Last week I sat on the EcoReps Sustainability Abroad panel and had a chance to think back about my time abroad in Sydney. Almost two years ago I wrote an exaggerated “tell-all” Sustainablog post highlighting my first impressions of sustainability in Sydney. It was really interesting to look back and reflect on those impressions as I have continued to think about sustainability here in New York.
Thinking About Sustainability Abroad:
Moving abroad for a semester, a year, or just a few weeks is the perfect opportunity to check in on your lifestyle habits and consider sustainability in your own daily routines! You’re living in a new space, in a new place, and adapting to your change in environment. Sustainability may look different there than anywhere you’ve lived in the past, so your own habits and sustainable preferences will likely become more apparent.
Right off the bat, you may think about your impact in packing and purchasing the essentials. You might have bought into the Welcome Week trip to Bed Bath & Beyond when you were a first-year, but you don’t necessarily have to repeat your shopping spree when you head abroad. Keep in mind that you are only there for a short amount of time so think about the essential. What can you pack and bring with you? Can you fit your reusable grocery bags, water bottle and utensils in your suitcase? It’s also important to look at what it already supplied to you before stocking up on towels and kitchen supplies at your new local box store. And if you do buy a few essentials can you pack them and take them home with you as a sustainable souvenir after your semester away or is there somewhere you can donate them so they don’t end up in landfill? This might already be obvious to you but t not to all the other students in your program. Don’t be afraid of sharing a friendly reminder on the Facebook page or just starting a conversation with your new suite-mates!
Takeaways and Tips:
Each abroad site runs a little differently and resources will vary depending on your location and the subject matter offered at your site, but there are definitely ways to engage in sustainability on all of the global campuses and encourage others to do the same!
- Contact your point person
Each site has a student activities director or someone involved in student programing. The best way to get information about your point person (if they don’t reach out to you first) is to ask your study away adviser!
- Speak with your professors
You may be planning to take environmentally themed classes while abroad and if not, you can still reach out to the professors if you have an interest in their class content. These professors will likely have helpful contacts for environmental organizations around the city and may have some ideas of their own regarding sustainability programing. If there aren’t any environmentally oriented classes offered at your site try your favorite professor, they might know of other folks to put you in contact with!
- Take advantage of the internship program
NYU will match you with a company that suits your interests while abroad. This is an awesome opportunity to immerse yourself in sustainability and environmental work while abroad. You can apply for credit or not depending on what works for you!
- Look for outside resources
Don’t be afraid to look for sustainability beyond NYU. Look into other local universities that might offer involvement opportunities such as student clubs, events and lectures! You can also look into volunteer opportunities with local organizations and community gardens and farms. Don’t forget to look into sustainability initiatives in your city like the amazing bike program and zero waste grocery store in Berlin!
- Just go for it
Start planning and reach out to your point person about sustainability programing on your site. If you are studying abroad in the Spring consider programming around Global GoGreen Week, an initiative started by NYU Shanghai in 2016. While I was abroad in Sydney, I planned an event for each day of Global GoGreen Week! Even a single event sometime during the week would be an awesome addition!
- Start the conversation
The easiest way to get involved in sustainability on your global site is to start a conversation about it with your friends and classmates. You can also use social media to spread the word or send out an email to your classes about a cool sustainability event in the city you’re planning to check out!
- Utilize the Office of Sustainability
We may seem far away but we’re still here to support you in any way we can while you’re abroad. We can help get you in contact with the right people if you are having trouble and above all we would love to share your sustainability efforts abroad. Consider applying for a Green Grant on your study away campus or writing your own Sustaianblog post highlighting your experiences with sustainability at your study away site!
It might seem overwhelming to think about sustainability on top of all the other adjustments and stresses that come with studying abroad but it is actually an ideal time to consider sustainability on a global scale! Be sure to think about what you can bring with you and what you can take back to your home campus. If you planned a program that went well abroad, why not try it out at home?