Students still earn rewards for sustainable action after dissolved PIPs partnership

PIPs may no longer work with UCCS, but students can continue to earn rewards on campus.

At the beginning of October, students received an email about the successes of the PIPs program and how students could continue earning points this year despite UCCS dropping its partnerships.

“We’re not ‘back’ at UCCS,” said Wendy Gordon, co-founder and president of PIPs Rewards. “The platform’s free, and there are other actions that a student, that a user, can take that have nothing to do with UCCS.”

PIPs stands for Positive Impact Points and is a reward system that grants users redeemable points whenever they take a verifiable “responsible” action, such as those that benefit the environment, personal wellbeing or the community as a whole. For example, there used to be a QR code students could scan every time they refilled their reusable water bottle on campus.

Users can take the points earned and redeem them in the PIPs app for things like gift cards and even scholarships for higher education.

Currently, UCCS students can participate in two actions to earn PIPs: ThinkHumanTV and UCapture.

ThinkHumanTV is a browser extension that prompts users to engage in social and emotional learning, or SEL, while they watch. “You’re watching your favorite Netflix show or your favorite Disney+ show, and a little SEL module comes up. If you complete it, you earn PIPs,” Gordon said.

UCapture is a browser extension that automatically applies coupon codes and triggers online stores to fund carbon offset projects. “Every time you shop, your carbon emissions from those purchases are offset,” Gordon said.

In the future, PIPs are planning to add more options.

“This is a unique engagement platform, rewards platform, that rewards you for doing good,” Gordon said. “Every single one of our behaviors is screened for the good it generates.”

Students looking to either start earning or return to earning PIPs can download the app from any app store.

Photo from communique.uccs.edu.