Not sure what to do with that tangled broken necklace sitting in your drawer? Or that pair of jeans with a hole in the knee? Don’t want to pay to have your broken bike chain fixed on that tight college budget? Why not give them a new life? UCSB environmental science students Mollie McGee and Ava Mills have come up with a solution to bring new life to damaged belongings and bring together the Isla Vista community.
According to McGee, Fix-It Fairs are “volunteer driven community events that aim to divert waste from landfill by promoting repair and reuse instead of replacement.” Complete with manned stations for clothing, jewelry, bicycle, and skateboard repairs, the event delivered its impressive crowd with free service by local experts.
As part of UCSB's Environmental Leadership Incubator (ELI) , McGee and Mills are spearheading a series of Fix-It Fairs for their capstone project. ELI is a student-initiated program that seeks to implement positive environmental change through professional mentorship and applicable coursework.