Blog Posts

By Katie Koenig History Emerson’s Engagement Lab was first created in 2010 and evolved to focus on storytelling across many different media promoting “peace, equity, and justice.” Although it was closed at the end of 2024, its students, faculty, staff, and partners spent almost a decade and a half providing educational spaces and resources to…

By: Katie Koenig MassArt Sustainability Initiative Not every college sticks exactly to the Living Lab structure, but many still promote sustainability among student projects. Massachusetts College of Art offered its students funding and platforms to promote their sustainability-related art projects through a program called the Sustainability Initiative. Although it only lasted from 2013 to 2017,…

By: Katelyn Koenig UC System University of California Berkeley is tied for third with Lund University in Sweden in the QS World University Rankings for Sustainability in 2025. Along with several other UCs, Berkeley reached a platinum rating with AASHE in 2023. Sustainability on the University of California’s ten campuses and five medical systems is…

By: Katie Koenig Between University of Toronto’s (U of T’s) expansive carbon reduction goals and Boston University’s (BU’s) support of their local community, it’s clear that colleges’ efforts to become more sustainable are incredibly varied in scope and focus. Still, there are similar projects done at other colleges, even with less resources than the well-funded…

By Katie Koenig Supporting Local Communities We all produce waste, whether we’re living in the dorms or in an apartment off campus. With limited space in the dorms in particular, we often realize we have items we no longer need. An extra jacket, an old pair of shoes, maybe some decor or a lamp—there are…