Eco-Reps will build a solid foundation in the principles of sustainability. After participating in the program, Eco-Reps will be equipped with the skills to actively partake in dialogue about sustainability and the issues that surround it. These skills allow them to be engaged and informed citizens in the realm of sustainability and environmental literacy.
Eco-Reps will also be given the rare opportunity to apply the knowledge and passion they’ve accrued in their first semester. Members will be provided with an understanding of the interconnected nature of sustainability and how it applies to student life and society as a whole. It is their job to “make sustainability sexy” to fellow students and promote behavioral change at both individual and campus-wide levels.
Program Facilitators not only have a chance to gain leadership experience by planning and leading classroom dialogue, but also have the opportunity to explore the peer facilitation; a unique style of teaching and learning that emphasizes student empowerment and ownership over one’s own knowledge.
The University will benefit directly from the Eco-Rep Program because by increasing environmental literacy among students, behaviors will shift from unsustainable practices to environmentally responsible alternatives--changing their day-to-day habits to use fewer resources, which will save the University money. This will be increasingly more important as the cost of resources and utilities continue to skyrocket. This will also aid in helping the campus reach its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 set by the Climate Action Plan.
The Environment will benefit most of all from the Eco-Rep Programs efforts. The information and topics brought up in the program are done so with the aim to change the mental models surrounding the environment in our society today. Members work to shift human behavior to reduce negative impact on the world we live in.
