Impact Fund Big Ideas
In 2019, our community goals were chosen by our students for the community fundraising. More than 1200 votes were cast to choose the final community goals with 78% from our students. More than $120,000 USD was raised from donations over the last two years and the funds have been allocated for the 2 GOALS projects Solar Power on campus and UNIS Botanical Garden to start implementation in the 2021-22 school year.
Solar Energy
GOAL: To explore and implement solar power possibilities at UNIS. Prototyping solutions in partnership with local agencies, designed to scale with strategic campus planning. Rooftop panels creating clean energy partnered with energy saving campaign.
Impact?
- Environmental impact of producing clean energy on campus
- Powering our own school needs - Potential to also contribute to grid
- Urgent need in Vietnam - Government priority for development - Community partners
- First step to campus wide solar plan - Philanthropy kick-start strategic plan
- Learning connections - energy, engineering, environment, data etc.
- To include a solar tree or flower at ground level for our younger students to make connections and to demonstrate our community's commitment more visibly.
(Developed from proposals from students, faculty and parents.
UNIS Botanical Garden
GOAL: Greening our campus with a living, learning experience! Multiple, movable oases of plants and trees focusing on sustainable solutions, integrated into our curriculum and enhancing our learning environment.
Impact?
- Greening our campus by design with a plant collection directed by our learning community.
- Sensory plants, practical plants, medicinal plants, international diversity, bio-diversity - inspiring endless possibilities for learning.
- Campus indoor and outdoor planting in pots; both Vietnamese artisanal pots and self-watering plant pots, made from recycled waste, using recycled water
- Movable and scalable - Growing collection to be added to year on year.
- Improve AQI, reduce CO2 , create shade, improve aesthetics, learning environment benefits.
- Learning connections - Plant life cycles, data projects etc - All plants linked to an online digital catalogue.
(Based on proposals from a teacher and parents.)