Emory University
EN-3: Student Life

• altKEY: altKEY is a sustainable fashion organization that spreads where activists and designers come together to spread awareness on upcycling, reducing consumption, and reusing pre-owned items. Some of the group’s key events include pop-up shops at Wonderful Wednesday, sewing/upcycling workshops, and an annual fashion show showcasing sustainable designs.
• Candler Creation Keepers: The Creation Keepers are an eco-minded group of the Candler School of Theology. The group lives at the intersection of faith and environmentalism, ever-vigilant to ways they can encounter God through God's Creation. They hold weekly community gardening sessions at the Theology Garden as well as monthly hikes around the Atlanta area. In addition, they host "lunch & learns" with leaders who are doing faithful, eco-minded work.
• Emory Climate Analysis & Solutions Team (ECAST): ECAST provides a forum for undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty across Emory’s campus to conduct climate-related analyses, advance climate solutions, and host events that aim to increase our members’ capacity to take action. The team is committed to helping members build the skills they need to become effective climate advocates throughout their Emory career and beyond. 
• Emory Climate Organization (ECO): Emory Climate Organization is a student-led organization dedicated to increasing climate literacy and collaborating with others toward climate action.
• Emory Bike Social: The Emory Bike Social is a group of undergraduate students dedicated to promoting cycling in the Emory community. They organize regular group bike rides as well as educational events promoting sustainability and activism. Emory Bike Social collaborates with Emory Spokes Council to run the Fixie, a bicycle repair shop.
• Emory Birding Club: The Birding Club is a group dedicated to learning about birds and getting people outside. They have monthly on-campus bird walks and social meetings.
• Emory Chapter of the Climate Reality Project (ECRP): The Emory Chapter unites the intersecting issues of climate, sustainability, and social justice through hosting informative events and climate action campaigns. A successful past campaign worked to convince Emory to commit to using 100% renewable electricity. The goal of this campaign has now shifted to encourage President Fenves to declare a climate emergency. 
• Emory Climate Coalition: The Emory Climate Coalition is composed of the Emory Chapter of the Climate Reality Project, Emory Climate Organization, and Emory Climate Analysis & Solutions Team. This group of organizations amplifies student voices and works together to educate, research, and act upon the climate crisis. 
• Emory Ecological Society: The Emory Ecological Society provides a space for students interested in protecting biodiversity to promote conservation and environmental literacy on campus. The organization conducts ecological research, restoration, advocacy, and outreach both within the Emory community and in the metro Atlanta area. They are a recognized chapter of the Ecological Society of America's SEEDS program. 
• Emory Food Chain (EFC): EFC reduces food waste on Emory’s campus and fights hunger in the greater Atlanta community. The organization collects campus dining hall food that would otherwise go to waste and donates it to shelters and other community partners.
• Emory Global Health Organization: The Emory Global Health Organization is a student organization based at Emory's Rollins School of Public Health. The group engages in issues of global health outside the classroom by organizing community service events, advocacy campaigns, and networking opportunities.
• Emory Medical Student Climate Action (MSCA): Emory MSCA is composed of a group of medical students working towards climate solutions and environmental justice. They aim to advance sustainability initiatives at Emory University, Emory Healthcare, and Grady Memorial Health System.​ The organization educates medical trainees on climate science and aims to further environmental justice in local communities.
• Emory Spokes Council: Emory Spokes Council is a graduate, student-run organization dedicated to connecting, supporting, and advocating for biking as a sustainable alternative at Emory and in Atlanta. The group hosts social rides that bring Emory cyclists together to explore the city. They hold workshops on bike knowledge and safety. They collaborate with Emory Bike Social to run the Fixie, a bicycle repair shop. 
• Emory Wildlife Disease Association: Emory WDA educates students about wildlife health and disease. They aim to connect members to career, volunteer, and research opportunities. Activities include guest lectures, workshops, conferences, and field trips.
• Environmental Law and Conservation Society (ELCS): ELCS works to foster the role of environmental law as a comprehensive practice area for careers ranging from government employment and public interest work to industry representation. The society emphasizes educational enrichment and hands-on experience in environmental conservation, helping students network with practitioners, learn about current environmental legal issues, and volunteer in the Atlanta community.
• Goizueta Energy & Clean Tech Association: This organization brings together students, professors, alumni, and industry professionals to promote awareness, encourage discussion, and foster the development of energy, infrastructure, mobility, and clean technology-related topics.
• Goizueta Net Impact: GNI Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization composed of leaders in corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, international development, and environmental sustainability with a mission to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.
• Herbicide Free Emory/Re:Wild Emory: Herbicide Free Emory works to protect biodiversity and prevent the use of toxic herbicides on Emory’s campus.
• Outdoor Emory: Outdoor Emory provides opportunities for the Emory community to experience adventures in the great outdoors, ranging from apple picking and day hikes to skiing, caving, whitewater rafting, and more. They provide students the opportunity to get off campus, explore the outdoors, and make new friends in the most natural environment there is.
• Plant-Based Emory: PBE is a community for those who are vegan, vegetarian, or interested in learning more about a plant-based diet. They educate the Emory community on where their food comes from, the health and environmental implications of the food they eat, as well as how animals are treated for clothing, entertainment, and lab experiments.
• Plastic Free Emory: Plastic Free Emory is a student-led initiative dedicated to phasing out unnecessary single-use plastics. This is done through education, outreach, policy change, and most importantly, Emory's “Break Free From Plastic Pledge'' that seeks to phase out unnecessary single-use plastics by 2026.
• RHA Sustainability Chairs: RHA, the largest student-run organization at Emory, oversees the residential experience at Emory from first year to graduation. RHA works in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability Initiatives (OSI) to promote environmental awareness in residence halls. The RHA Sustainability Chairs are dedicated to teaching residents how to enact change concerning sustainability by providing the necessary resources and knowledge.
• Rollins Environmental Health Action Coalition (REHAC): REHAC is a student-run organization that promotes sustainability and environmental justice at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health. They seek to improve and protect our living and working environment through locally-focused and collaborative environmental health education and action. They organize volunteer opportunities, advocacy events, and guest lectures.
• Slow Food Emory: Slow Food Emory is a chapter of the international Slow Food Movement that advocates for “good, clean, and fair” food. The organization works to increase access to fresh, healthy food while simultaneously reducing food waste. Slow Food Emory collects excess produce from the Grant Farmers Market and the Educational Gardens, and prepares it for those in need, including the Hope Cancer Lodge, Free99 Fridges, and the Nicholas House. They host food-related events throughout the year, including wood-fired pizza-making and cooking demos.
• Volunteer Emory (VE): VE’s mission is to collaborate with agents of change for service projects and social justice work that promote learning about self and society. VE runs several weekly service trips in Atlanta, including sustainability-related service trips to Trees Atlanta, local community gardens, and community food banks. VE coordinates three large-scale days of service: Welcoming Day of Service, Emory Cares Day, and Emory’s Day On. Past trips have included tree plantings with Trees Atlanta, streambank restoration in Lullwater Preserve on Emory's campus, and trail maintenance and invasive species removal in Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve. Additionally, VE runs Alternative Fall & Spring Breaks which expose students to social and environmental justice issues such as food insecurity, homelessness, and poverty through service learning.
• Zero Waste Ambassadors: The ZWA program is a vital part of Emory's initiative to reduce and divert landfill waste. ZWAs serve as peer-to-peer educators on proper waste management and reduction. ZWAs use a hybrid of virtual and in-person methods to conduct outreach and education. Ambassadors engage with the community by co-leading monthly "trash talks," contributing to OSI blog posts, leading waste training sessions, and educating other groups/communities that they are part of about Emory's zero landfill waste initiative.

The Educational Garden Project offers all members of the Emory community an opportunity to engage in local, sustainable food production. Through education, awareness, and meaningful work, the educational gardens offer opportunities to grow local, seasonal, and healthy food. There are eight garden plots located on the main campus, growing a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Gardens are maintained by weekly volunteers and a student gardens intern with the guidance of a part-time Educational Gardens Coordinator. The Coordinator leads garden workshops, tours, and general campus outreach and education.

In 2014, the Oxford College Organic Farm opened to produce a diversity of produce, allowing students to gain hands-on experience with sustainable agriculture. The Organic Farm is run by a Farmer-Educator, an Assistant Farmer-Educator, an Apprentice, around 20 student workers, and over 100 volunteers each academic year. Student workers can work up to ten hours each week, learning organic farming techniques and hosting student volunteer groups each Friday. Volunteers assist with seasonal production and farm maintenance. Its produce is distributed through Emory dining halls, a weekly Farmers Market, and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. While the Oxford campus is not within the geographical scope of this STARS report, students from Emory's main campus volunteer, visit, and learn there.

The Oxford College Organic Farm hosts a three-season CSA program for all members of the community, with convenient pickups on Emory’s Oxford College and Emory’s Atlanta campuses. The Oxford Farm staff, student employees, and student volunteers help plant, tend, harvest, clean, and pack the produce for the CSA boxes. Participants can choose to buy a share for the entire season (April-November) or individual seasons: spring (April-June), summer (June-August), and fall (October-November). CSA boxes are available each week for pick up on campus. CSA boxes are returned and reused from week to week. The CSA has 30-50 participants each season. While the Oxford campus is not within the geographical scope of this STARS report, many community members on Emory's main campus are CSA subscribers.

altKEY is a student-run sustainable fashion organization where activists and designers come together to spread awareness on upcycling, reducing consumption, and reusing pre-owned items. Events include pop-up shops at Wonderful Wednesday, sewing/upcycling workshops, and an annual sustainability fashion show. altKEY raises money by collecting, upcycling, and re-selling clothes. 

The Office of Sustainability Initiatives Incentives Funds are awarded ($3,000-$5,000) each fall to support research, campus-based projects, and the development of new rituals to promote sustainability and social justice on Emory's campuses. Faculty, staff, and students from Emory University and Emory Healthcare are eligible to apply. Funds may be used for supplies, materials, publicity, and travel costs. Grantees are responsible for creating and managing a project budget, managing all financial transactions, and maintaining documentation for all grant-approved purchases and work. Proposals are welcome in all areas, with priority given to proposals in the areas of waste, sustainable food, energy, alternative transportation, and connection to "place."

Emory annually participates in America Recycles Day (November), Arbor Day Celebration and Tree Planting (February), and Earth Day (April), all of which typically feature events on campus. Earth Day since 2015 has progressed into Earth Month. Throughout the month, the Office of Sustainability Initiatives (OSI) features activism tips, news, and resources. The multitude of events happening throughout April are published in OSI's events calendar. 

Each fall, students in a 1-credit anthropology course put on a Sustainable Food Fair in collaboration with OSI and Emory Dining. This lively event features locally farmed food, educational tables on topics such as fair trade and local produce, live music and performances, and local stores and nonprofits in the Emory area that are committed to sustainable food production practices. The Food Fair was held in Fall 2021, Fall 2022, and Fall 2023. 

The Emory Farmers Market is hosted weekly on campus during the school year and often has events to educate members of the Emory community about sustainable food. Past events have included awareness regarding seasonal food, pollinators, food waste, farmer workers' rights, climate change, and food systems. For each event, there is an educational table and activity at the Market, as well as educational communications pieces disseminated through social media.

OSI sponsors case competitions that seek to engage the community's brightest minds in solving today's sustainability development challenges. In 2022, students competed in a Plastathon in partnership with The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation, and the Plastic Free Emory student group to develop innovative solutions intended to reduce unnecessary single-use plastics on Emory’s campus. 

Each February, Green Networking Night, hosted annually by the Career Center and OSI, brings over sixty alumni and colleagues working in green careers to network with Emory students.

The James Weldon Johnson Institute hosts scholars on the "First Friday" of every month on campus to discuss topics related to race and difference.

In Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, a Symposium on Biological Diversity and a Campus Sustainability Summit were held on campus, fostering community among members of the Emory community interested in environmental and sustainability issues. 

Beginning in 2022, Emory created a series of six “Community Conversations” held at various locations to engage students, faculty, and staff in Emory's third Climate Action Plan, which was published in October 2023.

CultureShock is College Council's (CC) annual event that showcases and celebrates the diversity that makes our campus unique as well as promotes the overall unity within the Emory community. It started in Fall 2013 with the purpose to enhance school spirit, cultural diversity, collaborative unity, and community engagement, which are the four tenets that comprise the basis for CC’s outreach to the community. Different divisions of Campus Life including SILT and RACE as well as various cultural and performance groups come together to share and celebrate the different cultures at Emory. In addition, a special keynote speaker will often be invited to share their experience and cultural values.

During Earth Week, there are a variety of sustainability-related arts events and performances. In 2021, the student group ECAST showcased art pieces by student artists related to the environment in an “eARTh gallery.” In April 2022, Emory’s Rose Library partnered with the Dance and Movement Studies Program to present “Move, Preserve, Sustain” as part of Emory’s 2022 Earth Day celebration. The performance celebrated the natural spaces of Emory’s main campus and showcased the Rose Library’s environmental sustainability collections. In 2023, Emory hosted several events related to Earth Day, including a screening of “Hands On: Women, Climate Change” through REHAC. 

In 2021, 2022, and 2023, the Emory Climate Coalition hosted a climate strike inspired by the Fridays for the Future Movement where youths around the world strike for action on climate change. It is a student-led demonstration and moral call to action on the climate crisis with guest speakers and art supplies provided for sign making. 

The Carlos Museum on Emory’s campus has curated multiple installations related to sustainability. Open from September to December 2021, the “Each/Other” exhibit featured the work of Marie Watt and Cannupa Hanska Luger, two indigenous contemporary artists whose processes focus on collaborative artmaking. The “And I Must Scream” exhibit open from January to May 2022 brought attention to the global climate crisis.

In October 2022, Theater Emory held the Earth Matters on Stage 2022 EcoDrama Playwrights Festival. Performances addressed ecological issues and environmental crises.

Outdoor Emory (OE) operates in line with Leave No Trace and incorporates this principle into the curriculum used to train trip leaders. The group organizes several weekend trips around the Southeast including whitewater rafting, hiking, rock climbing, and backpacking. The trips are subsidized by money from the Student Government Association (SGA) to increase their affordability for Emory students. Every year, OE leads three-day Student Outdoor Adventure Retreat (SOAR) trips for incoming students. Trips take place before students move in, allowing incoming students to meet other new faces while sleeping under the stars, rafting down a river, climbing rocks, or riding horses through the countryside.

In 2023, the IGNITE pre-orientation program launched a sustainability track in partnership with Emory’s Office of Sustainability Initiatives, educating incoming students on the work that Emory has done so far to make the campus a greener place. Over two days, students toured points of interest on campus including Lullwater Preserve, Educational Gardens, and the Oxford Organic Farms while learning about the history, practices, and culture of sustainability. Through exercise, conversation, and in-person experiences, nearly 40 first-year students gained in-depth exposure to nearly 20 years of sustainability efforts on campus.

Emory's Office of Residence Life and Housing Operations has partnered with OSI to incorporate sustainability themes into programming for residents. Past programming includes donation drives, waste sorting discussions, gardening initiatives, using Atlanta's public transportation, and reducing water and energy when doing laundry.

Emory's Educational Gardens offers weekly volunteer experiences that enable students (as well as staff and faculty) the opportunity to work in one of eight educational gardens on campus performing tasks like weeding, watering, planting, and harvesting. Volunteers who commit at least one hour per week are permitted to take home produce they have helped grow, extending this experience into their kitchens as they learn to cook with fresh, organic produce.

Residence Hall Association (RHA) Sustainability Chairs support sustainability efforts with their sustainability programming and conduct outreach and education in each hall. Sustainability Chairs incorporate sustainability into all RHA programs and ensure events are zero-waste.

Through the Office of Sustainability’s Zero Waste Ambassadors program, students, staff, and faculty learn how to properly sort and reduce waste. Zero Waste Ambassadors are vital in helping the Emory community divert waste from landfills and reach its zero landfill waste goals.

A variety of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities are available for Emory undergraduate and graduate students. The Office of Sustainability Initiatives (OSI) hires undergraduates, graduate students, Federal Work-Study students, and Rollins Earn and Learn (REAL) participants as paid interns throughout the academic year and summer to assist staff with on-campus initiatives. 

Residence Life and Housing hires undergraduate Resident Advisors (RAs) and Sophomore Advisors (SAs). All RAs are trained before students arrive in the fall as well as during the Resident Advisor class on how to incorporate sustainability themes into their programming for residents.  

At the Rollins School of Public Health, the REAL program provides funding for graduate students to support their academic interests with applied public health experiences in federal, state, and county government agencies, Emory-affiliated programs, and non-profit organizations throughout Atlanta. Many of the REAL placement sites are sustainability-focused.

The Ethics and Servant Leadership (EASL) program of the Center for Ethics offers an 8-week summer internship. It requires a minimum of 270 hours of service and includes classroom instruction that provides the students with basic leadership and ethical skills and allows them an opportunity to process their experiences. Students learn about different approaches to business and decision-making processes that shape nonprofit organizations, many of which operate with sustainability at the forefront of their work.

The Georgia Climate Project is a state-wide network co-founded by Emory to address climate impacts in Georgia. The Georgia Climate Project offers paid summer internships to undergraduate and graduate students.  

The Green Careers Internship Fund is offered through Emory’s Department of Environmental Sciences. The fund provides a stipend for students who would otherwise be unable to afford to participate in sustainability or environmental internships. Through this fund, students can gain work experience that will help them pursue green careers. Students must enroll in ENVS 497 “Undergraduate Internship” and complete a minimum of 160 hours of work in the internship.

Starting in 2014, graduating seniors have the opportunity to sign a graduation pledge at an Alumni Association event leading up to Commencement. All seniors who sign the pledge are given a pin with the Office of Sustainability's oak leaf logo to wear during Commencement ceremonies. The pledge incorporates the concepts in the Graduation Pledge Alliance's pledge but also is centered on Emory's culture and goals around sustainability. "I pledge to explore and consider the social, economic, and environmental consequences of my decisions and to use the knowledge I gained at Emory to improve the quality of life for current and future generations in my community and beyond."

Get Involved: https://sustainability.emory.edu/get-involved/volunteer-opportunities/ 

Virtual Guide: https://sustainability.emory.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Final_Sustainability-Showcase-Virtual-Guide-Fall-2022.pdf 

Educational Gardens Project: https://sustainability.emory.edu/programs/gardens-farming/ 

Funding Opportunities: https://sustainability.emory.edu/get-involved/funding-opportunities/

Conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events focused on sustainability:

2022 Year in Review: https://sustainability.emory.edu/2022-year-in-review/ 

Sustainable Food Fair: https://emorysustainable.wixsite.com/food

Symposium on Biological Diversity: https://thehub.emory.edu/event/8025712

Sustainable Events: https://sustainability.emory.edu/programs/sustainable-events-at-emory/

Community Conversations: Emory Talks Climate Action: https://sustainability.emory.edu/programs/community-conversations-emory-talks-climate-action/

Emory Climate Action Plan: https://sustainability.emory.edu/emory-publishes-2023-climate-action-plan/ 

Additional webpages for cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:

Earth Matters On Stage Festival: https://news.emory.edu/stories/2022/10/er_theater_emory_20-10-2022/story.html?utm_source=Emory_Report&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Emory_Report_EB_102522

“And I Must Scream” Exhibit: https://news.emory.edu/stories/2022/01/er_carlos_and_i_must_scream_20-01-2022/story.html

“Each/Other” Exhibit: https://carlos.emory.edu/exhibition/eachother-marie-watt-and-cannupa-hanska-luger

Climate Strike: https://emorywheel.com/fourth-student-led-climate-strike-demands-climate-action-from-administration/

Emory and Georgia Tech Arts & Sustainability “Hack-a-thon” Event: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/fall-2023-eghi-gt-hackathon https://partnerproject.wixsite.com/emory

Additional web pages for sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:

EASL: http://www.ethics.emory.edu/pillars/citizenship/EASL/Summer_Internships.html 

Georgia Climate Project: https://www.georgiaclimateproject.org/tag/internships/

OSI: https://sustainability.emory.edu/get-involved/internships-and-sustainable-careers/

REAL: https://sph.emory.edu/rollins-life/community-engaged-learning/real/index.html

Residence Life: https://housing.emory.edu/about/jobs/reslife.html