ACUHO-I News Blog

Last week the National Wildlife Federation released Generation E: Students Leading for a Sustainable, Clean Energy Future, The report, sponsored by The Kendeda Fund and the Association of College Unions International and supported by a number of partners including ACUHO-I,  highlights sustainability programs and practices college students are implementing to lower their campus’ carbon footprint.

In the press release, Julian Keniry, the senior director of Campus and Community Leadership for the NWF, said: “We scouted projects at more than 160 colleges and universities all across the country. In more than 20 years of supporting student environmental leaders, we’ve never seen this extraordinary degree of student engagement and creativity around sustainability at every level. Our findings demolish the myth that students are apathetic or sitting on the sidelines. Their voices are rising up in ways we haven’t heard since the civil rights or the peace movements of the ‘60s and ‘70s, but the irony is, we are finding that most campus educators and leaders at the state and federal levels aren’t really listening.”

The projects included in the report include cover the spectrum of recycling programs, inter-residence hall sustainability competitions, sustainability-themed housing, and much more. The programs vary in their scope, but the encouraging news is how the students lead these initiatives. A Princeton Review study back in May reported that 68 percent of the students surveyed valued information about a college’s commitment to the enviornment. These students have oftentimes taken matters into their own hands to make a difference, and that will shape behaviors moving forward.

What are the programs on your campus that will get students leading for a more sustainable future?