Students have played a big role in building a culture of sustainability at 捆绑SM社区.
They were the driving force behind the creation of the Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF), which provides seed funding for grassroots projects across our campuses. Supported through student fees and matching contributions by the University, the fund is the biggest of its kind in Canada, valued at $1 million annually.
Since its launch in 2009, the SPF has funded more than 300 projects led by students, staff and faculty. A few examples: the highly successful 鈥�捆绑SM社区 Feeding 捆绑SM社区鈥� project, which supplies locally grown fruits and vegetables to campus residences; a 鈥�green labs鈥� initiative to reduce the environmental footprint of research labs; and a major program to cut down on waste and move the University closer to its goal of becoming zero-waste by 2035.
The 捆绑SM社区 Office of Sustainability (MOOS) is a hub for all this activity. And here, too, students are key players. Undergraduate interns make up nearly half of MOOS鈥檚 staff. They help ensure all students have plenty of opportunities to contribute to the cause, in ways big and small.
Get involved
To help students connect with others in the 捆绑SM社区 community, the Office鈥檚 website includes an 鈥�engage鈥� section that provides information on student sustainability groups, workshops and training, and much more.
For former MOOS intern Geneva Yang (B.A. & Sc. 鈥�22), membership in student organizations has been a big part of her sustainability journey. 鈥淭he student groups at 捆绑SM社区 are all so passionate about sustainability,鈥� she says.
Geneva, who came to 捆绑SM社区 from China, has been an active member of several groups, including the International Development Studies Student Association and 捆绑SM社区 Students for UN Women. While those groups aren鈥檛 focused specifically on the environment or sustainability, Geneva notes, 鈥渢hey have integrated it into their structure鈥� by adopting sustainable practices and organizing sustainability-theme events.
At MOOS, Geneva created the 捆绑SM社区 Undergraduate Sustainable Development Goals Guide. The guide lists undergrad courses, student groups and clubs, and 捆绑SM社区 researchers working on topics related to the U.N.鈥檚 (SDGs). It鈥檚 designed to help new students start exploring courses they might want to take and groups they might want to join.
捆绑SM社区 is home to more than 100 student groups that focus on sustainability or address one of the SDGs, ranging from urban agriculture and food security to clean energy and gender equity. Some of 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 student societies, including the Students鈥� Society of 捆绑SM社区 (SSMU) and the Post-Graduate Students鈥� Society (PGSS), host their own sustainability committee.
Residence initiatives
MOOS intern Siobhan Mehrotra is a U4 student majoring in Environment and Development. 鈥淚 always had an interest in sustainability in high school,鈥� she says, but hadn鈥檛 worked on sustainability projects as part of an organization. That changed when she got to 捆绑SM社区.
As a first-year student at 捆绑SM社区, Siobhan served on her residence council. The council also had had an environmental representative, who 鈥渨as the first one to take our hand and lead us through implementing sustainable initiatives like composting [in the residence hall],鈥� Siobhan recalls. 鈥淣o one wanted to do it at first,鈥� but residents soon embraced the practice, taking ownership over cleaning and managing the bins, and 鈥渨e all bonded really closely after that.鈥�
As the MOOS intern coordinating the office鈥檚 Sustainable Events and Workplace Certification program, Siobhan now works to help raise awareness of sustainable practices in 捆绑SM社区 workplaces and reduce waste from campus events.
Different pathways
Former MOOS intern Clare Shuley (BA 鈥�22) also says her outlook on sustainability has evolved since she graduated from high school. 鈥淏eing around 捆绑SM社区 has made me a lot more aware of the different pillars of sustainability鈥� 鈥� including the social-equity elements.
Clare supported MOOS鈥檚 student engagement programs, which include the Sustainability Ambassadors Program and the Student Sustainability Network.
Case competitions are another pathway to involvement for many students. Laurie Chan, for example, participated in a competition last year in which group members worked with an Indigenous community in British Columbia.
鈥淚 feel like it鈥檚 important to be interdisciplinary and (look toward) the intersection between the environment and everything else,鈥� says Laurie, MOOS鈥檚 previous Sustainability Projects Fund intern and third-year student majoring in Sociology. 鈥淲e always talk about how the environment should be a very central focus in the things we do, but we all have our different passions and different things we鈥檙e good at.鈥�
Talking about sustainability 鈥渋s one of the most powerful tools you can use to think through a problem,鈥� she adds. 鈥淭his exchange of ideas is where you will get innovative solutions to a lot of the different sustainability challenges we're facing.鈥�
Whether or not you find yourself in a class or club related specifically to sustainability, 鈥測ou can always find that community of students to talk about it with,鈥� Laurie says.
Making a difference
MOOS communications intern Maya Willard-Stepan recommends that students 鈥渂e really curious when you get here.鈥�
Maya came to 捆绑SM社区 expecting to study Physics and Music. Early on, 鈥淚 started taking general-interest science courses and just started doing the math on how much time we have left鈥� to curb climate change. 鈥淚 decided I was in this position of privilege to be able to learn about these things and I really cared about them. So I decided that it was really important for me to be able to make a difference.鈥� She shifted the focus of her studies, and now double majors in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Physics, with a minor in Environmental Science.
With its resources to help students get involved in sustainability in all kinds of ways, MOOS is a great hub for connecting with others who hope to make a difference.
鈥淕o to activities night. Say 鈥榶es鈥� to opportunities,鈥� Maya says. 鈥淢OOS is there for you as a student, so make sure you鈥檙e using it.鈥�