I have served as the ArtPrize sustainability intern since June and will work all the way up until the last day of the event. I work directly under the Director of Community Engagement. I was given a great deal of freedom in helping determine the projects ArtPrize could engage in, often working with corporate sponsors, government offices and nonprofits to make things happen. My particular projects I helped create were Water Share, a bike valet, and a Zero Waste Zone.

Water Share is a program that allows for visitors to fill up their water bottles for free at all venues as long as they have an official ArtPrize water bottle or Water Share sticker. This aims to cut down on plastic water bottle waste and promote local water resource use, which we’ve already seen great success with.

I helped develop our bike valet system after noticing that Grand Rapids has a prominent biking community. Bike theft is always a problem, so providing our visitors with a free, accessible and safe bike valet seemed like a no-brainer. It also helps promote alternative transportation since downtown parking can be difficult throughout ArtPrize. Our bike valet is staffed by our friendly volunteers.

Our Zero Waste Zone, located at Rosa Parks Circle, is where composting and recycling are available. Since there are several food trucks downtown, we’ve partnered with a sponsor that has provided them with all compostable food products. It’s a great way to educate the public on waste disposal but also assist the city in the heavy waste collection that occurs with 500,000 people coming to Grand Rapids for ArtPrize.

My AQ connection, which comes from Aquinas' strong sense of community, helped me develop these programs. We’re used to our AQ campus community, but knowing how communities thrive helped me understand how I could implement these programs in the greater Grand Rapids community. Additionally, the sustainable business major here at AQ allowed me to broaden my horizons on how I can help change the world for the better and allow myself to be more creative in doing that. The confidence I’ve gained at Aquinas has allowed me to work with such a fantastic organization as ArtPrize and truly change our Grand Rapids community and hopefully beyond.