Columbia University
ER-T2-1: Student Group

Green Umbrella encompasses participation from many sustainability-related student groups. It serves as a meeting place for Columbia’s wealth of sustainable-minded student groups. Through Green Umbrella, environmental student groups from both Columbia and Barnard campuses convene to network and improve communication, collaborate on campaigns, attend conferences and summits, and meet with the Office of Environmental Stewardship and other administrators. The coordinators of Green Umbrella connect people and projects, serve as a nexus for information distribution, compile a comprehensive weekly email with green events and opportunities on campus and beyond, and facilitate large, multi-group event planning. Groups affiliated with Green Umbrella include EarthCo, Barnard Eco-Reps, Columbia Eco-Reps, Students for Environmental and Economic Justice, Food Sustainability Project, Columbia University Environmental Biology Society, Core Foods, Columbia Students for Animal Protection, Jewish Theological Seminary Eco-Reps, Delta GDP, Engineers Without Borders, Scientists and Engineers for a Better Society, Columbia Global Brigades, Greenborough, 4local, and Consilience.

1. Columbia CSA: This program through Roxbury Farm (Kinderhook, NY) allows students and community members to purchase a share of the farm.

2. Columbia Eco-Reps: A group of students working in partnership with Columbia’s department of Housing and Dining in order to make Columbia’s campus more environmentally sustainable.

3. Columbia Students for Animal Protection: This group supports animal-friendly policies at Columbia University and throughout the world.

4. Columbia University Environmental Biology Society: CUEBS approaches the biosphere from an academic point of view and aims to encourage environmental appreciation and education at all levels within the Columbia community.

5. Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development: Consilience is a global online publication dedicated to promoting interdisciplinary dialogue on sustainable development.

6. CoreFoods: Core Foods is Columbia’s Student-Run Organic Food Co-op. Currently located in JJ’s Place, they focus on providing a wide selection of local and organic food right on Columbia’s campus.

7. EarthCo: A Columbia/Barnard student coalition working to improve the local environment by promoting recycling on campus, organizing gardening and clean-ups in local parks, sponsoring environmental forums, and coordinating Earth Week activities on the Columbia campus.

8. Envision: Envision's mission is to capture the urgency, importance, and opportunities of meeting the energy challenge of the 21st century through a multidisciplinary digest interlocking business, research & development, public policy, and the environment.

9. Food Sustainability Project: CUFSP organizes the campus garden open to all that serves both as a source of “real” food and an example of the potential for urban agriculture and community development through the act of growing food.

10. Green Builders: GB@C is a student group at Columbia University dedicated to sustainable design, products and materials, green building practices, and sustainable development.

11. Green Umbrella: Here you will find news, updates and events relating to all things green, whether it's on Columbia's Campus or on a global scale.

12. JTS Eco-Reps: An environmental advocacy and action student group dedicated to changing the attitude and ways of the JTS community and infrastructure.

13. Medical Students For Environmental Action (Public Health): Established to promote environmental awareness at the medical campus. We want to be the voice of students for environmental concerns.

14. SEEJ (Students for Environmental and Economic Justice): Barnard and Columbia group dedicated to advancing ecological sustainability and labor rights.

15. The Columbia University Partnership for International Development: CUPID is a student-led effort across Columbia University to facilitate multidisciplinary dialogue, awareness, and action on international development.

16. Energy Club: The Energy Club is committed to educating Columbia Business School students about the energy industry, increasing awareness regarding career opportunities, and helping members take advantage of those opportunities.

17. Engineers Without Borders: The Columbia University chapter of Engineers Without Borders aims to address the problems facing people both locally and abroad by leveraging the skills, talents and passions of Columbia University students and the partnerships formed with our organization.

18. Environmental Law Society: ELS is a student-run organization whose purpose is to promote the furthering of skills and knowledge in environmental law.

19. Green Business Club: engages students, the Columbia Business School community, and business leaders across industries on the intersection of business and sustainability.

20. SIPA Energy Association: dedicated to complimenting the education of the International Energy Management and Policy concentration, connecting SIPA students with practitioners in the energy sector, and educating students about career opportunities in the field.

21. Social Enterprise Club: The Social Enterprise Club empowers students to create social value in private and public enterprises.

22. Student Environmental Coalition for Sustainability (SECS): The SECS shall create and provide a community for the growing number of environmentally oriented and focused students within SIPA and Columbia, as a whole.

23. Delta GDP: The Growth and Development Project, or Delta GDP, is a group of students dedicated to exploring innovative methods of self-sustaining economic growth in developing countries.

24. Scientists and Engineers for a Better Society: SEBS’ mission is to bring awareness to Columbia about scientific and technological issues of social relevance.

25. CU Global Brigades: CU Global Brigades is the Columbia chapter of the national Global Brigades organization, which empowers students to lead service trips to developing countries.

26. Greenborough: Greenborough is the environmental special interest house, serving as a living laboratory for environmental lifestyle choices in the Columbia community.

27. 4local: 4local is a sustainable food group dedicated to providing students with fresh local, vegetarian and organic cuisine. 4local prepares and sells meals to the Columbia community at affordable prices and hopes to one day open a student-run café.

28. Earth Institute Student Adisory Council (SAC) is a student body that serves the Columbia University community by promoting relationships between student groups, developing events and panels, and assisting with student-interest program planning. One of the key tasks of the Advisory Council is to advise and suggest improvements to the professional resources that will help students gain more experience in the field of sustainability. The Council is comprised of two students each from the School of International and Public Affairs, General Studies, Barnard College, the Business School, the Law School, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Columbia College, the School of Public Health, the School of Journalism, and the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Additional website URLs where information about the student groups are available:
Scientists and Engineers for a Better Society http://www.columbia.edu/cu/sebs/
Green Umbrella https://www.facebook.com/pages/Columbia-University-Green-Umbrella/312801592090776
CU CSA http://justfood.org/csaloc/manhattan/columbia-university-csa
CU EcoReps http://cuecoreps.wordpress.com/
Columbia Students for Animal Protection http://www.columbia.edu/cu/csap/
Columbia University Environmental Biology Society http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cuebs/index.html
Consilience http://www.consiliencejournal.org/
Corefoods http://www.columbia.edu/cu/corefoods/ ; http://theflyingbeet.wordpress.com/
CU Earthco https://www.facebook.com/CUEarthCo
CU Food Sustainability Project https://www.facebook.com/pages/Columbia-University-Food-Sustainability-Project/180945055289625 or http://gosustainable.blogspot.com/
JTS Ecoreps https://www.facebook.com/people/Jts-EcoReps/1109120995
CUMC Students for Environmental Action https://sites.google.com/site/seacumc/home
CU Students for Environmental and Economic Justice http://www.columbia.edu/cu/seej/
CUPID http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cupid/
CU Engineers without Borders http://www.cuewb.org/
Columbia Business School Energy Club http://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/students/organizations/ert/mission.html
CU Environmental Law Society https://sites.google.com/site/clsenvlawsoc/
Green Business Club http://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/students/organizations/gbc/
Human Rights Working Group http://www.sipa.columbia.edu/students/hrwg/
Social Enterprise Club http://columbiasocialenterprise.org/sec/