Community Engagement
Goal:
Invest in programs to educate our community, track behavior, and report progress over time toward a campus-wide ethic of sustainability.
11,000+
Planet Blue Ambassadors
6,520
Sustainable Workplace Participants over the past 5 years
293
Zero Waste events hosted July-December 2025
$119,000
'Planet Blue Student Innovation Fund' and 'Social and Environmental Sustainability' grants awarded in FY24
280+
Excellence in Sustainability honor cords awarded to graduates across 23 degrees
2,500+
Instances of student-to-student in-person learning through events and workshops
Efforts Supporting This Goal
- Planet Blue Ambassadors - The entry point for getting involved in sustainability at U-M!
- Zero Waste Events
- Student Sustainability Coalition
- Planet Blue Student Leaders
- Workplace Initiatives
- Green Teams
- U-M Sustainable Food Program
- Sustainability Cultural Organizers
- Flagship events: Earthfest, Harvestfest, and Convocation Picnic
Recent Wins – 2024 Highlights
- Mobile Farm Stand launched, selling fresh produce to over 1,300 unique customers, with sales surpassing $20,000, in its first season
- Sustainability Cultural Organizers opened a pop-up cafe—Noon at Night—in Palmer Commons, featuring stories, recipes, and interviews from past student sustainability leaders
- Planet Blue Student Leaders piloted the Sustainability Lending Library, with 17 unique groups using the library in its first semester
