Enviance Blog

Submissions Now Closed – Which Schools Will Progress to the “Environmental Eight”?

Two weeks ago Enviance, in partnership with GreenBiz Group and Qualtrics,  invited students and staff of the recently announced “Sustainable Sixteen” schools to submit supplementary materials demonstrating why their school deserves to advance to the next round of Enviance’s Second Annual Environmental March Madness (#EnviroU) Tournament. 

Since then we have received an unprecedented number of outstanding submissions – all told, students and staff sent in more than 800 photos, 150 essays and 30 videos! Now that the submissions period is closed, our expert panel of judges are busy going through all of the materials in order to determine which of the remaining sixteen schools will advance to the next stage in the competition.

We will be announcing the “Environmental Eight” on March 28, so stay tuned! You can also receive real-time updates on Twitter by following @enviance and #EnviroU.

 

Competition Heating Up: Which Schools Have What it Takes to Make it to the “Environmental Eight”?

Two weks ago, Enviance, in partnership with GreenBiz Group and Qualtrics, introduced the “Sustainable 16,” the country’s top environmental universities as determined by an expert panel of judges in the Second Annual Environmental March Madness (#EnviroU) tournament.

Now, these 16 schools are competing to move on to the next round. We have already received many outstanding submissions from students in the form of essays, photos and videos highlighting why their school deserves to be part of the “Environmental Eight.”

Although many schools have already submitted, a few have gone that extra mile that will definitely be recognized the judges. We've received over 100 pictures with one school leading the pack at 28, and another two not far behind. We’ve also received multiple detailed essays from students and faculty at several institutions, and one school already submitted three unique videos.

Submissions are being accepted until next Friday - March 8, so if you’re a member of the student body or faculty at one of the “Sustainable 16” schools, be sure to get involved and encourage your peers to do so as well.

For everyone following the competition, be sure to check back on March 22 to find out who made it to the next round! You can also receive real-time updates on Twitter by following @enviance and #EnviroU.

For details on how to send supporting materials to the judges, please read our FAQs page.

Introducing the Sustainable 16: America’s Top Environmental Studies Programs

This morning Enviance, in partnership with GreenBiz Group and Qualtrics, introduced the “Sustainable 16,” the country’s top undergraduate environmental studies programs as determined by an expert panel of judges in the Second Annual Environmental March Madness (#EnviroU) tournament.

The panel of judges — comprised of an education author and expert, as well as representatives from the Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, Walmart, Forbes, Norfolk Southern and Enviance—­ chose the “Sustainable 16” schools from a competitive group of institutions that showed commitment to the environment through both their environmental studies programs and on-campus initiatives.

The contenders are, in alphabetical order:

• Arizona State University
• Colorado State University
• Emory University
• George Mason University
• Michigan State University
• Middlebury College
• Montana State University
• Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• University of California Santa Barbara
• University of Florida
• University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
• University of the Pacific
• University of Virginia
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Madison

These 16 schools will now battle to move up into the Environmental Eight, then the Finest Four and finally, one deserving school with then be named National Champion, announced on April 8. To move on in the tournament, faculty and students must submit essays, photos and videos highlighting their best environmental “plays” between today and March 8.

It’s still too early to tell just how closely our tournament matches up with the men’s NCAA March Madness Tournament, but comparing it to bracketology expert Jerry Palm’s predictions on his Bracketology Blog, our tournament will also have underdogs, returning top schools and of course plenty of school spirit.

The National Champion takes home $5,000 for its environmental and sustainability department, and is awarded an all-expenses-paid trip for its department chair or faculty member to San Diego to attend the Enviance User Conference, April 22-26. While there, the winner will lead a panel on educating future environmental professionals.

Check back on March 22 to find out who made it to the next round! You can also receive real-time updates on Twitter by following @enviance and #EnviroU.

For schools in the ‘Sustainable 16,’ please follow this link for details on how to send supporting materials to the judges: http://www.enviance.com/march-madness/

Hurry and get your submissions in! Deadline fast approaching for 2nd Annual March Madness Environmental Tournament

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been receiving submissions from colleges and universities with the strongest environmental curriculum and sustainability programs in the country for our 2nd Annual Environmental March Madness Tournament.

Sponsored by Enviance, GreenBiz and Qualtrics, our March Madness mimics the college basketball tournament in timing and format, but instead of basketball, it recognizes those universities and colleges with the most robust environmental degree programs, best environmental opportunities for students, and most comprehensive on-campus sustainability efforts.

Think your school has what it takes to win? It’s not too late to enter – just download the questions here, then when ready, fill out the online survey form here.

The deadline is Monday, January 14, 2013.

Prizes include:

• $5,000 grant for the winning University’s environmental department

• An all-expenses paid trip to San Diego for the dept. chair to attend and speak (if he/she wishes) at the 2013 Enviance User Conference.
• Two students (chosen by the judges) who submitted the most compelling video or essay during the competition will win Google Nexus tablets
• Exposure and coverage in Greenbiz.com

For more information on the tournament, including timing, strategy, judging panel, etc., please visit our FAQ page.

 

 

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Enviance’s Second Annual Environmental March Madness Tournament Has Begun!

We’re proud to announce the call for entries has opened for our second annual Environmental March Madness (#EnviroU) tournament! The tournament is designed to recognize colleges and universities that are making sustainability a priority in the classroom and on campus.

In order to participate, department heads must fill out a survey detailing their school’s environmental and campus-wide programs by January 14, 2013. Our panel of industry experts will then select the “Sustainable 16”.

After being selected for the “Sustainable 16”, students and faculty will submit short video testimonials or other materials highlighting their schools’ on-campus and curriculum environmental achievements. The judges will use this info to narrow the Sustainable 16 down to the “Environmental Eight,” the “Final Four” and eventually “National Champion,” which we will announce on April 8.

The National Champion will receive a $5,000 cash prize, and an all-expenses-paid trip for the department head or another representative to attend our annual User Conference, April 22 to 26, in San Diego. The top two students from schools advancing to the Final Four, with the most compelling supporting materials and tournament participation, will be awarded Google Nexus tablets.

GreenBiz Group and Qualtrics, the survey technology provider, are also sponsoring the tournament this year. A new panel of distinguished judges featuring environmental experts from retail, energy, nonprofits, journalism and academia will join Enviance CEO, Lawrence Goldenhersh, in identifying the school that is working hard to prepare and engage the next generation of environmental and sustainability experts.

For more information on the tournament and how to get involved please click here. You can also download a complete survey by clicking on the “document” link.