By Eco Ambassador Ava Tribe
On November 5th, Eco Ambassadors Ava Tribe and Katie Koenig represented Emerson at the annual Sustainable Student Leadership Symposium. The Eco Ambassadors traveled to the symposium at UMass Dartmouth with Boston University students.
The all-day event included sustainability representatives and leaders from Boston University, UMass Dartmouth, UMass Lowell, UMass Amherst, Bentley University, and Tufts University. The event began at 10 am on Saturday in the school’s auditorium, where tables were set up along the walls with posters and information on sustainability practices locally and globally. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals were displayed on the walkway leading to the auditorium to highlight the broader mission of the student’s work. After checking in and receiving programs and reusable water bottles to use throughout the day, attendees heard keynote speakers discuss job opportunities within the sustainability field, were served a locally harvested sustainable lunch, and listened to different colleges present their work on sustainability.
Some notable presentations included Boston University students discussing their Residence Sustainability Leader program and their Green Room Certification initiative. Bentley discussed their student engagement work and interactive education models around sustainability. BU students discussed the importance of the intersectionality of racism and environmental justice and UMass schools explained the green spaces they have on campus which includes garden partnerships with Freight Farms and Mill City Grows. Between sessions, students networked with each other, sharing ideas and plans for projects they are working on. Possible collaborations with sustainability leaders at Massachusetts schools and Emerson are on the horizon, so be sure to look out for collaborative sustainability events and projects in the future!
