Planet Blue Student Ambassador Program

University of Michigan students with a passion for the environment and sustainability who are living in residence halls during the 2012-2013 Academic Year have a unique opportunity to be a part of the Planet Blue Student Ambassador Program. (Applications are due 4/10/12 for non-first year U-M students or 8/1/12 for first year students.)

Now in its second year, the goal of this campus outreach program is to create a culture of sustainable behavior among students by promoting and modeling environmentally and socially responsible practices in the residence halls. Students conduct educational programming, lead environmental and waste audits, create promotional materials, and serve as advisors and mentors on environmentally-responsible behavior in the residence halls.

The program, modeled off successful peer-to-peer “Eco-Rep” initiatives on other campuses, is a collaboration between the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute, University Housing, the Office of Campus Sustainability, the Student Sustainability Initiative, and the Voices of the Staff Environmental Stewardship Team. All PBAs must enroll in a one-credit seminar during Fall & Winter semesters, where they will:

Receive training on the best practices for encouraging environmentally responsible behaviors among students in residence halls, based largely in the community-based social marketing literature and practice.

Connect with the people and resources available to provide assistance in implementing sustainability-related programming in the residence halls, including staff at the Office of Campus Sustainability, University Housing & Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute

Network with other PBAs about tactics to influence environmental behavior

Receive training in effective leadership, organizing, communication and have an impact on organizational change

Connect and align activities with Planet Blue Staff Ambassadors

"The Planet Blue Student Ambassador Program was a learning experience through and through," says Grace Lieb, an Earth and Environmental Science student who served as an Ambassador during the 2011-2012 Academic Year. "Not only did I become more conscious of how my behaviors impact the environment, but I became aware of the behavors of friends and hallmates, as well as of those in offices, laboratories, and countless other crevices tucked away at the university. This program taught me how to go about taking those harmful behaviors and truly making a difference in reducing them."

All PBAs commit to spend 3-5 hours per week on this program (including, but not limited to, time in the classroom). To learn more, please click here for details about the Planet Blue Ambassador Training and Assessment Course, and feel free to contact the program's student coordinator at planetblueamb@umich.edu.

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