STUDENT PROJECTS

On October 26, 2009, the evaluation committee of the Generations Pact accepted nine of the eleven student projects that submitted a funding request. Here they are!

HEC-MONTRÉAL - Assessing the environmental impact of students Grant amount: 9 333 $
Project duration: 7 months (November 2009 to May 2010)
Sponsor: Associations des étudiants de HEC-Montréal Assessing the environmental impact of HEC students will allow the recommendation and implementation of appropriate solution to the problematic areas. The main quantitative results will provide concrete support to facilitate sustainable decision-making and formulation of targets for improvement by identifying the main sources of these impacts. Recommendations will also be proposed to set up a system of data sampling collection to follow up on a three-years evolution of indicators, defined in advance. This project has three objectives:
- Reducing GHG emission of HEC Montréal
- Raising awareness among students by providing evidence of their impact
- Providing adapted tools to reduce environmental impacts of HEC Montréal
Contact:
Benjamin Duteil, Sustainability Vice-President, AEHEC
Tel.: 514 963-2130
E-mail: vp-durable@aehec.com
UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À CHICOUTIMI (UQÀC) - Analysis of goods and servives of the Mouvement des associations étudiantes générales (MAGE) Grant amount: 13 692 $
Project duration: 9 months (November 2009 to July 2010)
Sponsor: Mouvement des associations générales étudiantes de l’UQÀC (MAGE) This project aims to assess the provenance of the global supplies in the various MAGE Student Services - student bar, cafeteria and café, photocopying - using a grid of evaluation and analysis developed by researcher(s). Following this study, a report will be presented with recommendations which will aim, among other things, to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions related to transportation. This project will also see the sustainable development more broadly, including evaluating the measures already implemented in the MAGE’s services: evaluating the products used, their sources, their environmental impacts and their qualities, ensuring efficiency in terms of development of seasonal menu and to really put the conclusions of the final report in cohesion with the Corporate Services. This project has an overall objective:
- Reducing the environmental footprint of the Student Services
Contact:
Georgette Pelletier, Secretary General, MAGE-UQÀC
Tel.: 418-545-5011
E-mail: secretaire@mageuqac.com
www.mageuqac.com
UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL (UQÀM) - BQAM: initiator of a bike collective Grant amount: 11 000 $
Project duration: 9 months (November 2009 to July 2010)
Sponsor: Association étudiante du secteur des sciences de l’UQÀM With its expertise and partnerships created, the bike coop BQAM now aims to expand its mandate by integrating a component of advocacy and awareness. BQAM will offer free training in bicycle mechanics and refurbishing old bikes, as well as mobilizing the community around the bicycle as a sustainable mode of transportation. BQAM will also establish the bicycle network (Réseau Vélo), bringing together all bike cooperatives across Quebec. Enlargement of the shop and trainings within the Réseau will be a turning point for a significant potential of community mobilization around the issues of transportation alternatives. This project has three objectives:
- Promoting the use of bicycles as a sustainable transportation for an healthy, ecological and economic society
- Promoting the reduction of GHG emission
- Organizing the second Vélo vélo conference
Contact:
Anne-Marie Cardin, member of BQAM
Tel.: 418-545-5011
E-mail: bqam@uqam.ca
http://bqam.org/
UNIVERSITÉ MCGILL - McGill Food System Project Grant amount: $20 099
Project duration: 9 months (November 2009 to July 2010)
Sponsor: Students Society of McGill University The McGill Food System Project is a group of students working under the responsibility of the Sustainability Office, which collaborates with the Food Services to improve the sustainability of the food supply of two sub-contractors on campus, Chartwells and Sodexo. Following thorough research of the supply system completed in Fall 2009, which promoted the purchase of local and seasonal products, MFSP would now ensure the sustainability of changes made on campus and through during certain programs regarding procurement policies to increase the sustainability of Food Services at McGill. This project has five objectives:
- Introducing new products from sustainable agricultural practices
- Changing shopping patterns of individuals and groups in support of sustainable agriculture
- Continuing research on the sustainability of Food Services at McGill
- Developing the institutional memory of the project and its objectives
- Reducing GHG emissions on campus
Contact:
Dana Lahey, co-director of MFSP
Tel.: 514-436-1764
E-mail: mcgill.foodsystems.project@gmail.com
http://mfsp.wordpress.com/
UNIVERSITÉ MCGILL - Organic Campus Grant amount: $6 011
Project duration: 5 months (November 2009 to March 2010)
Sponsor: Students Society of McGill University Organic Campus is a student group that provides a weekly basket of organic food to McGill community, year round. With the grant from the Generations Pact, this group will be able to extend its outreach and education to food issues. A guide to local and organic agriculture will be drafted, as well as a directory of farms, organizations and businesses purchasing local and organic food in Montreal. Strengthened partnerships with McGill Food System Project, McGill Farmer's Market, Campus Crops and Green House will also allow greater visibility of Organic Campus and greater scope of its actions. This project has two objectives:
- Promoting local and organic foods
- Reducing greenhouse gases emitted by transporting food
Contact:
Matthew Hawco, coordinator
E-mail: matthew.hawco@mail.mcgill.ca
http://organiccampus.blogspot.com/
UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À RIMOUSKI - Loutérou bike rental Grant amount: $5 049
Project duration: 9 months (November 2009 to July 2010)
Sponsor: Association générale des étudiants du campus à Rimouski The Action Committee of UQAR on Climate Change (CADUCC) aims by its actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Therefore, the Loutérou project wants to introduce a service free rental bicycles for individuals who attend university (students, employees, users of the sports center) and for Rimouskois. The proposed service would mainly like to meet the needs of international students (about 10% of the student community of UQAR) and resident students, who did not already have access to such location nearby and who represent the customer's priority project. Eventually, service repair and maintenance of cycling could be established, as well as other terminals rental bike through the city of Rimouski. This project has two objectives:
- Increasing the use of alternative transportation by the university community
- Raising awareness and educate the Rimouski community about environment
Contact:
Sarah Brin-Clément and Rachel Dubé, responsibles
E-mail: sarahbclement@gmail.com
UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À RIMOUSKI - Collectif Lèches-Babines Grant amount: $7 594
Project duration: 9 months (November 2009 to July 2010)
Sponsor: Association générale des étudiants du campus à Rimouski The Collectif Lèche-Babines has made it a primary mission of establishing self-managed communal kitchens. Recovering feed wastage and buying mostly local and organic food, the Collectif will prepare vegetarians dishes (except for a possible donation of meat from a partner) equitably distributed to the participants. In partnership with the Auberge du coeur and Paniers d’ici, two agencies of Rimouski, the Collectif Lèche-Babines wishes to respond to the problem of wasted food and greenhouse gas emissions produced by the food industry, as well as low income students and their growing need for healthy food, affordable and suitable to their conditions of life. This project has five objectives:
- Helping students accessing to food in accordance with the principles of sustainable development
- Reducing individual transportation associated with food purchasing
- Educating the community about the benefits of a diet consistent with sustainability
- Reducing environmental impacts related to food preparation
- Sharing culinary knowledge between students from different backgrounds
Contact:
Antoine Maranda, coordinator
E-mail: tonymaranda@hotmail.com
UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À RIMOUSKI - Ethical Purchasing Policy Grant amount: $3 177
Project duration: 6 months (November 2009 to April 2010)
Sponsor: Association générale des étudiants du campus à Rimouski In compliance with the UQAR Environmental Policy, in force since 2005, a student will be hired in January to write a purchasing policy applicable to different services and departments of UQAR. Following a review of current practices, that student will compile a comprehensive list of all the alternative products to those currently purchased, taking into account the best certification at the best price. A popularized presentation of his work will be delivered to the administration of UQAR, in order to concertedly write the policy. Training will then be provided to a key person from each department to explain the policy and promote responsible choices. This project has four objectives:
- Promoting the purchase of goods and services having the lowest social and environmental impact
- Promoting products requiring less transportation, thus encouraging local purchases
- Encouraging the reduction of consumption, avoidance of wastage and optimize use of resources
- Promoting the reduction of GHG emissions
Contact:
Nicholas Fecteau, Sustainability Officer, AGECAR
Tel.: 418-723-1986, #1523
E-mail: Add_age@uqar.qc.ca
http://agecar.uqar.ca/
UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À TROIS-RIVIÈRES Grant amount: $12 381
Project duration: 9 months (November 2009 to July 2010)
Sponsor: Association générale des étudiants de l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières The report of waste characterization conducted on campus in 2008 stipulated that the university got a very good result in recovery of dry materials, but the goals of diverting waste from landfill required the recovery of materials organic. The project is therefore to hire two students as interns to carry out the preliminary study establishing a composting system at UQTR. They will also attempt to validate the ability to handle putrescible waste by an anaerobic process, in order to produce biogas recoverable. The project will first deal with the kitchen waste from the cafeteria, and the student café and bistro. The other sources of organic matter will then be incorporated, among others from student houses. Students enrolled in the "Project involving community" course will participate in the later phase of outreach to the academic community when composting facilities will be available on campus. This project has two objectives:
- Promoting composting at the cafeteria
- Educating the community of Trois-Rivières to the importance of composting
Contact:
Louis Lacroix, Environment Intern, AGEUQTR
Tel.: 819-376-5011 #2660
E-mail: envirage@uqtr.ca
http://ageuqtr.ca

Here are the 8 student projects currently financed by the Generations Pact since May 2009.

McGill - McGill Food System Project McGill Food System Project
Grant amount: $12,770
Project term: 8 months (April 2009 to December 2009)
Sponsor: Students Society of McGill University (for the McGill Food System Project group) The four part-time jobs created this summer by the McGill Food System Project will enable the student incumbents to evaluate the origin of the food supplied by the two campus subcontractors, Chartwells and Sodexho. The research report will make recommendations to Food Services to encourage local purchasing, with a view to cutting greenhouse gas emissions created by transporting food. Contact:
Dana Lahey, co-director of MFSP
Tel.: 514-436-1764
E-mail: mcgill.foodsystems.project@gmail.com
http://bluwiki.com/go/Mcgillfoodsystemsproject
McGill - Gorilla Composting Grant amount: $25,000
Project term: 14 months (April 2009 to June 2010)
Sponsor: Students Society of McGill University (for Gorilla Composting) In 2006-2007, the student group Gorilla Composting launched the McGill pilot composting project, which diverted 30% of campus waste from public landfill sites in its first year. Thanks to the industrial composter Gorilla Composting installed on the campus, compost production will increase and, at the same time, awareness activities aimed at students and university employees will drive home the importance of composting their waste on campus and at home. This campaign will mainly target students living in university residences, new students and university employees. Contact:
David Gray-Donald, coordinator of operations
E-mail: gorilla.compost@gmail.com
http://gorilla.mcgill.ca
UQÀM - BEQÀM: Bike Coop Grant amount: $12,770
Project term: 14 months (April 2009 to June 2010)
Sponsor: UQÀM GRIP (Groupe de recherche d’intérêt publique) [Public Interest Research Group] (for BEQÀM) The BEQÀM bike coop at the UQÀM will be piloted this summer and officially launched when school resumes in September 2009. As well as providing second hand bicycle repair and refurbishing services, BEQÀM will actively promote cycling in the university community as an alternative transportation method, and coop job openings will help re-entrants into the labour force. Contact:
André Morin, BQÀM member
Tel.: 514-476-7729
E-mail: andremorin54@hotmail.com
UQÀM - Collectif de recherche en aménagement paysager et en agriculture urbaine durable (CRAPAUD) Grant amount: $10,000
Project term: 8 months (April 2009 to December 2010)
Sponsor: GRIP (Groupe de recherche d’intérêt publique) of the UQÀM The landscaping to be done at the Faculty of Science of the UQÀM by students of the Collectif de recherche en aménagement paysager et en agriculture urbaine durable (CRAPAUD) will leave a smaller ecological footprint than regular landscaping by doing all operations manually. The project will also include a section devoted to research into waste recovery techniques, a section promoting awareness of the importance of composting and urban agriculture and also an educational activities section focusing on greenhouse gas reduction, the promotion of ecological agriculture and the benefits of encouraging the local economy. Contact:
Jean-Philippe Vermette, coordonnateur du GRIP-UQÀM
Tel.: 514- 987-3000, extension 4077
E-mail: grip@uqam.ca
www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/cocq/Joomla
UQÀC - Car Pooling System Grant amount: $6,660 Project term: 12 months (April 2009 to April 2010) Sponsor: Mouvement des associations générales étudiantes de l’UQÀC [General Student Associations Movement of the UQÀC] (MAGE) and the student environmental committee This project involves designing a customized car pooling system with the help of a contractor in the Montreal area, and promoting its mass use. It will first be launched on campus at the UQÀC and then spread to other local organizations, such as the CÉGEP, the hospital and CGI. In the medium term, the service is aimed at reducing excessive vehicle use within city limits. Contact:
Rachel Schroeder-Tabah, president of MAGE-UQÀC (starting May 1st, 2009)
Tel.: 418-545-5011
E-mail: president@mageuqac.com
www.mageuqac.com
Université de Sherbrooke - Promotion of Sustainable Transport Initiatives Grant amount: $6,645
Project term: 13 months (April 2009 to May 2010)
Sponsor: Regroupement des étudiants à la maîtrise et au doctorat de l’Université de Sherbrooke [Association of Students Studying towards a Master’s Degree or a PhD at the Université de Sherbrooke] (REMDUS) To remind the university community of the numerous sustainable transport initiatives adopted by the UdeS, a student group will orchestrate an awareness campaign consisting of three parts: The high point will be the In Town without my Car! day. The three parts will be: an information, consciousness-raising and education plan, the promotion of sustainable transport methods and awareness creation to discourage vehicle idling. One of the central aspects of the project is the development of data collection methods to calculate the real medium- to long-term impact of using sustainable means of transport. Contact:
Barham Thiam, Vice-président au développement durable [Vice-President, Sustainable Development]
Tel.: 819-821-7998
E-mail: vp.developpement.durable.remdus@usherbrooke.ca
www.remdus.qc.ca
Université de Sherbrooke - Organic Waste Recovery Program Grant amount: $25,000
Project term: 12 months (April 2009 to April 2010)
Sponsor: Groupe étudiant pour un campus durable [Student Sustainable Campus Group] (for Génie-Vert) The installation of an industrial composter at the Université de Sherbrooke by Génie-Vert represents phase 4 of a campus waste recovery project begun a few years ago. Phase 5, increasing university student and employee awareness of the importance of composting organic waste on campus and at home, will take the form of a publicity campaign and workshops organized by Clé du développement durable [Key to Sustainable Development] and addressing waste sorting and home composting methods. One of the aims of the project as a whole is to reach level 3 of ICI ON RECYCLE (Recyc-Québec) and increase student involvement in composting on campus and at home. Contact:
Élise Letarte-Lavoie, membres de Génie Vert
E-mail: genievert@usherbrooke.ca
http://pages.usherbrooke.ca/genievert
HEC - Sustainable Transport Campaign – brigaDDe (sustainability squads) A major campaign to promote environmentally friendly transportation methods at the HEC, setting up brigaDDes Grant amount: $15,000
Project term: 8 months (April 2009 to December 2009)
Sponsor: HumaniTerre and the Association des étudiants des HEC (HEC Student Union) In 2009-2010 an intensive campaign will promote methods of sustainable transportation existing on campus (new cycle paths, bike racks, the campus car pooling site, showers, bike repair shop and priority parking for car poolers) and car park prices to discourage solo driving. There are two parts to this project:
- Sustainability squads will be set up and their student members will create video capsules and organize original showings, which will culminate in In Town without my Car! Day on September 22;
- A research and analysis section to develop several pricing scenarios to reinforce the message conveyed at the school by the awareness activities and the efforts to promote sustainable transportation.
This project has three general objectives:
- Make as many people as possible aware of sustainable transport methods;
- Bring about a behavioural change and the adoption of sustainable practices;
- Implement a incentive parking pricing system to sustainable transportation.
Contact:
Benjamin Duteil, vice-président au développement durable à l’AEHEC
Tel.: 514 963-2130
benjamin.duteil@hec.ca