GREEN PARTNERSHIPS
2016 – Present
Green Partnerships collaborates with local businesses, university offices, and other student groups to promote sustainable practices both on- and off-campus. We empower our members to form partnerships with organizations most meaningful to them. Our partnerships range from workshops, large-scale events, sustainable programs, one off projects, and everything in between.
THE SITDOWN SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY
We designed a three-tiered sustainability plan based on the goals of the Sitdown Café in Hyde Park, including advising a cost-effective alternative to single-use utensils.
OUR
STRATEGY
We assist our partners in their sustainability needs through individualized plans, guides, and events.
TRUE NORTH PARTNERSHIP COORDINATION
We coordinated a partnership between the True North Café and Healthy Soil Compost to ensure coffee grounds were put to productive use rather than going into a landfill.
THE UPSCALE SALON STUDENT EVENT
We brought in The UpScale Salon to provide subsidized haircuts and styling to PSI members in preparation for PSI Formal. This event promoted the ease of no-heat hairstyling and eco-friendly hair products.
Our members bring thoughtful analysis and innovative solutions to our partners, targeting four main categories: water conservation, energy sourcing, food procurement, and waste management. We assist our partners by connecting them to waste collectors, providing insight on energy use practices, replacing single-use materials, conducting waste-audits, helping with grant proposals, and more.
PSI's Inaugural Farmers Market
Since 2024, Green Partnerships has organized UChicago’s annual on-campus Farmers Market. We aim to encourage students to shop locally and to highlight small businesses practicing sustainability throughout Chicago. The market has grown year after year in terms of attendees and numbers of vendors. In Spring 2026, we packed the quad with 50 vendors and >800 attendees! We showcased a broad range of vendors, including urban farms, local beekeepers, fresh food stalls, and vegan bakeries. We also partnered with Midwave Radio to bring live music and cultural RSOs to the market!
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Urban Rivers
Urban Rivers is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that works to restore life to the Chicago River through city-planning partnerships, community engagement, and educational outreach. Through the help of Green Partnerships, Urban Rivers has drafted proposals for the Oak Foundation, Swantz Family Foundation, and Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation grant opportunities. Grant writing is a fundamental skill all nonprofit organizations must have to secure funding from institutions to support current and future projects. GP members learn more about this necessary process and work alongside environmental organizations to make sure their mission comes to fruition.
Harper Book Fair
Inspired by the classic Scholastic Book Fair, Green Partnerships worked with Harper Community Books to adapt this nostalgic event for the UChicago community! We gave away free books across many genres and languages, including donated course textbooks. We also invited local craft and artisan vendors to sell their wares, with an emphasis on student sellers. The event was a smash hit with 1,092 free books given away across 478 attendees! We hope to make this an annual event going forward.
Workshops
In collaboration with Campus Waste Reduction (CWR), Green Partnerships hosted a plant potting workshop! We collected empty containers (glass jars, tupperware, cans, etc.) to upcycle as pots and partnered with Phoenix Farms to supply free seeds and soil for students. Attendees had the chance to decorate their very own upcycled pot and plant a flower or crop of their choice.
Green Partnerships collected old sweaters from UChicago’s on-campus thrift store, reSOURCE, and organized a workshop to unravel them into yarn that can be repurposed. Across two sessions, we unraveled dozens of sweaters and collected just as many balls of yarn. Science, Art, and Sustainability (SAS) will repurpose this yarn in their projects.
​Sustainable Labs & Rheaply
Green Partnerships works to support on-campus labs in their mission of becoming more sustainable. We collect and analyze data on current lab practices and develop proposals for future improvements. We promote glove recycling, plastic waste reduction, and energy conservation, emphasizing energy-intensive devices like fume hoods. We have also partnered with the Office of Sustainability to promote Rheaply, a digital marketplace that on-campus labs can use to exchange materials, instead of throwing them out.
Plant-Based Restaurant Week
We host an annual plant-based restaurant week featuring 10%-20% discounts on vegan or vegetarian menu items at various Hyde-Park restaurants.
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University members who participate are eligible to win sustainable goods after uploading their receipts.
Past partner restaurants include: B’Gabs, Snail Thai, The Sitdown Café, True North Café, Litehouse Grill and Café 53.
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Check out our 2023 promotion!
Past Partners
Medici on 57th
Sanctuary Café
The Sitdown Café
True North Café
Saucy Porka
The UpScale Salon
Café 53
Litehouse Grill
B'Gabs
SugarBliss Bakery
UChicago Department of Transportation / Divvy
Blackstone Library
Urban Canopy
Wesley Shoe Store
The Spice House
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