This award honors higher education institutions for the successful implementation of projects that advance sustainability. We encourage submissions that address multiple components of sustainability and include the contributions of diverse audiences. Four or more awards are given annually.
Application Process
Institutions, or businesses partnering with institutions, can apply for a Campus Sustainability Achievement Award by submitting a case study to AASHE’s Campus Sustainability Hub. An AASHE Account is required in order to log into the Hub.
Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and are due on the fourth Friday in January. Your application will be considered in the 2025 award season if you submit it by the deadline. Submissions received past the deadline will be considered for the next award season. If you have any questions, please email awards@aashe.org.
Timeline
| Submission deadline | Fourth Friday in January |
| Judging process | February |
| Recipient notified | March |
| Recipients announced | April |
| AASHE Sustainability Award Winner Showcase Series | May |
Prizes
Award winners receive:
- One complimentary registration for the AASHE Conference & Expo ($700 value)
- Opportunity to present an educational webinar on the winning submission
- International recognition on the AASHE website and press release
Criteria
Applications will be evaluated by a panel of judges on the following criteria:
- Overall impact – How much of an impact did the project make?
- Innovation – To what extent is the project innovative?
- Replicability – To what extent is the project a model for others?
- Breadth of impact – Did the project advance sustainability in many dimensions or only one?
- Stakeholder Involvement – Did the project engage multiple campus audiences (students, faculty, staff, community members, etc)?
- Racial equity and social justice – To what extent does the project reflect racial equity and social justice, and how significant is its potential contribution to racial equity and social justice?
- Clarity and coherence – How easy is it to follow the case study?
Eligibility
To be considered for a Campus Sustainability Achievement Award, the first author of any case study must be affiliated with an AASHE member college or university. In addition, case studies that appear designed primarily to sell a particular product or service will not be considered.