Doing Their Homework
10 Campus Organizers
Although each is a unique resource, national organizations act synergistically to keep environmental issues at the forefront of higher education. “The environment is something we all share,” points out Ocean Robbins, president of Youth for Environmental Sanity. “So many things cause divisions in this world, but this is one place we can really come together.” Here are 10 groups that help do just that:
Center for Environmental Citizenship
Trains students through Campus Green Vote Summer Training Academies, 12-week internships and green voter campaigns in the political skills necessary to protect the environment; offers student-written Blueprint for a Green Planet, and EarthNet News, a weekly e-mail highlighting current legislation, the student movement and environmental jobs.
1611 Connecticut Avenue NW, #3-B
Washington, DC 20009
Tel. (202) 234-5990
URL: http://www.cgv.org
Free the Planet
Runs summer training academy. Through website, students may sign on to receive EnviroAction weekly e-mail issue updates or send free faxes to polluters and politicians; national campaigns focus on pollution prevention, nuclear waste and renewabes, endangered species protection, corporate abuses of power, and public lands.
218 D Street SE
Washington, DC 20003
Tel. (202) 547-3656
URL: http://www.essential.org/freetheplanet
Green Corps
Hires 20 recent graduates for Environmental Leadership Training Program, a one-year, full time, paid position which provides classroom training, hands-on campaigning experience and job placement in leading environmental groups; recent corps members now work for the American Land Alliance, Ozone Action and the Appalachian Mountain Club.
29 Temple Place
Boston, MA 02111
Tel. (617) 426-8506
URL: http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/greencorps
NWF’s Campus Ecology Program
Offers regional and summer training clinics for campus greening aimed at students, faculty, staff and administrators, as well as many educational resources, such as the Campus Ecology Action Toolkit, Campus Environmental Yearbooks, Campus Ecology Audit Guide, Conservation Directory, Green Investment, Green Return and Project Resource Packets on 13 topics.
8925 Leesburg Pike
Vienna, VA 22184
Tel. (703) 790-4318
URL: http://www.nwf.org/campus
Second Nature
Strives to make sustainability a foundation of campus learning, research and operations through regional workshops and on-site clinics. Also maintains databases of 2,500 bibliographic references on sustainability; 500 course syllabi from 100 different disciplines and universities, innovative teaching techniques from over 120 schools and profiles of 150 resourceful programs across the country.
Second Nature
44 Bromfield Street
Fifth Floor
Boston, MA 02108-4909
Tel. (617) 292-7771
URL: http://www.secondnature.org
Sierra Student Coalition
Sponsors a summer training academy for students as well as mentoring from established Sierra Club chapters; current national campaigns include: protecting wilderness areas in Utah, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, and focusing on the World Trade Organization and congressional global warming standards.
730 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Tel. (401) 861-6012
URL: http://www.ssc.org
Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC)
Runs a summer training institute for young leaders and a listserv forum for discussion on student concerns; campaigns, which focus on environmental justice issues, currently include ending logging on public lands, ending the use of dioxin in tampons, changing campus paper purchasing policies and limiting the power of the World Trade Organization.
P.O. Box 31909
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Tel. (215) 222-4711
URL: http://www.seac.org
Student PIRG
Works with professional staff based at each campus on local, state and national campaigns; programs include a Higher Education project, devoted to expanding college education, and The Center for Campus Free Speech, protecting the right to organize; also provides on-line resources regarding student consumer issues.
218 D Street SE
Washington, DC 20003
Tel. (202) 546-9707
URL: http://www.pirg.org/student/campus
University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF)
Runs an annual summer training program aimed at faculty, the Environmental Literacy Institute, and the Sustainability Indicators Project, to help members assess their campuses and identify areas for environmental improvement.
2100 L Street NW
Washington, DC 20037
Tel. (202) 778-6133
URL: http://www.ulsf.org
Youth for Environmental Sanity (YES!)
Provides summer training camps for youth 15 to 25 years old and recently sponsored Youth Leadership JAM!, bringing together 30 young leaders from 15 countries; has published Choices for Our Future: A Generation Rising for Life On Earth and The Green Schools Energy Project Manual.
420 Bronco Road
Soquel, CA 95073
Tel. (831) 465-1081
URL: http://www.yesworld.org