Student Involvement

Between 1998 and 2008, Student Environmental Interns’ energy and enthusiasm made things happen at ACS.  Interns were one of the key elements of the ACS Environmental Initiative, which supported students in developing their own projects and activities. Among many others, ACS Student Interns undertook projects such as the following:  Earth Day/ Week/ Month celebrations; environmental films, speakers and panels from both on-campus and off; and participation in Recyclemania, a nationwide intercollegiate competition to see which institution can recycle the most waste per capita (www.recyclemania.org). Students, together with staff and faculty, also continued to establish and run recycling programs; held recycled trash displays; engaged in inter-dorm recycling competitions; and conducted waste audits. They formed alliances with non-environmental campus groups to host “green” programs; hosted Focus the Nation global warming teach-ins as part of a nationwide movement; attended national conferences to learn more about global warming; hosted Mountaintop Removal education events; held Green Fests, Green Balls, contra dances and concerts for the environment; held an annual Eco-Cup contest and festival; worked with campus food services to bring in local foods; assisted coffee shops with fair trade coffee promotions; assisted communities and campuses with organic gardens; engaged in vermiculture projects; set up composting systems; investigated and maintained biodiesel facilities; introduced re-usable or biodegradable dishware instead of styrofoam in the cafeterias; performed clean ups of their communities as well as of local lakes, creeks, rivers, and beaches; worked on invasive species eradication; and promoted the use of double-sided printing on campus.

Working together, students, staff, and faculty wrote articles for campus newspapers; established Sustainability Houses and green dorms; initiated/continued Environmental Residents programs; worked with facilities managers to get sustainable features in residence halls and classroom buildings; worked with presidents and deans to craft sustainability wording in strategic plans and mission statements; designed environmental websites/newsletters that herald activities and provide calendars of events; created informational brochures and signage about sustainable practices and enviro facts; held tire pressure check events; replaced incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents; collected batteries, print cartridges, computers and other electronic items for recycling; investigated the possibility of purchasing, and/or purchased, “green” power; held fundraisers for solar panel installations; and created permanent environmental work study positions.

No matter what specific projects they engaged in, students learned how to work collaboratively with key campus players. Taking leadership roles, they increased environmental awareness on their campuses, encouraged participation by other students, attended terrific workshops with students across the consortium, and provided crucial feedback and information to Faculty Fellows and the Program Director.