George Mason University
IN-48: Innovation B

In 2019, George Mason University officially partnered with the Earth Day Network (EDN), the organization that coordinates the global observance of Earth Day. As a partner, Mason participated in the first-ever, state-based campaign in Virginia in observance of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd, 2020. As part of the state-based campaign in VA, Mason participated in monthly meetings with sustainability stakeholders throughout the state to coordinate and collaborate on activities and initiatives in the lead-up to April (Earth Month).

In April, Mason’s Office of Sustainability and the Institute for a Sustainable Earth led the celebration of Earth Month by curating and actively promoting a calendar of virtual programs, events, and initiatives from internal and external stakeholders, especially EDN’s affiliated organizations such as We Don’t Have Time’s virtual conference. Mason’s Office of Sustainability created and ran a digital outreach and engagement campaign throughout Earth Month that featured live-stream sessions, virtual movie nights, sustainability scavenger hunts, and much more! Furthermore, Mason’s Office of Sustainability and the Institute for a Sustainable Earth, in partnership and collaboration with the Office of Communications and Marketing, promoted EDN’s virtual Earth Day (4/22) event, EARTHRISE, through its institutional social media channels during Mason’s observance of Earth Week (April 20-24) which included a “sustainability social media takeover” and the launch of Mason’s public, sustainability landing page. In addition, Mason hosted numerous internal, sustainability-focused events, including webinars on sustainable food systems and a virtual tour of Mason’s Innovation Food Forest as well as the “Freedom in a Can” virtual event, a collaboration between six different offices/units.