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Earning a total of 75 points is needed to graduate as a Green Scholar. Each task may only be accounted for one time.

Keep track of your points using the chart located on the last page of the Green Scholar Point System Booklet. Email completed form to the Office of Community and Government Relations to the attention of Amber Stoian at stoiana@gtc.edu.

The last day to submit points for this academic year will be November 1 for fall graduation and April 1 for spring graduation. At Gateway’s graduation, our Green Scholars will graduate with the Green Scholar distinction and receive a gift of appreciation. Thank you for being part of the sustainability solution!

Be sure to sign up for the Green Scholar program to qualify. Questions? Please contact Amber Stoian at stoiana@gtc.edu.

Earn 1 point by completing these tasks:

  1. Start ordering a drink without a straw or use reusable straw (metal, paper, or glass). 500 million plastic straws are used in the US each and every day! Plastic doesn’t go away, it only gets smaller and smaller. It’s a threat to marine life and human health.
  2. Make your own snack instead of prepackaged snacks or take along a container with leftovers from yesterday’s dinner. Most snacks come with a lot of packaging and 40% of all food in America goes to waste.
  3. Declutter! Make a pile of toys or clothes that are in good condition to donate to your local thrift store. The US has only 3% of all the children in the world but they own 40% of all the toys!
  4. Use a reusable mug at coffee shops. Some stores give discounts for using your own mug.
  5. Monitor your car’s tire pressure to boost your car’s fuel efficiency.
  6. Get outside during a time you would typically spend in front of a screen and take a walk looking for refuge to collect and recycle. Nature is amazing and wonderful, but so many people use it as a garbage can.
  7. Use a rake or broom instead of a leaf blower.
  8. Use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning your kitchen and bathroom.
  9. Sanitize fruits and vegetables with a mixture of 3-parts water to 1-part vinegar in a spray bottle.
  10. Change the direction of your ceiling fan to move air circulation depending on season.
  11. Repurpose your glass jars when empty for leftover containers or bulk storage.

Earn 5 points by completing these tasks:

  1. Walk the Nature Discovery Trail at the Center for Sustainable Living.
  2. Attend a monthly workshop at the Center for Sustainable Living. Check the website for activities.
  3. Take a tour or virtual tour of the Center for Sustainable Living Contact: Kallie, CSL Manager, at (262-564-2196) or johnsonka@gtc.edu
  4. Clean dust, lint and dirt from refrigerator coils to increase efficiency.
  5. Find out the recycling rules and drop-off locations in your area, and recycle everything you can. The free iRecycle app will help find recycling locations in your area.
  6. Use less water by installing a low-flow shower head or a faucet aerator to reduce your shower time and water usage.
  7. Bike, walk or take public transit or carpool whenever possible.
  8. Is there a local community garden where you could compost? Or better yet, set one up in your backyard. Composting is super important; it returns natural items (like food scraps and /paper) back to the soil where it will break down. This helps fight climate change!
  9. Incorporate one locally produced item into your meals every day for a week.
  10. Mix used fat or grease together with nuts, seeds and raisins to create bird cakes. For more information on “how to feed birds” visit: www.rspb.org.uk/feedthebirds
  11. Set up a rainwater collection system so you can water your plants and garden with rain water.
  12. Attend an Earth Day activity at Gateway Technical College or in your community.
  13. Pay your bills on-line.
  14. Fix a leaky faucet, to save money going down the drain.

Earn 10 points by completing these tasks:

  1. Install a tank less water heater –or energy efficient water softener.
  2. Install an energy efficient furnace.
  3. Purchase an energy efficient refrigerator.
  4. Purchase an energy and water efficient washer and dryer set.
  5. Install dual-flush toilets to reduce water intake.
  6. Install a solar water heater.
    OR
  7. If you are not a homeowner, or cannot do the above at this time, research the benefits of replacing one of the items (1-7 above) and do a cost-benefit analysis.
    OR
  8. Interview a person or business who has installed one of the items (1-7 above) and find out the lifestyle and economic impacts it has had. Write a short review of your findings.
  9. Set up a compost pile. Compost typically makes up 24% of our garbage.
  10. Set up a “browns” compost, which consists of bits of cardboard, scrunched-up paper, dried leaves, and prunings from the garden.
  11. Evaluate your recycle bin or garbage for one week. Determine what is making up the majority of your recycling, and make a plan to reduce your consumption of that thing over the next week. Reevaluate the following week to determine how you did. For example, if you notice your recycling bin is full of yogurt containers, plan to buy yogurt in bulk to eliminate most of that packaging. Remember, reduce comes before recycle.
  12. Use a reusable water bottle
  13. Switch to cloth diapers or at least do a combination with disposables. Even one cloth diaper per day means 365 fewer in the landfill each year from you alone.
  14. Donate 10 hours of volunteer work. (i.e. Earth Day)

Earn 25 points by completing these tasks:

  1. Read a book about sustainability, and write a short book review which could be featured on our Facebook page for the Center for Sustainable Living. There is a wide selection of books at the library in the Center for Sustainable Living. Contact Kallie, CSL Manager, at (262-564-2196) or johnsonka@gtc.edu to view the list of books in the library.
  2. Install an energy efficient device such as a wind turbine, geothermal system or solar panel.
  3. Set up a meeting through email with John Thielen, Director of Facilities, Thielenj@gtc.edu, to discuss green campus initiatives. Mention you are in the “Green Scholar” program, so he knows what the meeting is about. Write a paragraph about an initiative.
  4. Work to start a sustainable campus initiative through your club by setting up a meeting with Stephanie Sklba, Vice President, Community and Government Relations at sklbas@gtc.edu.

Send us your selfies!

Email stoiana@gtc.edu showing us all the great things you are accomplishing and we will showcase these photos (with your permission) around campus and during the slideshow at graduation. You can also post your selfies on social media with the hashtag #GatewayGreenScholar.