Texas A&M University
EN-1: Student Educators Program

The goal of the Office of Sustainability’s Internship Program is to bring people from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives together to create a dynamic team that works to create a culture of sustainability at Texas A&M University. The team focuses on increasing the sustainability of practices such as energy and water use, transportation, food services, construction and built environment, purchasing, recycling, and social justice through the development of programs, outreach initiatives, and event coordination. Ultimately, the program trains our students to become student sustainability experts who are able to share what they have learned to train the campus community about how to incorporate sustainability into their lives.

Examples of education and outreach include: tabling at various events by creating engaging, interactive activities. The interns give campus-wide presentations and workshops. They create educational videos. The interns engage students through our social media platforms and generate digital and print graphic design content. The interns have adapted to a more virtual world by creating virtual talks to supplement traditional in-person offerings and to diversify their skill sets.

Our target audience is the entire campus. We offer our educational events to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty and staff.

The Aggie Eco-Reps Program is an organization in which students educate their peers about how to live a sustainable lifestyle. Eco-Reps educate their fellow students by hosting informational presentations in the residence halls, participating in campus wide events such as Texas Recycles Day and Earth Day, and promoting a sustainable lifestyle by living as an example for fellow students. The Eco-Reps promote sustainable practices by encouraging students to make small changes in the way they live, such as turning electronics off when not in use, using a reusable water bottle, reducing food waste, taking advantage of alternative transportation, and recycling bottles and cans on campus. The Aggie Eco-Reps have continued a "Do-It-Yourself" campaign, in which they provide training to students on creating sustainable alternatives to products that can be used in a residential setting. The Aggie Eco-Rep mission statement is “Providing students with the education and opportunity to promote and continue sustainability,” and, as a grassroots movement here at Texas A&M University, the Aggie Eco-Reps are making progress every day.

In conjunction with the Residential Housing Association (on-campus student self-governance), students are invited to apply to the Aggie Eco-Reps program. These students are elected by the on-campus student population for each residence hall community at Texas A&M during our annual election cycle in September. Once selected, students are placed in one of three different committees, the Campus Events Committee (Responsible for all outreach activities by the Aggie Eco-Reps to the campus community), the Membership Committee (Responsible for fundraising, training, and development activities for all current Aggie Eco-Reps), the Web/Marketing Committee (Responsible for marketing materials and social media accounts) or the Education Committee (Responsible for creating and facilitating our signature educational programs in the residence hall communities at Texas A&M).

At the beginning of each semester, the Aggie Eco-Reps are required to attend a conference where several different training topics are discussed. The Eco-Reps are trained on effective facilitation skills, since they are responsible for leading programming efforts in our residence halls. Finally, they are given a presentation and manual that discusses the three pillars of sustainability (Social, Environmental, and Economic) and the intersectionality that exists on-campus in our residence hall communities. This program is fully sponsored by the Department of Residence Life at Texas A&M University, with an annual student fee allocated budget. Additionally, the Department of Residence Life has earmarked annual funding for several Aggie Eco-Reps and their advisor to attend the AASHE Conference.

The Aggie Eco-Reps are a sustainability student organization sponsored and funded by the Department of Residence Life. As such, their primary audience are the 11,500 on-campus residents at Texas A&M, although most programs and events are open to all students.

Recently, the Department of Residence Life has also begun an internship program for students interested in educating and engaging on-campus residents specifically. This program begin in spring 2020 and there is one intern slot per semester, including the summer. The intern assists the Sustainability Coordinator in creating social media content, researching topics for monthly newsletters, reporting on Aggie Green Fund grant projects, and other duties as assigned. Interns are able to receive course credit, provided that they receive approval from their academic advisor. Hours range depending on semester and any requirements for optional course credit. Typically, summer is around 25 hours each week with 2-4 hours per week during the normal academic year.

The target audience for the internship is on-campus residents as this is a Residence Life position. However, certain programs and resources like the e-waste recycling bins, Fill It Forward Campaign, and Trex Plastic Challenge as open to all Texas A&M community members, including faculty and staff.

http://www.aggieecoreps.com
https://reslife.tamu.edu/living/sustainability/