WashPIRG, the Washington Public Interest Research Group, is a student-directed, non-profit, nonpartisan organization working for over 30 years at UW to implement the solutions to today's toughest social and environmental problems.
WashPIRG gets tangible results through the hard work of its volunteers, interns, and professional team of staff in Seattle, Olympia, and DC. This Spring quarter WashPIRG at UW is working to stop global warming, fight poverty, make textbooks affordable, save the U-PASS, strengthen democracy, and create a Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) on campus.
Local Campaigns
Campus Sustainability Fund
WashPIRG is working to make UW the #1 greenest campus in the nation by creating a Campus Sustainability Fund. The Campus Sustainability Fund would be a student managed and funded grant for projects that increase campus sustainability and help UW become carbon neutral, foster student leadership and involvement, and outreach to and educate the UW community.
SIGN THE STATEMENT OF SUPPORT HERE!
Affordable Textbook
Open
textbooks: These are complete digital textbooks that are accessible online at
no cost, and affordable to purchase printed as a book. The educational
material inside open textbooks is similar to traditional texts - the
difference is that open textbooks are licensed to allow users to
legally access and reformat copies of the text at no additional cost.
This gives students the choice to read their textbooks in multiple
print and digital formats.
Open textbooks are one of many possible solutions, but we believe that they offer student consumers the best benefits. Therefore, we promote open textbooks to set the bar high for alternatives to expensive, traditional textbooks.
Hungers & Homelessness
We know we can live in a world where everyone can meet their basic needs—have a roof over their head, adequate food and access to safe drinking water. We’ve made progress, but especially with the recession, we’re far from this goal. An example is the strain on local food banks -- with the financial crisis, there’s more demand but they can’t meet it because donations are down. But students know what is going on and we are out there helping.