Are you a local college student looking to make a difference?

Join Small Steps, Big Wins and turn actions (that you already to every day) into charitable donations!

Here’s a brief guide on what it is and why you should join.

What is Small Steps, Big Wins?

Small Steps, Big Wins is a competition between colleges and universities that runs during both the fall and spring semesters. When undergrads complete actions that either helps sustainability or socially, they receive points. The schools are then ranked based on the number of points each has, with top ranks receiving prizes!

In addition, when each individual posts an action, they receive 25¢ toward a charity of their choosing. Undergrads can earn up to $1.00 a day for charity simply through actions like turning off the water when brushing teeth or taking the bus instead of driving.

How do I get started?

All you have to do is register by entering your name, school, graduation year, and charity for donations. With no fees, the whole program is 100% free!

A few Philly schools are already participating:

• St. Joe’s (12,580 points last year, #13 in the country!)
• Villanova (30 points last year)
• Temple (New this year)

If your school isn’t already signed up, don’t get discouraged. Be the one to start the premiere group on your campus by signing up and Small Steps will add your school to the list!

Which charities can I donate to?

Students can earn up to $1.00 a day towards a charity of their choice, including these:

• 

  American Red Cross  Provides blood to those in need, shelters & feeds victims of disasters, and provides all sorts of humanitarian aid both in the US and abroad.

• American Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Fund helps our nation’s zoos and aquariums by attempting to advance them in the areas of science, education, conservation and recreation.
• Environmental Defense Fund strives to preserve the natural systems of earth by combating climate change and chemical & toxic pollution.
• National Parks Conservation Association: Not only attempting to protect our national parks but to improve them.
• World Wildlife Fund works in over 100 countries worldwide in order to protect nature by finding solutions that meets the needs of both humans and animals.

What kinds of actions get me points?

Many actions you do every day, such as turning off the lights or carpooling. Others require you to do a little more, such as helping a friend walk their dog or teaching others about recycling.

The number of points you earn is based on the difficulty of the action, however, so if you go out of your way to accomplish a bigger task, you will definitely be rewarded!

Actions are sorted into 4 categories that:

• Save energy
• Reduce
• Help others
• Help to learn and lead

Students can post up to 10 actions per day and can even add their own action if it isn’t already on the list!

Does this really help?

Um, yes!

Just like the ‘greater’ picture of sustainability: Although individual actions seem small, the cumulative actions actually create a huge impact!

Check out how the program helped the environment last semester alone. 18,311 gallons of water were reduced

• 68,834 items were kept out of landfills
• 843 hours were spent volunteering
• 3,923 sustainable eating choices were made

If you want to see all the results, check out their cool infographic.

So what are you waiting for? If you’re a college student, join Small Steps, Big Wins for this upcoming semester!

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Catharine was an Editorial Intern in 2014. From growing up in Damascus, Maryland to studying Marketing and Finance at Saint Joseph’s University, she got her first taste of sustainability in Elementary School when her mother went on a recycling binge and got the family on board. She assumes she'll probably be something like that when she grows up, too. She loves her other roles as a Resident Assistant and barista at Starbucks. In her spare time, she loves to go for long runs, reading Game of Thrones, and watching Hockey. View all posts by Catharine Gaylord