Students, teachers and practice partners in the Sustainability Challenge program look back on a (yet-one more) successful first semester. Project concepts are now ready for implementation, with the aim to achieving impact toward a more sustainable society.

The 12^th Sustainability Challenge is giving over 80 students, ten practice partners and teachers from six universities the opportunity to work together creating innovative solutions. In this year’s round, ten Service Learning teams and five Start-up teams have accepted the challenge. Interdisciplinary student teams bring together students from different universities and backgrounds. Theoretical grounding and mentorship are provided by lecturers from WU Wien, TU Wien, Uni Wien, BOKU, Uni Graz and Angewandte universities.

Service Learning projects this year range from sustainable sport events, designing an SDG award for Viennese schools, creating formats to engage high school students in renewable energy and mobility jobs, to CO2 neutral workshop sites, and a recycling platform for building materials. Service learning partners include private businesses, ministries and NGOs that all deal with pressing sustainability issues.

Students in the Start-up track are working toward founding their own start-ups, with support from coaches from WU Gründungszentrum and BOKU:BASE. The start-up Pitches delivered at the Stop Over event offered the first glimpse into this year’s topics: Money:care focusses on green investment, D13 Climate Action Idea Development seeks to found a student-led think-tank, Makerspace Mozambique is about establishing a hackerspace in Mozambique, infinsure will help customers to find the perfectly fitting sustainable insurance, and WatAir team are working on a technology to gain water from air for agricultural purposes.

Great start so far and now, it is time for honing implementation skills! Students are eager and motivated to #bepartofthechange

To stay up to date on this year’s projects, follow us on Instagram: sustainabilitychallenge

Facebook SustainabilityChallengeRCE or check out our website www.sustainabilitychallenge.at

[This text was contributed by STaR colleague at RCE Vienna, Anna-Maria Krulis]