Penn State’s Sustainability Institute will host a student networking event on Wednesday, Nov. 5, starting at 4:30 p.m. on the Life Science Bridge.

The free event entitled, “Sustainability Unites!” is an effort by the institute to bring together sustainability-focused student groups in order to ignite environmental conversations. Students, especially those who are involved in sustainability-related clubs and organizations on campus, are invited to attend the two-hour event.

The focus of this semester’s event will be on shaping the new sustainability student portal to fit the needs of student groups and to help the groups with social media outreach. The event will also allow students to get to know SI better and explore what is available to sustainability-minded students.

“We want to hear from the students about what resources they need from us,” said Alex Novak, the Sustainability Institute’s communications director in a press release. “They are addressing sustainability challenges head on through entrepreneurship, philanthropy, service and outreach, and we’re here to support their efforts.”

The Sustainability Institute was created as part of the university’s mission of a “comprehensive integration of sustainability into the university’s research, teaching, outreach, and operations that prepares students, faculty, and staff to be sustainability leaders in their professional, personal, and civic lives.”

The Sustainability Institute has done just that, as it was recently honored with the 2014 Outstanding Higher Education Award from the National Recycling Coalition. With a plethora of upcoming events, including the 2014 Environmental Colloquium, both students and staff have an opportunity to meet and work together to continue making Penn State more sustainable.