Monday, June 11, 2012

Green Fairs at Michigan

         Last Thursday, the Division of Student Affairs hosted an Interactive "Green" Fair at the Michigan Union Rogel Ballroom.  The event included activities such as crafting picture frames through reused materials and scraps, "tiny" talks that spanned for 30 minutes and ranged from topics covering green cleaning products to recycling on campus, as well as individual interactive tables and booths from different campus and off-campus organizations.   The link to the event promo can be found here: http://dsa.umich.edu/article/dsa-planet-blue-you-interactive-fair.


           With the turnout of both organizations and attendees, the fair looked to be a great success.  Locally grown and freshly made light refreshments attracted attention and were the perfect complement to the active nature of the event.  Booths such as the one above (our display representing the Recycling Program) were both informative and interactive, with many providing games for participants and on-lookers alike.  The short "tiny" talks, were a great way to engage an audience and provide new information without losing their attention - likewise, the range and diversity of topics definitely sparked a variety of interests.  
            "Green" fairs on campus are a great way to learn about innovative ways in which our campus is making efforts to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable.  Seeing the breadth of organizations affiliated with this effort makes it quite clear of the University's intentions to be eco-friendly and to improve each year.  Besides being fun and interactive, it is probably that you (quite literally) won't walk away empty handed either.  Many of the booths and tables have prizes at the end of their interactive game/quiz, as well as free pamphlets, magnets, and other fun tools to help remind you to go green.