The Sustainable Community Development Initiative at Grand Valley State University is once again teaming up with GVSU’s Housing and Residential Life to present SLEDx.

The second-annual SLEDx, Sustainable Laker Educational Design, allows students to voice their ideas on how to make GVSU more sustainable.

The event will take place Wednesday in the Cook-Dewitt Center from 7 to 9 p.m. About 40 to 50 people are expected to attend.

Up to eight students will present projects regarding a wide range of sustainable topics at the event. Kristen Evans, South Apartments living center director, said SLEDx is a student version of TEDx.

The idea for SLEDx came from the TEDxGrandValley event that took place at GVSU last year. TEDx allowed members of the community, along with GVSU faculty, staff, and students, to present their sustainable projects.

“We wanted to offer a student version, like a ‘sustainability coffeehouse’ in which students could get up on their sustainability soap box and speak about their passions, research, and campus initiatives regarding sustainability,” Evans said.

At last year’s SLEDx event, five GVSU students presented. The Campus Dining “Meatless Monday” initiative was presented at last year’s SLEDx event and was established on GVSU’s campus this year.

“Students tend to respond better from their peers,” Evans said.

Derek Plumb, assistant living center director, said the goal of SLEDx is to create a platform that might create change.

“If you consider Grand Valley’s Mission Statement, this program seeks to serve exactly that,” he said. “Potentially implementing progressive change from students’ grass roots ideas, whether those ideas are to broaden people’s awareness, addressing misconceptions, or initiating action.”

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