The 2008-09 UMBC Prove It! Campaign, a UMBC Student Government Association (SGA) initiative, provided $50,000 for a new Green Space, located near the entrance of the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture at the Fine Arts building and Lot 16 - a highly traveled area of campus. With the help of her peers and faculty, Elani Odeyale ’09 led the Green Space initiative through the planning and construction phases.
The Prove It! contest gives students the challenge to create a novel and innovative project, service, or event on the UMBC campus that makes everyone proud to be a member of the community.
Green Space highlights UMBC’s environmental sustainable practices through its design, which includes a retaining wall to better handle storm water and run off along with flooring made of precast concrete for better water drainage. Hybrid plants and trees also shade, protect and decorate the area. The area has Wi-Fi internet access and will soon have benches and picnic tables.
Since the implementation of the space, the Prove It! concept was highlighted in a November 2008 meeting of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. It’s currently being used as a model at other national universities such as Portland State University and Towson University. And other student government associations have reached out to the SGA including Western Kentucky University and Central Connecticut State University.
Prove It! 2008-09 winners receive $50,000 to complete the project and a $5,000 reward for the winning idea. Past projects include the transformation of the Student Organizations Area in The Commons along with the investment of $45,000 into a GPS tracking system with UMBC Transit Services.
Prior to Green Space’s opening, Elani Odeyale ’09 talked about the project in process.