The Sustainable & Impact Investing Learning & Knowledge (SIILK) Initiative was formed at the convergence of several conversations within and beyond the Intentional Endowments Network (IEN) around the growing interest in student-managed investment funds (SMIFs) pursuing sustainable investing strategies, as well as the development of sustainable investing focused curriculum.
SIILK has three main goals: (1) scale the uptake of sustainable investing education, including courses and experiential education opportunities like SMIFs, (2) support SMIFs as they work to build stronger bridges between their SMIF and their institution’s broader endowment, and (3) increase the diversity and number of students that are entering the sustainable investing field.
Current Activities & Ways to Get Involved
SIILK Listserv: Share news, resources, events, project ideas, etc. Use the following link to join the group, which will also grant access to the Group’s Google Drive and Calendar containing regular call information. Learn more here.
Regular Initiative Calls: Join to share updates on developments at participating schools, and advance progress on specific projects of the group. Register for upcoming calls here.
Student Corporate Engagement Challenge: students pitch an investment in a publicly-traded company, and include in that recommendation shareholder engagement strategy focused on addressing inequality and the climate crisis, as they are systemic risks that threaten a healthy society, and in turn, healthy portfolio returns. Learn more here.
Student-Led Shareholder Engagement Network: provides resources and a structure for student leaders to connect year over year to advance shareholder engagement work by student groups (within and outside of student-managed investment funds) across higher education institutions for the purpose of promoting sustainability and environmental and social corporate responsibility. Learn more here.
The Corporate Engagement Challenge
IEN’s Student Corporate Engagement Challenge is a first-of-its-kind student investment challenge in which students pitch an investment in a publicly-traded company, and include in that recommendation a shareholder engagement strategy focused on addressing inequality and the climate crisis, as they are systemic risks that threaten a healthy society, and in turn, healthy portfolio returns. Learn more about the Challenge here.
Resources
🔐 Database: Sustainable and Impact Investing Focused Student-Managed Funds (member only resource)
🔐 Database: Sustainable and Impact Investing Focused Curriculum (member only resource)
Webinars: Student Managed Fund Stories
Toolkit: How to Start and Run a Student-Managed Sustainable Investing Fund
View the full SIILK resource library here.
Join the Initiative
The SIILK Initiative connects stakeholders including students, faculty, administrators, trustees, and financial professionals on campuses across the country that are involved with student-managed investment funds (SMIFs) and sustainable investing curriculum development.
If you are interested in contributing to this conversation and/or joining the SIILK Initiative, please email [email protected].