University of Louisville
EN-1: Student Educators Program

Eco-Reps is an ongoing peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program for all students, faculty, and staff at UofL. At the core of the program is an online training series focused on topics in sustainability, particularly as they apply at UofL. Once you become an Eco-Rep, you’re expected to serve as a resource person for sustainability in your sub-community at UofL, whether it’s your immediate peers and colleagues, your department, your building, your club, your residence hall, or any other realm where you live, work, and play. We encourage Eco-Reps to become conscious of the specific physical and social systems in their own departments or residence halls, and to help their peers understand the options and advantages of more sustainable solutions during planning meetings or when designing systems. Eco-Reps stand for sustainable action, so we also encourage participants to actively demonstrate their personal commitment in those places where they can have the most impact. Eco-Reps are not “green police.” Eco-Reps are educators and mentors. As an Eco-Rep, you should feel free to politely observe and make note of problem behaviors or unsustainable systems, but you should always be courteous, respectful and supportive rather than punitive. Eco-Reps should also be a voice for sound practices regarding our campus environment, its inhabitants, and the planet at large. Eco-Reps should always strive to “practice what they preach” and to lead by example. Eco-Reps are expected to attend our monthly workshops to expand their exposure to sustainability concepts and locals making a difference. There they can discuss their own sustainability activities in a public forum (with food!), and report on their activities and ideas about sustainable practices to UofL's Sustainability Council. We also expect EcoReps to submit a brief monthly report designed to help everyone brainstorm and document more effective strategies for Eco-Reps representation across campus. Eco-Reps also engage in group service projects to engage the community around UofL in some highly visible and meaningful efforts. Eco-Reps are encouraged to partner with Recognized Student Organizations, Campus Housing, the Student, Staff, and Faculty Senates, and other campus organizations to spread the word about sustainability on campus, and to help identify opportunities to engage with sustainability.

EcoReps are recruited at campus events, through presentations to sustainability-related classes, existing sustainability-related clubs and organizations on campus, and campus-wide media such as the student news feed and digital signage at the Student Activities Center. Participants are encouraged to register for the written examination for Eco-Reps Basic certification. Certified Eco-Reps then educate peers at UofL, lead workshops, and offer their expertise to community projects both on and off campus.

At the core of the program is an online training series focused on topics in sustainability, particularly as they apply at UofL. The series is not intended to be exhaustive concerning sustainability as a whole, nor any individual topic, but the intent is to empower and educate our students, staff, and faculty about the different ways UofL is addressing sustainability and what the UofL community must do in order to help move forward. There are two tiers of training for Eco-Reps at the University of Louisville - both a Basic and an Advanced program. The Basic training includes a series of videos and accompanying supplementary materials available online. Participants are encouraged to register for the written examination for Eco-Reps Basic certification. Certified Eco-Reps then educate peers at UofL, lead workshops, and offer their expertise to community projects both on and off campus. Those interested in going deeper can also become certified in Advanced Sustainability Topics through the Eco-Reps Advanced certification program. The Advanced program offers serious sustainability advocates the opportunity to work with a UofL mentor in a particular sustainability area to develop a focused project that addresses the needs of the university or wider community. The Advanced program begins with video training about a particular topic, such as bicycling for transportation, making solar panels, or vermiculture. You’ll then explore a set of supplemental materials on the topic and develop a proposal for a community project. Proposals will be reviewed by the Sustainability Council and the Eco-Reps mentor. If approved, the project will be conducted under the supervision of an Eco-Reps mentor. After successful implementation, you’ll receive an Eco-Reps Advanced certification in the special topic and will be listed on UofL's Sustainability website as being among UofL's advanced community mentors available for consultation. The Eco-Reps training program at UofL relies upon a video series and supplementary materials to create an action-oriented educational experience for anyone interested in sustainability initiatives at UofL. Taken together, the series is intended to prepare you for becoming certified in sustainability practices at UofL. There is one examination for the entire Basic Eco-Reps training series.

The Eco-Reps program is run by UofL's Sustainability Council and funded through our Climate Action Plan which pays one part-time faculty member to develop and staff the program as director year-round. The Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives also devotes staff time to develop and support the program. A volunteer EcoReps coordinator position is also filled by a graduate student.

UofL's Sustainability Council launched its peer-to-peer Eco-Reps program for all students and employees in the fall 2012 semester.