Florida Gulf Coast University
EN-3: Student Life

Florida Gulf Coast University has several student-led groups that focus on sustainability. Their names and missions statements are below: 1.Amnesty International- We aim to increase education and engagement in standing up for human rights everywhere. Our purpose is to support the protection of people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. Our vision is of a world in which every person - regardless of race, religion, gender, or ethnicity - enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. 2.Engineering Community Outreach (ECO)- With millions in need, Engineering Community Outreach (ECO) is partnering with local and international communities to create a more sustainable world and assists parts of the world to meet basic human needs through engineering projects. Students will have the opportunity to work on projects and competitions that are truly rewarding and beneficial to society while meeting with communities and professionals that are relevant to engineering and the community. This organization is willing to prove that intelligence, compassion, and selflessness can make a difference in a world surrounded by unfair issues. 3.Food Foresters- Our club is focused around learning how to grow food in an ecological way in the SW Florida region. We aim to educate students as well as allow them to have a chance to garden and grow their own food. 4.Student Action for a Greener Environment (SAGE)- The goal of SAGE is to be a student branch of the Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education. Students who become a member will be nurtured in their leadership capacity and develop their identities as environmentally conscious individuals. Students who become associates are expected to make a serious commitment to SAGE, the mission of the Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education, and to environmental and sustainability education at FGCU. SAGE members will work within the Center's traditions of collaboration, civil dialogue and intellectual integrity. http://www.fgcu.edu/CESE/sage.html 5.Students for Environmental Justice (SEJ)- Students For Environmental Justice works towards eliminating the uneven distribution of environmental damages by addressing structures of oppression in the community and the planet. SEJ defines the environment as including the physical, economic, political and cultural conditions in which we live. By challenging the power structure which threatens these conditions, SEJ works to create progressive social change in both the campus and community levels 6.The Environmental Coalition of FGCU- ECOFGCU is a coalition of leaders from many environmentally oriented clubs and departments on campus with the goal of coordinating events and brainstorming ideas so that we can have a more unified presence. The goal is to create a better sense of community while also helping each other accomplish the goals and events we set for each semester. 7.Wildlife Club- The Wildlife Club is a place for people who enjoy learning about, protecting, and conserving nature. Not only is it a great way to earn service hours through volunteer opportunities that don't even feel like work, it is also a great pace to meet people with similar interests and make new friends. Along with trying to volunteer in the community as much as possible, we also try to have social trips and even go camping. Overall, our main goal is education and conservation of the environment.

The Food Forest gives students hands on training in a permaculture semi-urban garden. The Food Forest is run by Service-Learning Coordinators and is open for the entire campus community to participate in and benefit from. In addition to growing food, the Food Foresters lead educational workshops and create online educational materials about plants that grow well in Southwest Florida.

FGCU holds multiple sustainability events on campus that have students as its primary audience. We are currently in the process of planning the many sustainability events for the upcoming year which include but are not limited to the following: -RecycleMania -Speakers for the Terry Tempest Williams Student Dialogue (see past speakers here http://www.fgcu.edu/CESE/TTWSD.html) -Campus Sustainability Month -Farmers Markets -Eagles' Earth Day

- Eagles' Earth Day Runway Earth Fashion Show- Students put on a sustainable fashion show as a part of Eagles' Earth Day in 2016, in which all the clothing was made from reclaimed materials such as used plastic grocery bags. -Wingstock Music Festival- Eagles' Earth Day concert featuring Natural Spirit and other local bands. Groups sing about preserving Florida's ecosystems, the winner of the Green the Greeks competition is announced, and funds are raised for the university's Green Revolving Fund. -Hunger Banquet- Based off of Oxfam's model, this event helps students understand issues associated with hunger and homelessness.

The FGCU Outdoor Pursuits program is a division of Florida Gulf Coast University's Campus Recreation department. Outdoor Pursuits is a student-centered program that strives to educate and enhance the collegiate experience through quality outdoor adventure experiences, educational clinics, and team building initiatives. It is our hope to cultivate the lifelong commitment to healthy outdoor pursuits, environmental stewardship, and personal development.

For Florida Gulf Coast University's "One Book, One Campus Reading Project" first year students and many faculty and staff, including your Composition faculty, Orientation Leaders and the Resident Directors and Assistants in Housing, join together to read a common book. This project is designed to help students join an intellectual community at FGCU, allowing them to increase student engagement and success and to foster a common academic experience. Additionally, FGCU's unique Live-Learn Community(LLC), “Leadership through Service,” focuses on the intersection between serving others and assuming leadership in our communities with a special focus on issues of social and economic justice, sustainable food practices, inter-generational learning and leadership, and values, ethics, and morals. The WiSTEM LLC connects women in STEM fields to mentorship, seminars, study groups and other resources with the hopes of growing the number of women leaders for STEM careers.

At the Eagles' Earth Day and Campus Sustainability month events, students can learn sustainable life skills such as how to make their own eco-friendly cleaning products and laundry detergent. They also learn tips on how to save water and energy and reduce waste in their everyday lives.

The Environmental Health & Safety Department employs a number of students that contribute to sustainability efforts on campus. These include Environmental Ambassadors that manage social media sites and regularly conduct campus outreach, an On-Campus Sustainability Service-Learning Coordinator that streamlines interdepartmental on-campus sustainability service opportunities, and an EH&S Research Assistant that works on various research projects such as analyzing Forming Lasting Opportunities for Commuter (FLOC) Week survey. The Center for Environmental & Sustianbilty Education (CESE) employees a number of student workers that work to advance the mission of CESE. Some of their tasks include planning the annual Terry Tempest Willams Student Dialogue, Reviewing Student Associates for a Greener Environment (SAGE) mini-grant proposals, and preparing documents and reports for the Center as needed. The Office of Service-Learning has Service Ambassadors that are specifically dedicated to sustainability. These Ambassadors are responsible for service-learning outreach and event coordination (both on and off campus), as well as building sustainable partnerships with suggested Community Partner Agencies. The Department of Undergraduate Studies employees Service-Learning Coordinators to manage volunteers in the Food Forest, Campus Naturalists to lead field experiences, and other positions as necessary to catalyze students involvement in other sustainability areas that currently require attention at FGCU. The Office of Multicultural & Leadership Development employs Multicultural Ambassadors who represent diverse cultures, geography, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, and majors. These students serve as advisors, liaisons, facilitators, and representatives to the FGCU Community.

The Office of Multicultural & Leadership Development offers four Co-Curricular Leadership Programs through which students practice, reflect, and apply leadership knowledge and skills that will empower individuals to question critically, think logically, and live ethically while becoming active citizens within the Florida Gulf Coast University community and the rapidly changing world.