Fifteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Sustainability is a multi-faceted mindset and value system that includes viewing daily decisions of consumption and production through the lens of environmental responsibility. It also has the attention of universities and educational institutions as they prepare students for the scope of problems triggered by environmental change. Commitment to sustainability requires adjustments to curriculum and campus operations, as well as departmental and faculty engagement. To help strengthen sustainability education at the University of Arizona, the College of Education’s Cooper Center for Environmental Learning created a unique pilot project for adding the often-missing ingredient of educational components to sustainability initiatives. Funded by the UA campus Green Fund, research-based ecological practices and educational philosophies are being translated into sustainability education for UA students by a student-led Outreach Team via events and campaigns. As students participate in an event, such as a hike and yoga experience, they learn about and enjoy new emotional connections to the natural world. As students awaken to their personal environmental impact and connect with nature, they are invited to retain positive feelings by spending time in nature and changing their habits. In a campaign, goal-oriented partnerships are created between student, staff and community groups, which may look like constructing educational recycling and composting programs and signage in an effort to engage the entire campus in habit changes. All of this is geared to inspire the integration of sustainability throughout campus and ultimately to prepare students from every field to graduate with solid comprehension of and inclination for sustainable living.