Student Leaders at the Forefront of Sustainable Change

We’re only four weeks into the Fall semester and already our student sustainability leaders are in full force and ready to enact change. This month, student club and organization leaders gathered for the first ever Sustainability Dinner and Dialogue meeting, our EcoReps met for their Fall Orientation, and our ECommittee peer-mentors joined the Big Apple Leadership Retreat with the Office of Residential Life and Housing Services. Our administrators and staff in the Office of Sustainability are excited to continue sharing information and exchanging ideas with students. And this month was only the start of an ongoing conversation about NYU’s sustainability goals and communal achievements. 

SUSTAINABILITY DINNER AND DIALOGUE

People sitting around a conference table discussing and viewing a screen presentationStudents representing 17 different clubs and organizations that are pursuing sustainability as a priority in their work, convened to learn about current and upcoming sustainability initiatives at NYU and share their priorities and planned activities for the year. During this exchange, students and administrators discussed points for collaboration and how to mutually support goals towards making a greener NYU. 

 

 

ECOREPS ORIENTATION

People cheering in a group

Forty-eight new EcoReps, representing 19 NYU residence halls came together to meet, get to know each other, and learn about their role in leading sustainability projects in their residence halls. These passionate student leaders are ready to educate and engage their peers through programs, advocate for sustainability initiatives, and campaign for their peers to adopt more sustainable behaviors. Live in a residence hall? You can connect with your EcoReps to share your ideas.

 

ECOMMITTEE AT THE BIG APPLE LEADERSHIP RETREAT

5 ECommittee members posing in matching t-shirtsThe EcoReps’ peer-mentors, the ECommittee, attended this year’s Big Apple Leadership Retreat (BALR) with members of the Inter-Residence Hall Council (IRHC), National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH), and the Violet Leadership Institute (VLI). Throughout the weekend, these hall representatives developed leadership skills while getting to know and learn from their peers. To honor the inclusion of the ECommittee this year, the BALR participants planted tree saplings! The act of planting a tree is a great metaphor for student leadership. Much like these trees, the work our student leaders do will outlast their time at NYU and serve to benefit many students in the future. Trees offer immense environmental benefits as well. They absorb carbon dioxide and air pollutants, mitigating climate change and improving air quality. 

We’re excited to continue to work with our student sustainability leaders! YOU can be a sustainability leader too. Join the SGA’s Sustainability Committee or get involved with a club or organization.