Theology Of Environmental Justice    This free series of conversations is scheduled to take place virtually at 7:00PM ET every Monday throughout the month of October and will explore the interconnected relationship between violence and the ecological crisis. To prioritize student interaction in this space, the Zoom room will be reserved for college and university contacts (including watch parties). Recordings will be available each week, edited with discussion/essay questions after each speaker. All details including registration are at https://cnifallseries.info. This event is hosted and sponsored by Catholic Climate Covenant, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice besides Pax Christi USA, and Casa Esther Catholic Worker.

  Join members of the St. Mary's community for an engaging panel discussion on sacred ecology. Register for virtual attendance here.  This event is hosted and sponsored by St. Mary's College.

As part of the annual St. Francis Week celebration, Global Day of Action, an initiative of Notre Dame International, will take place on Wednesday, October 4. To celebrate the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, members and friends of the Notre Dame International community around the world will be responding to Laudato Si's call to care for our common home with local action. The theme for this year’s Global Day of Action focuses on reducing our waste. We are encouraging everyone to consider how we can reduce waste in our everyday life, whether that means reducing energy consumption, reusing and repurposing materials and relying less on single-use items, purchasing and consuming fewer materials, or donating unwanted goods and food. Staff and students at our global locations are invited to host an event such as an environmental service project, a litter pick, a seminar, a group reflection, or prayer service to gather people in our local community together to act on and reflect on our role in caring for our earth. This year, NDI is thrilled to partner with the Student Government, who will host a campus-wide community clean-up effort. “We challenge everyone to gather a team—be it your office mates, friends, fellow dorm residents, or faculty cohort—and spend an hour outside together for a trash pick-up. The pick-up can take place wherever you are on this day. You might be amazed at what you find! We want to see your group and the trash you collect! Be sure to tag your group photos and weird finds @sustainableND and @NDinternational on Instagram with #FrancisFest. If you are on campus and need trash bags, please stop by the Sustainability Office at 100 Mail Distribution Center for free bags!” - Lizzie Stifel, Director of Sustainability Please join with Notre Dame students, faculty, staff, and alumni around the world as we make a collective effort, inspired by St. Francis, to protect and conserve this beautiful place we call home. Global Day of Action forms part of the annual St. Francis Week celebration and is sponsored by Notre Dame International and supported by the Office of Sustainability and Student Government. #FrancisFest #GoFurther

Come celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi! A Green Mass will take place in honor of our common home.  Fr. Robert Lisowski will preside over the mass, and Fr. Martin Lam Nguyen will provide the homily.  Who was St. Francis? St. Francis was declared a saint in 1228. On 29 November 1979, Pope John Paul II declared Francis the patron saint of ecology. On 28 March 1982, John Paul II said that Francis' love and care for creation was a challenge for contemporary Catholics and a reminder "not to behave like dissident predators where nature is concerned, but to assume responsibility for it, taking all care so that everything stays healthy and integrated, so as to offer a welcoming and friendly environment even to those who succeed us." The same Pope wrote on the occasion of the World Day of Peace, 1 January 1990, that Francis "invited all of creation – animals, plants, natural forces, even Brother Sun and Sister Moon – to give honour and praise to the Lord. The poor man of Assisi gives us striking witness that when we are at peace with God we are better able to devote ourselves to building up that peace with all creation which is inseparable from peace among all peoples." In 2015, Pope Francis published his encyclical letter Laudato Si' about the ecological crisis and "care for our common home, which takes its name from the Canticle of the Sun that Francis of Assisi composed. It presents Francis as "the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically."

Enjoy dinner in the South Dining Hall and meet with representatives from one of Campus Dining's newest local farmers, Tomato Bliss. Representatives from the farm will be handing out samples of their delicious regeneratively grown heirloom tomato bisque, and answering questions about their products and practices.    This event is sponsored by Campus Dining.

In response to the upcoming release of Pope Francis' environmental exhortation, members of the Notre Dame community will gather for a 30-minute panel discussion. Featured panelists include: Moderator: Geory Kurtzhals, Senior Director of the Office of Sustainability Panelist: Rev. Robert Dowd, C.S.C., Vice President & Associate Provost; Associate Professor of Political Science Panelist: Phil Sakimoto, Director of Sustainability Minor; Professor of the Practice, Department of Physics & Astronomy Panelist: Tyler Popa, 3rd year M.Div. student, Campus Ministry Panelist: Lizzie Stifel, Student Government's Director of SustainabilityPreceding the panel, the DVT will host a viewing of Let There Be Light, a short planetarium program commissioned by the Vatican as part of their exhibition Energy for the Common Good at the 2017 International Expo Future Energy. Let There Be Light is a joint production of Notre Dame’s Digital Visualization Theater and the McGrath Institute of Church Life Following the panel, we will gather for dinner and conversation in Jordan Hall of Science. Space is limited to 100 people, so don't wait to register for this event! R.S.V.P. via this link.  This event is co-sponsored by Campus Ministry, the Center for Social Concerns, Catholic Social Tradition Minor, College of Science, Catholic Peacebuilding Network, Minor in Sustainability, and  Department of Theology.

South Bend Mayor James Mueller will be on campus to discuss intersections of community, justice, and sustainability in the region. Be sure to bring your lunch!Hosted by the Center for Social Concerns  

Bring your furry, scaled, and feathered loved ones to Cedar Grove Cemetery Mausoleums to be blessed, in honor of St. Francis Week!  

According to a recent Nielsen study, ~54% of Gen Z want to be entrepreneurs. Colleges and universities have taken note and are proactively tailoring their program offerings to meet the increased demand for entrepreneurial training and education. Entrepreneurship is a powerful force that fosters innovation and creates the goods and services through which we work, play, and experience life. It is the engine that drives these mediums to be more affordable, more efficient, and more impactful, which, in theory, should lead to a better quality of life. However, if left unregulated, entrepreneurial growth can have negative consequences on certain segments of our population and the environment. Hence, a better model of innovation and entrepreneurship needs to be adopted–one that balances growth, inclusion, and sustainability and doesn’t frame them as trade-offs. Are these components mutually exclusive or can they be simultaneously prioritized? In this webinar, we’ll discuss the significance of sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship and explore the ways that growth, inclusion, and sustainability are connected through an exercise using a sustainable business model canvas. Register for the webinar here   This webinar is provided by AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. If you're interested in learning more about how to integrate sustainability into your student experience, classroom practice, or operations work at Notre Dame, sign up for a free AASHE membership using your Notre Dame email address!

The University’s shred provider, Shred-it, in conjunction with the University Archives, is offering a free, secure and confidential document shredding event for Notre Dame faculty, staff and retirees.   A Shred-it truck will be parked in the parking lot of the Mason Services Center, which is located off of St. Joseph Drive behind the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union. The truck accepts paper only, so please be sure to remove any binders, binder clips or non-paper items before the event (staples and paper clips are acceptable). For the courtesy of others, we ask that you limit your personal shred material to no more than five file-size boxes. We also ask that you remain with your material until it is in the shred truck as Notre Dame cannot be responsible for papers left unattended.  We will be happy to recycle your empty boxes after the event so feel free to leave these behind. Please contact Sarah Joswick, Archivist for Records Management, with any questions at: sjoswick@nd.edu or 574-631-4028. *this event will be held rain or shine

Do you have old bank statements, checks, or other personal documents? The University Archives and the University’s shred provider, Shred-it, are offering a free, secure, and confidential document shredding event for Notre Dame faculty, staff, and retirees. A Shred-it truck will be parked in the Mason Support Center parking lot, located off St. Joseph Drive behind the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union.The truck accepts paper only — remove any binders, binder clips, etc. before the event (staples and paper clips are acceptable). Please limit your shred material to no more than five file-size boxes. Remain with your material until it is in the shred truck as Notre Dame cannot be responsible for papers left unattended. Also, feel free to leave your empty boxes after you’re finished shredding your material, we will recycle any empty boxes after the event.This event will be held rain or shine.Click here to download the event poster. If you have questions, please contact Sarah Joswick, archivist for records management, at sjoswick@nd.edu. Open to Undergraduates, Graduate Students, Faculty, Staff, Postdocs.

What is the impact of your purchases? Is your food service program taking steps to align its values—local sourcing, equity and diversity, climate, health, and beyond—with its purchases? More and more, colleges and universities are rising to the occasion. Food service is evolving to meet the demand of their constituents and of the climate. They are setting internal goals and developing purchasing standards to serve as their procurement compass. The Common Market—a nonprofit regional food distributor with a mission to connect communities to good food from sustainable family farms—will share examples of how they are innovating alongside two Georgia institutions and their shared food service management company to advance their food procurement through commitments to values-based, environmentally sound purchasing. Join Kameko Nichols of The Common Market Southeast in conversation with Ciannat Howett, Associate Vice President for Sustainability, Resilience and Economic Inclusion of Emory University, Marissa Pace, Associate Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs at Spelman College, and Shira Kaufman, Local Sourcing Specialist at Bon Appétit Food Management as they dive into:What role food service and institutional purchasing power can play in helping to reduce environmental impacts often associated with food production?Why Bon Appétit, Emory and Spelman are encouraged to make purchasing commitments that align with values along climate and equity. How are purchasing goals set and how are they creating buy-in?The institutions’ purchasing commitments to regenerative farming sources located within their region.What impact does this procurement activity have on the Southeast’s sustainable grower network, on the institutions’ way of operating food service?How institutions can find ways to use their budgets to prioritize values-based procurement and environmentally friendly food purchases. How strategic partnerships, like those with The Common Market, help institutions’ food service meet its ESG goals and illustrate impact.Learn how The Common Market’s Farm Impact Assessment became a helpful tool as these institutions set out to purchase from farms representing particular values. The power of reporting and storytelling – see how a partnership with a food hub focused on transparency, source identification and intimate relationships with sustainable growers can help you create a rich story about your food to share with your students and college community! Register for the webinar hereThis webinar is provided by AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. If you're interested in learning more about how to integrate sustainability into your student experience, classroom practice, or operations work at Notre Dame, sign up for a free AASHE membership using your Notre Dame email address!  

After three years of successfully hosting a virtual conference, AASHE invites you to experience the highly anticipated AASHE 2023 Conference & Expo in Boston, Massachusetts, from October 29-31, 2023! Join them for a transformative journey as they unveil a trailblazing program to empower higher education sustainability professionals. Engage in this immersive learning experience while gaining innovative strategies to transform your institution effectively. Discover key opportunities, accelerate sustainability efforts, and forge connections with like-minded leaders. Register now to secure your spot and shape the future of sustainability. The conference will debut a new program tailored to provide higher education sustainability change-makers with an immersive learning experience that provides new ways of thinking and strategies to transform their institutions more effectively. AASHE will also delve into key opportunities and leverage points for advancing sustainability efforts. And, since we’ll be in person, there’ll be abundant opportunities to network and forge deeper connections with fellow sustainability leaders. Learn more and register HERE

After three years of successfully hosting a virtual conference, AASHE invites you to experience the highly anticipated AASHE 2023 Conference & Expo in Boston, Massachusetts, from October 29-31, 2023! Join them for a transformative journey as they unveil a trailblazing program to empower higher education sustainability professionals. Engage in this immersive learning experience while gaining innovative strategies to transform your institution effectively. Discover key opportunities, accelerate sustainability efforts, and forge connections with like-minded leaders. Register now to secure your spot and shape the future of sustainability. The conference will debut a new program tailored to provide higher education sustainability change-makers with an immersive learning experience that provides new ways of thinking and strategies to transform their institutions more effectively. AASHE will also delve into key opportunities and leverage points for advancing sustainability efforts. And, since we’ll be in person, there’ll be abundant opportunities to network and forge deeper connections with fellow sustainability leaders. Learn more and register HERE

After three years of successfully hosting a virtual conference, AASHE invites you to experience the highly anticipated AASHE 2023 Conference & Expo in Boston, Massachusetts, from October 29-31, 2023! Join them for a transformative journey as they unveil a trailblazing program to empower higher education sustainability professionals. Engage in this immersive learning experience while gaining innovative strategies to transform your institution effectively. Discover key opportunities, accelerate sustainability efforts, and forge connections with like-minded leaders. Register now to secure your spot and shape the future of sustainability. The conference will debut a new program tailored to provide higher education sustainability change-makers with an immersive learning experience that provides new ways of thinking and strategies to transform their institutions more effectively. AASHE will also delve into key opportunities and leverage points for advancing sustainability efforts. And, since we’ll be in person, there’ll be abundant opportunities to network and forge deeper connections with fellow sustainability leaders. Learn more and register HERE

Do you have comments or questions about the recycling program on campus? We want to hear from you! The Office of Sustainability and Building Services are collaborating to offer a listening & learning session to discuss the current landscape of recycling and waste management efforts on campus. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP via this link.