University of Tennessee at Knoxville
EN-1: Student Educators Program

Eco-Vols is peer-to-peer environmental education program within the residence halls aimed at reducing energy and water usage, increasing recycling, and promoting other sustainable living habits. They do this through a variety of programming, such as documentary screenings, zero waste events, and by participating in campus-wide sustainability campaigns.

Any student that lives in an on-campus residence hall may participate in the Eco-Vols. Those students that choose to participate are assigned to a residence hall to provide sustainability outreach and support. There are 80 members in the group.

Representatives from the Office of Sustainability and Recycling Office attend one of the first meetings each semester for training. This includes an overview of the program's purpose and expectations, an overview of campus energy and water conservation strategies, and a presentation on the campus recycling efforts.

The Eco-Vols are supported by member dues collected each year. They also have the opportunity to apply for funding for projects and supplies from the SGA budget. Minor financial support may also be provided by the Office of Sustainability for sustainability outreach and education projects. The Sustainability Outreach Coordinator attends meetings to offer general support as well

For over 22 years, SPEAK has played, and will continue to play, a role in environmental education for the campus community. The group has hosted speakers from across the U.S. and Canada who have made presentations on a wide variety of environmental issues. The group works to increase awareness of and seek creative solutions to local, regional, and national environmental issues. In the spirit of thinking globally and acting locally, this organization aims to build a community of leaders who act on stewardship and sustainability through taking action right here at home - between sponsoring a local waterway (Third Creek), hosting cleanups of campus and local communities, and promoting sustainable policy.

SPEAK accepts students from all disciplines of study. Many of the students are or once were part of a class taught by Dr. McKinney on campus. Almost all who take the class are also Sustainability majors. There are 91 members in the group.

The students receive basic knowledge on sustainability in the community and internationally on campus. The Office of Sustainability Outreach Coordinator also regularly attends meetings to give updates on initiatives on campus.

Outreach materials are regularly sponsored by the Office of Sustainability.

Hydrolunteers is a water and environment focused organization on UT’s campus merging the student chapters of American Water Resources Association (AWRA) and the American Water Works Association/Water Environment Association (AWWA/WEA). The goal of this group is to create a platform for community involvement, networking, and learning for students across any department at UTK interested in all things water and environment! they have 62 regular members who lead river cleanups, host panel discussions, and participate in campus-wide sustainability campaigns - all of whom are registered members of the AWRA and/or the AWWA/WEA.

Any student may join the Hydrolunteers if they are registered members of the AWRA and/or the AWWA/WEA.

Students receive adviser guidance and peer mentorship at club meetings. Many students are also enrolled in courses focusing on watershed science, which prepares them in educating others on topics regarding water and the environment.

This organization has faculty advisers Kim Carter, John Hathaway, and Andrea Ludwig who provide administrative support to the group.

Project V.E.G.G.I.E Project V.E.G.G.I.E., which stands for Vols Educating about Growing Gardens and Inspiring Environmentalism, started as an idea among strangers and grew into a mission amid friends to give UT students the opportunity to cultivate their gardening skills, save money by growing their own food, and educate students about the advantages of working with nature and its devices. Members of Project V.E.G.G.I.E. learn how to manage a garden (if they don’t already know how), gain experience in growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, and more, have access to free fresh and natural fruits, vegetables, and flowers, build long-lasting friendships with people who have similar interests, and are a part of UT’s first ever main campus community garden. This group has 77 members. The Food Recovery Network: The Food Recovery Network is a national organization that unites students at colleges and universities to fight food waste and hunger by recovering surplus perishable food from their campuses and surrounding communities that would otherwise go to waste and donating it to people in need. The chapter here at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, works with Aramark (our dining service provider) to recover food from sporting events, dining halls, campus convenience stores, etc. All of the recovered food goes to Second Harvest Food bank of East Tennessee, which helps to feed 18 surrounding counties. They do this with a mere 10 regular members, but they rely heavily on volunteer gathering. Roughly 54 students participated in service efforts during last fiscal year.