Empowering Our students

“Thank you so much for accepting our proposal! ESW HEAT is excited to be able to provide all of these supplies to people at the Pitt Pantry. ...Again, thank you for allowing us to be able to provide energy/water efficient devices to those in the Pitt community.” Adalee Jacobs, Pitt ‘20 & Co-President, ESW

PITT HYDROPONICS

Faculty Advisor: Dr. David Sanchez

Pitt Hydroponics aims to educate Pitt students and community members about hydroponics, provide fresh, sustainably grown produce to food deserts in the surrounding area, and further university research in hydroponic systems. The club regularly offers hands-on “build a mini system” nights to teach students and community members how to grow their own lettuce or basil without soil — even on a dorm room windowsill. Members are exploring the potential for installing systems in prominent spots on campus to raise awareness and produce. In addition to their Homewood location, club members maintain a hydroponic system at Community Human Services in Pittsburgh’s South Oakland neighborhood. It provides fresh lettuce for the CHS food pantry, which serves more than 800 families. Dr. Sanchez’s students also are partnering with The Community Day School in Squirrel Hill, which serves PreK through 8 th grade students. Club members teach the students about hydroponics and have helped 6 th through 8 th grade students design and build a system that can be moved among their classrooms. The Pitt volunteers helped brainstorm and fine-tune Community Day students’ own designs. Concomitantly, they have brought hydroponics demos and kits to STEAM days programs at Lincoln Elementary School, which serves the city’s Homewood and Larimer neighborhoods.

The Pitt Hydroponics club was recently highlighted in Sustainable America; read the full profile.

ENGINEERS FOR A SUSTAINABLE WORLD

Faculty Advisor: Dr. David Sanchez

In collaboration with the student-led Pitt Green Fund, MCSI supported Engineers for a Sustainable World’s Home Energy Assessment (HEAT) Team. HEAT members tabled at the Pitt Pantry during Produce and Food Recovery distribution days (Tuesdays and Fridays), providing energy efficient education and home improvement items to individuals in need.

ESW AT PARK(ING) DAY

As part of the Year of Creativity, University groups transformed small urban spaces along Schenley Plaza into unique and creative areas of possibility.

MCSI supported ESW students who showcased their Solar Cart (funded by MCSi) to power a blender to make smoothies for visitors.