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May 2023

Household items collected at American University’s Green Move-Out. Photo credit: Stefan Roha

During student move-out, countless items are hastily discarded, leading to (literally) TONS of gently used items ending up in a landfill. During the rush to leave campus, students often see the trash can as the only option for items they are not taking with them. Green move-outs help solve this problem by establishing convenient spaces on university campuses where students can donate their unwanted but still usable items. Donating and reusing items has several benefits, including diverting waste from local landfills and reducing the need to extract and produce new materials. Reducing waste not only benefits the air, water, and soil quality in the community, but also cuts the greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change that result from both manufacturing new items and landfill gas. Donated items are also a very cost-effective way for District residents and students to obtain household items and other necessities.

This spring, three District universities opted in to receive green move-out support through Reuse DC. Reuse DC program staff supported American University, Catholic University, and Georgetown University by hiring temporary staff to assist in the collection of materials for donation and reuse. Items collected ranged from furniture, appliances, and electronics to clothes, linens, and unopened and non-perishable food. Universities partnered with local nonprofits to donate these items and keep some for their own on-campus thrift stores to give to students during move-in in the fall.

2023 Student Air Quality – Art & Comic Contest The Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) in partnership with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) invites 9th - 12th graders attending a public high school or public charter high school in the District to submit 2-D artwork that celebrates and portrays a clean air future in the District. Themes that students may choose to focus on for their artwork include: Air Quality & Transportation, Air Quality & Climate Change, Asthma & Your Health, Community Science, and Wildfires & Smoke. Contest winners will be selected for Best Comic ($200), Best Artwork ($200), 2nd Place ($125), 3rd Place ($75), and 8 honorable mentions. The deadline for submissions is July 31. Learn more and submit artwork at on the contest webpage!

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Climate and Energy Leadership Awards Nominations Open Until June 30 Government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and educational institutions across metropolitan Washington are invited to apply or nominate candidates for the 2023 Climate and Energy Leadership Awards offered by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Winners serve as a role model for the region, and are recognized in front of local, regional, and national officials for their innovative climate stewardship projects and programs that engage and serve the region’s underserved communities. Some past winners include the District of Columbia (2016), Prince George’s County Sustainable Energy Program (2018) and Rise N Shine Foundation, Inc. (2022). For more information including how to nominate or complete an application, visit www.mwcog.org/climateawards or email lboggs@mwcog.org. The application period is open through June 30.

2023 US Department of Education Green Ribbon School Honorees

The 2023 US Green Ribbon Schools Award recognizes early learning centers, schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions taking a comprehensive approach to sustainability, incorporating environmental learning with improving environmental and health impacts. Congratulations to this year’s honorees for the District of Columbia!

Cardozo Education Campus: At its LEED Gold-certified building, electricity is supplied by a wind power purchase agreement and renewable energy credits. The campus boasts an 18,197 square foot green roof and a designated outdoor learning area that includes a student-maintained school garden. Students implemented a successful school-wide recycling program that has won yearly accolades since 2014. Cardozo teachers have also created environmental literacy instructional materials for use by high school teachers across the District.

Georgetown University: The university has reduced its carbon footprint by over 71 percent per capita since 2006. Georgetown’s campus has three green roofs, a 20,000-gallon rainwater cistern, and prioritizes landscaping with native plants and is DC’s first certified “Bee Campus.” In 2021, Georgetown launched the Earth Commons as a hub for environmental and sustainability innovation, research, and education. Additional sustainability accomplishments include the Common Home Magazine, an MS in Environmental and Sustainability Management, and a ten-day ecology program in the Yucatan Peninsula.

To learn more about these and past winners, visit https://osse.dc.gov/publication/us-department-education-green-ribbon-school-applications-and-honorees.

Daphne Arko-Dadzie,
Former Department of Energy and Environment Green Fellow

So I was a Green Fellow at DOEE… It was the best of times, and it was - well - the better of times in all honesty. My nine months as a Green Fellow with DOEE’s Urban Sustainability Administration (Team USA as we like to call it) was and continues to be one of the most pivotal points of my academic and professional career. I really felt like a part of the team during my time there. I got the chance to take a lead on projects, including an assessment of the Faunteroy Center, the District’s pioneering resilience hub in Ward 7, writing this newsletter, and so much more. I got to represent DOEE on building development reviews which tied directly to the Master of Architecture program I was in at Howard University. My aim is to forge a career in sustainable urban design and working with the Sustainable DC team and the Green Building and Climate Branch exposed me to the work being done on the ground in a real way. I will never forget my experiences and the incredible people I met. This all worked hand in hand with my thesis project to re-design the only public park in Accra, Ghana with socially resilient programming to get street children into careers in the arts. With this project I was able to use all that I had learned during my fellowship, and I will never forget this time in my life.

GRANTS & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Request for Applications – DC Sanitary Line Correction and Education Program

DOEE seeks eligible entities to conduct a pilot project using a participatory process to educate the targeted communities in the Watts Branch and Nash Run watersheds on proper residential plumbing installment or renovation of sanitary lines. The grantee will also provide support to correct improperly installed lines. The grantee will document its work and develop a guidance report that DOEE will use to expand the program to serve more District residents in the targeted communities. The amount available for the project is $180,000. The deadline for application submissions is June 16. For more information, visit https://doee.dc.gov/node/1658176.

Request for Applications – District Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences: Overnight and Nature Near School

DOEE seeks eligible entities to continue DOEE's commitment to provide Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) to fourth and fifth-grade students enrolled in DC Public Schools and DC Public Charter Schools. The MWEE program offers District students the opportunity to learn about their local watersheds and the Chesapeake Bay, while immersed in an urban and non-urban environment. This hands-on outdoor program also provides professional development for teachers, advances the integration of environmental literacy into classroom curriculum, and helps prepare District students to be competitive in the green economy. The amount available for the project is $600,000. The deadline for application submissions is June 30. For more information, visit https://doee.dc.gov/node/1660561

JOBS

Department of Energy and Environment – Equity and Engagement Program Analyst (Job ID: 21805)

This position is in the DOEE’s Urban Sustainability Administration and will advise and support coordination within the agency and District Government, including the Office of Racial Equity. This position will work with community partners to broaden and strengthen inclusive resident engagement and maximize equitable outcomes related to urban sustainability, including co-leading DOEE’s role in supporting the District’s resilience hub pilot. This position will act in an advisory role to the Director, DOEE program staff, and the agency’s Racial Equity Committee to further agency’s internal equity training and implementation goals. Strong facilitation, community engagement, communications, project management, and analytical skills are required in addition to experience in, and knowledge of, equity theory and practice. Applications are due May 31. For more information, visit Careers - dc.gov and search for job ID 21805.

DC Greens – The Well at Oxon Run Program Manager

DC Greens is a Black-led, multiracial non-profit organization that uses the power of racially equitable food policy, education, and access to build a more just and resilient food system in our nation's capital. The Well at Oxon Run is DC Greens’ most recent place-based program that embraces the full scope of community wellness and leverages partnerships and community-directed programming to promote health. The Well Manager will be responsible for carrying forward the strategic direction of The Well while building productive community partnerships and co-creating effective community feedback channels. Applications are due June 23. For more information, visit Job Openings — DC Greens.

Compost Cab – Compost Cabbie

Compost Cab has two goals: make it easier for people to compost, and easier for urban agriculture to thrive. It achieves these two goals by providing home and commercial composting services, and by partnering with urban farms and community gardens to build soil in the city. Compost Cab is currently hiring for several part-time Compost Cabbies, including drivers and farmers market team positions. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. To learn more about these positions and apply, visit Join Our Team — Compost Cab.

EVENTS

Anacostia River Corridor Restoration Plan Community Meeting DOEE invites you to learn more and provide feedback on the future of your Anacostia River! During this virtual event on Thursday June 8 from 6:30–8:00 p.m., the planning team will share strategies for improving water quality, wildlife habitat, equitable access, and public amenities. You will have the opportunity to provide feedback to refine an approach toward a final restoration master plan framework. Registration is required to attend.

3rd Annual Juneteenth Community Resilience Celebration at the Faunteroy Center Join the Faunteroy Community Enrichment Center’s 3rd Juneteenth family event from 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 17 to celebrate community resilience in Ward 7 as well as the Center’s 10th anniversary! The event is heavily focused on environmental literacy, resilience, sustainability, workforce development, readiness and community engagement. The celebration will include family-friendly activities, music, marketplace, a job fair, food trucks and more! Plus come by the Sustainable DC table to provide input to the update to the District’s sustainability plan.

eCYCLE Collection Events By recycling used electronics, individuals can help recover valuable resources and properly manage potentially hazardous materials. eCYCLE DC, through manufacturers’ collection and recycling plans, is bringing District residents more options for recycling their electronics. The following items are banned from the trash and are collected at the eCYCLE DC collection events: computers and monitors, tablets, e-readers, mice, keyboards, DVD or VCR players, printers, televisions, game consoles, and portable music players. For more information, check out this fact sheet. See below for upcoming eCYCLE DC events around the District.

• Thursday, June 1, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Collection vehicle expected to be on the corner of I St NW & Vermont Ave NW (Ward 2, near the White House Farmers Market.) 
  **Subject to change – check the website closer to the event date for any updates**
• Saturday, June 10, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Collection vehicle expected to be on Parkside Pl NE south of Cassell Pl NE (Ward 7, near Cesar Chavez Farmers Market.)
  **Subject to change – check the website closer to the event date for any updates**
• Saturday, June 17, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Near 640 10^th St NE – Collection vehicle expected to be on 10^th St NE between F St NE & G St NE (Ward 6, near Sherwood Recreation Center.)
• Saturday, July 8, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Collection vehicle expected to be on Columbia Rd NW between Champlain St NW and Ontario Rd NW (Ward 1, near Unity Park)
• Friday, July 14, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Collection vehicle expected to be on Anacostia Ave NE between Dix St NE & Benning Rd NE (Ward 7, near Anacostia Baseball Fields)

Please visit the eCYCLE DC website to check for any updates closer to the event date.

Upcoming Volunteer Events

Are you interested in participating in volunteer events with District organizations that are supporting the vision and goals of Sustainable DC? Check out our calendar of volunteer events and sign up for a bi-weekly volunteer newsletter on the Sustainable DC website!

US Cities See 'Urban Mining' Potential in Building Deconstruction: Local authorities increasingly require buildings to be taken apart rather than demolished, with an eye to climate, sustainability, and jobs impacts.

The Good Dirt Podcast: This podcast episode features a wide-ranging discussion with Gail Taylor, owner of Three Part Harmony Farm in Northeast DC, which has been in production since 2012 and uses agroecology and sustainable growing methods.