Loyola University Chicago
EN-1: Student Educators Program

Orientation Leaders serve as the student ambassador for Loyola’s orientation program. They are representatives of Loyola University Chicago and the Office of First-Year Experience. They are instrumental in assisting first year and transfer students during this important time of transition to life at Loyola University Chicago. It is a paid position that provides a free class, housing, and important leadership opportunities. The Student Orientation Leader program trains upper class students to participate in several training classes regarding how to welcome and inform incoming students to the University. One of the trainings is sustainability training conducted by the university's Sustainability Office. The training allows the student orientation leaders to assist in designing and implementing sustainability initiatives such as: - Giving every new student a water bottle and encouraging them to use the bottles throughout the year to promote sustainability. Last year the water bottle included the message "$100,000,000,000 is spent on bottled water each year. save green, be green. -Student Orientation Leaders lead new students, during orientation, in a Traditions Tour. During the tour, the orientation leaders make a stop at a water refill station and talk through the importance of being considerate of the environment and share small ideas that can make an impact. - Flyers and handouts are not included in orientation or training, - Orientation session have transitioned to new reusable Resource Fair banners that were designed to be used for multiple years in lieu of paper posters. - Many orientation sessions take place in some of the campus' most sustainable and LEED certified buildings.

Students must apply to the program. All applicants are required to attend an one hour information session, followed by two rounds of interviews. The most qualified applicants are then chosen.

As a part of training our Orientation Leader staff, Loyola University takes student orientation leaders to the Loyola University Retreat & Ecology campus to participate in a wetland restoration project as well have a discussion with faculty members working on this project. The faculty members share their research and talk through the implications of the wetland environment being inhabited by invasive species with the student orientation leaders. The students leaders are better able to gain an appreciation of the natural environments surrounding them, as well make freshman students aware of the sustainability concerns before they even attend their first class. Additionally, during Orientation Leader Training, members of the Sustainability Office are brought in to detail the different Loyola sustainability initiatives the campus is participating in.

1st year staff support the orientation leaders throughout the program.

The Student Environmental Alliance reaches out to all students across undergraduate and graduate programs to advance sustainability at Loyola

SEA is a voluntary committee, however the working groups are selected within SEA to implement specific trainings and campaigns.

The Office of Sustainability works closely with SEA members to train them on specific programs including RecycleMania, Campus Conservation Nationals as well as ongoing education campaigns such as the ban on the sale of plastic water bottles and alternative transportation options.

The Director of Sustainability and the Sustainability Specialist both support this program