What are Sustainability Advocates?
The Sustainability Advocates program is a partnership between the Sustainability Institute and Residence Life. The mission of the program is to cultivate a culture of sustainability on campus by serving as a primary mechanism for raising awareness of sustainability practices and fostering a shared understanding of what sustainability means to the student body. Through peer education, Sustainability Advocates will empower students to become active participants in creating sustainable change on campus, while also identifying gaps and areas for improvement in our sustainability efforts and working towards addressing them. By acting as experts on sustainability practices at UNH, Sustainability Advocates will bridge the gap between campus sustainability opportunities and the wider student community, promoting sustainable behaviors and lifestyles in the spaces where students live and connect.
"Throughout my experience as an Advocate, socials have been one of the most fun parts. Planning these socials with your Hall Council and engaging students is beneficial for other leadership opportunities you may encounter at UNH and in the future. Having to plan the marketing and coordinating with a team is especially helpful for future employment opportunities. Although socials looked a lot different this year due to COVID-19, they were still fun to plan. It's a rewarding feeling to see all your hard work at an event when residents attend. Advocate socials focus on sustainability, and many Advocates ran socials that were unique to them and their dorms." ~ Amy Overhulser '24, Human Development and Family Studies
Interested in learning more about the program?
Join the Sustainability Advocates Program TODAY!
Do you live on campus and are passionate about making a positive impact on our campus and the environment? Become a Sustainability Advocate and play a vital role in promoting sustainability at UNH!
Interested? Email Kelsey.Farrell@unh.edu
Members Work Together Toward Goals
The primary campus level goals are to:
- Educate students about topics in sustainability at the individual, campus, and community level,
- Encourage students about ways to implement sustainable practices within their lives and their communities, and
- Connect students to resources and opportunities to gain volunteer and/or professional experience in sustainability.
To achieve these goals, the Sustainability Advocates work with their hall councils to develop and host sustainability focused events within or between their residence halls. These events merge creativity, education, and engagement, showing hall residents that sustainability is important, personal, and fun. Common events include campus clean-ups, movie nights, recycling sort competitions, etc.
At an advocate level, the primary goals are to:
- Lead by example as a peer educator and sustainability initiator,
- Gain leadership, communication, and planning skills,
- Connect with like-minded individuals through dialogue and teamwork, and
- Learn from and connect with sustainability professionals.
To achieve these goals, the Sustainability Advocates Intern hosts weekly meetings to educate the Sustainability Advocates about sustainability on- and off-campus, guides discussions with the Sustainability Advocates about current events in the sustainability field, and helps the Sustainability Advocates plan residence hall events. The Sustainability Advocates Intern also invites guest speakers to meetings and arranges field trips to allow the Sustainability Advocates to learn from and connect with sustainability professionals.
