Volunteers will weed, cut back dead plants, and mulch.

Processing Winthrop's recycling strengthens Environmental Literacy, illustrates the application of Circular Economy principles, and instills civic responsibility and leadership.  

Students develop a sense of responsibility to educate others when learning about recyclables and observing what contaminants are commonly placed in recycling stations.  During the event, students are encouraged to ask questions: What items are made from this material?  Does it actually get recycled?  Where does it go from here?  How much does Winthrop recycle, and how much trash do we send to the landfill? 

Recycling Right contributes to social justice, ecological integrity, and economic vitality.  However, we must also consider the importance of reducing all types of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). 

Service to others demonstrates how joining together in service can transform your life and the lives of others.  Service not only improves the community, but it also has the power to unite people, build bridges, and heal divides.

While sorting recycling can be perceived as gross, and sometimes it is.  However, this is why we must learn from this experience what the sorting process entails, and why curtailing contamination improves the lives of the employees sorting this material at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF).