In this year’s National Environmental Awareness Month Celebrations, we are highlighting young people’s sacrifices for and contributions to the preservation of the integrity of creation. To achieve this end, the UEMO spearheaded three different competitions on November 15, 2023, which kicked-off the month-long celebrations.

The Environmental Quiz Bee. Gathering young environmental enthusiasts from all colleges and academic units in the university, this Quiz Bee served as extension of the students’ environmental education, both broadening and deepening their knowledge and honing their skills necessary to address complex environmental issues, as well as ways we can take action to keep our environment healthy and sustainable for the future. This Quiz Bee aimed to raise participants’ awareness of issues impacting the environment upon which we all depend, as well as actions they can take to improve and sustain it.

Logo Design. Joined by student-artists in the university, this competition aimed to showcase the participants’ creativity in depicting in a logo the most ideal interactions between people and their environment, showing the different trends and approaches in balancing environmental conservation and human activity. The winning design should exemplify university-based initiatives that safe-guard the natural environment while guaranteeing its continuous advancement and development.

Environmental Proposal. The main objective of this contest was heightening the awareness and involvement of students in the commitment to the environment. A commitment that UNP student organizations have to intensify year after year, with well-defined KPIs and visible and important improvements, perfectly quantified. A commitment in which continuous improvement is sought non-stop, and the constant motivation in environmental matters of the whole university. Among all the proposals received, 3 were chosen. Prizes was awarded in appreciation for participation and in recognition of the best ideas. These award-winning proposals for internal environmental improvement will be incorporated into the student organization programs, projects, and activities over the next year, and that will undoubtedly mean an improvement for our university. The students involved in this competition are incredibly passionate about using their technical skills to mitigate and address the impact of climate change.

Vertical Gardening. This competition sought to engage students in a creative and useful exercise that involved designing and implementing show gardens using a variety of plants on building surfaces. Students added innovative dimensions to the university’s open spaces, contributing to strengthening its ecological and social resilience.