Every day is Earth Day at Loyola

Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword or fad at Loyola. It’s something we take to heart and apply to everything we do, from the courses we offer to the buildings we construct.

And as Earth Day approaches on April 22, we’re hosting several events on campus to help make the world a greener—and better—place.

Below are highlights of this year’s Earth Week activities, plus examples of what Loyola does year-round to promote sustainability.

April 16: During Earth Week, students can participate in hands-on service projects to support green efforts in the 48th and 49th Wards at Loyola’s North Lake Shore Earth Day. 

April 21: Students can also join hundreds of clean energy supporters and the Illinois Environmental Council in Springfield during Green Lobby Day.

April 22: On Earth Day, Loyolans are invited to celebrate the past year’s sustainability accomplishments at the (b)Earth Day Party in the Institute of Environmental Sustainability’s St. Ignatius Plaza.

April 23, 24: Community members can get their hands dirty building a new rain garden (April 23, 11 a.m., north side of Sullivan Center) or by planting a ceremonial tree for Arbor Day (April 24, 11 a.m., on the East Quad).

Throughout the year

Loyola’s commitment to the environment extends far beyond Earth Week. The University has been a leader in sustainability for years, and it recently was named the fourth greenest college campus in the country by the Sierra Club.

Last month, Loyola hosted its third annual conference on climate change. “Global Climate Change: Economic Challenges and Solutions” explored the principles, policies, and actions needed to combat global climate change, particularly in the context of the current economic system.

Earlier this year, Loyola partnered with the International Jesuit Ecology Project to launch Healing Earth, a free digital environmental science textbook. More than 90 scholars from Jesuit institutions across the world contributed to the project, which is intended for high school and college students, as well as adult learners worldwide.

And in 2015, the University announced Plan 2020: Building a More Just, Humane, and Sustainable World. This five-year strategic roadmap promotes social justice and ways to solve society’s biggest challenges, including climate change and environmental degradation.