Campus Green Builder

By Second Nature

In the February 2012 issue of The ACUPCC Implementer John W. Strybos, Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities at Alamo Colleges, writes an article discussing the impact of signing the ACUPCC on the Alamo Colleges.  Specifically, Mr. Strybos focuses on the benefits of the extensive energy efficiency, reduction and sustainability action that the colleges have undertaken as part of their efforts to achieve climate neutrality.

To view the complete article, please read here.

By Second Nature

In the February, 2012 issue of the ACUPCC Implementer Al Kuslikis, STEM Associate, American Indian Higher Education Consortium and Beau Mitchell, Sustainability Coordinator, College of Menominee Nation discuss the deep engagement and various advancements that Tribal Colleges and Universities have made towards sustainability in the higher education sector.

To view the complete article, please visit the Second Nature blog.  

By Second Nature

In the February 2012 issue of The ACUPCC Implementer, Ashka Naik, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Development at Second Nature, discusses efforts to "level the playing field by bridging the resource gap between wealthy and under-resourced institutions."  Second Nature has partnered with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) on the UNCF Building Green at Minority-Serving Institutions Initiative.  In the past two years, Second Nature has provided guidance on UNCF's efforts towards engaging minority serving institutions in the sustainability movement...To view the complete article, please click here.

By Second Nature

Colleges and universities that sign the ACUPCC become part of a vast network of schools leading society towards climate neutrality by implementing climate action plans that address education, research initiatives, community engagement, and campus operations. On-campus emissions-reducing efforts benefit the environment, the students who gain hands on experience in the field of sustainability, and the institution’s budget.

Click here to learn more about how ACUPCC campuses are saving money.

This is a re-blog of a post by Rosa González, Education Director, Green For All. See the original post here.

I can confidently say the green movement is fully underway at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)! This is a big deal because most HBCUs are located in communities disproportionately impacted by climate change and poverty. And in the past, HBCU students have been under-informed about these issues and have not been significantly engaged around developing solutions to economic and environmental crises. Today, HBCU students from all around the country are building a student-led movement to ensure their communities do not remain on the margins of the sustainability movement.

On August 19th through August 21st, Green For All brought 30 student leaders from 15 Historically Black Colleges and Universities together in Washington, D.C. for the 2nd Green For All College Ambassador training.

The program kicked off with a keynote address by award-winning journalist, social activist and political commentator, Jeff Johnson, who engaged the Ambassadors in a strategic thinking around campus organizing. The rest of the program included a dynamic combination of team building activities, environmental literacy training (using the Roots of Success curriculum), student organizing workshops, and opportunities for deep dialogue and planning. Ambassadors shared songs, poetry, and testimonies at a celebratory dinner, proving this multi-talented cohort is unstoppable!

The potential of HBCU students may be overlooked by many and understood by few in the green movement, but these students are determined to shape the local, state and national discourse on the needs and benefits of an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.

Green For All launched the College Ambassador program in September of 2010 to invest in student organizers to champion the green-economy within communities most impacted by climate change and poverty. The program follows the academic calendar and runs on fifteen historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The Ambassadorship consists of expert trainings, a mentorship program in partnership with Green For All Academy Fellows, student-led green education workshops, and a semester long campus sustainability initiatives created and carried out by the Ambassadors with support from students, faculty and Green For All.

Through the Green For All Ambassador program, we hope to provide the tools and support that will allow students to step up to new levels of leadership. Through their leadership we are expanding the base of students calling for sustainable economic development, and creating real change throughout the HBCU system.

The students who have successfully finished serving their Ambassadorships can be found on the College Ambassador Alumni page.