Before starting their first year at Ohio State, undergraduate students interested in sustainable living apply to be in the Students Understanding Sustainability and Taking Action to Improve Nature and Society (SUSTAINS) living-learning community. SUSTAINS offers hand-on service and learning opportunities to help students explore different sustainability efforts and their interaction with society and environmental issues.
Last fall semester, 18 students from SUSTAINS traveled to Washington D.C. to engage and network with various environmental and policy organizations. Representing majors from the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, College of Engineering, Fisher College of Business, and more, students learned how sustainability can be incorporated into each of their career paths and ambitions. Over the course of 15 networking events and visits, SUSTAINS students observed the urgent need for sustainability efforts and gained key professional development skills.
“The D.C. trip strengthened my relationships with my peers in SUSTAINS and grew my professional network,” said Macayla Ellis, Forestry Fisheries & Wildlife student and SUSTAINS member. “Our group had the opportunity to learn about sustainability efforts being made in our country’s capital and how students of all majors can be involved and benefit from these initiatives.”
SUSTAINS convenes students who are interested in sustainability on local, national, and global scales. The cohort met and engaged with local organizations in Washington D.C., including Sustainable DC and the Washington D.C. Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE). These visits enhanced the group’s understanding of what the city is doing at a local level to support sustainability, career development, and environmental awareness.
To understand the diverse opportunities for sustainable solutions and career development at the national level, the group met with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fridays for Future USA, the US Department of Transportation, and toured the National Environmental Museum and Education Center.
Students also networked with non-profit organizations and private companies that have profound impacts around the world. This included EARTHDAY.ORG, who established the first Earth Day in 1970, and the Center for International Environmental Law, which are both international non-profit organizations dedicated to spreading environmental awareness and fighting for environmental justice and accountability. Additional visits with the World Bank and different units within the United Nations also provided an international governance and finance perspective on sustainability efforts.
In addition, Environmental Resource Management (ERM), an international sustainability consulting firm, was able to provide insight on how environmental services and sustainability operates in the private sector, which aligns with the career prospects of many sustainability students. A non-profit environmental journalism outlet, The Greenzine, engaged SUSTAINS with an international movement where youth support each other through environmental-focused careers and spreading information about sustainability around the world.
The SUSTAINS D.C. trip supported students with key networking opportunities, demonstrating diverse career paths, and enabling a unique bonding experience. Back on campus, SUSTAINS continues to connect students with each other, furthering their passions for sustainability in their personal and professional lives.
Learn more about the SUSTAINS Living-Learning Community.