SIFE Projects
Past Projects
Spring 2009 | Fall 2008 | Spring 2008 | Fall 2007
Current Projects
Going Green: Enterprise Unlimited and SBU SIFE have partnered to conduct a recycling effort on the SBU Campus. Each week the recycling company brings a Uhaul to campus to pick up recyclables from all the academic and administrative buildings. To date, we have successfully filled half of a Uhaul each week with recycled paper. Also, a community-wide effort is being conducted to comprise a list of sites where certain recyclable items can be taken, such as motor oil, electronics, and metals.
Project leaders: Rachel Greene and Jennifer Hollis
Elementary Bank Savings: Third grade students at the Polk County Christian School learn the importance of money management with a focus on savings. Then, in partnership with the Bank of Bolivar, the project will set up the students with their own savings accounts which they will be able to deposit into every Friday afternoon at the school. Students can participate in this project through fifth grade.
Project Leaders: Rebekah Wright, Jessica Foley, and Katie Dawson
Extreme Energy Makeover: Southwest Electric Cooperative, Ozark Area Community Action Corporation, and SBU SIFE have partnered to conduct an energy efficiency makeover called a Blower Door Audit. The inside and outside of a client’s home is cleaned extensively and a blower door audit is conducted to see where in the house energy is escaping. Improvements are then made to the house to help the homeowner become more energy efficient while saving on their electricity bill.
Project Leaders: Tom Furguson and Justin Wessels
Dollars & Sense: High school students at area high schools learn the importance of ethics. This project involves ethics games to help students better understand decisions and the consequences that could result from those decisions. Students are placed in companies and asked hypothetical ethics questions. Based on their response, they could gain money, lose money, get fired, or get away without any immediate consequences. Some questions will affect only themselves while others affect the entire company. In the end, the team with the most money based on their employees’ salaries wins.
Leaders: Kristen Eagon and Courtney Lawrence
Green is Inn: Bolivar Comfort Inn and SBU SIFE are partnering to find ways the hotel can be more environmentally friendly and save energy. We hope to provide long-term assistance in their environmental sustainability initiatives while expanding our project to include the Super 8 and Country Inn hotels.
Enterprises Unlimited: SBU SIFE has partnered with Enterprises Unlimited a recycling company that hires the developmentally disadvantaged. We are looking at ways to help increase their customer awareness by promoting recycling in our community, which helps provide sustainability for their organization while also helping the environment.
Project Leaders: Caleb Loya and Patrick McVey
Basics for a Better Living: Bolivar community members will participate in several workshops. Topics to be included in the workshops include financial topics, such as budgeting, savings, credit card management, etc., and professional development topics including career searches, applications, cover letters, resumes, interviews, follow-up, etc.
Project Leader: Amy Wilson