This fall, Eco-Reps are turning over a new leaf.

Eco-Reps, a peer-to-peer education program from the Center for Sustainability Education (CSE), has redefined itself to operate beyond residence halls and bring place-based sustainability education to academic and administrative buildings.

Under the new program design, faculty and administrators will be able to represent their office buildings as Eco-Reps. Since the program began in 2009, Eco-Reps have only represented residential buildings and athletic teams.

Amanda Brangwynne ’18, a second semester Eco-Rep, said that Eco-Reps are responsible for maintaining compost bins and informational bulletin boards and completing a building audit every week. They also host one educational event every semester for their building.

“Last year, Eco-Reps only [represented] the residential dorm buildings, and there were also athletic Eco-Reps,” Brangwynne said, explaining the changes to the program. “This year, we are now including anyone who wants to participate in the program. Professors can be Eco-Reps and anyone can choose to represent a dorm, special-interest house, [or] academic building.”

Brangwynne said that each Eco-Rep would create an energy reduction goal specific to the building or organization they represent, and will hold events, group work, and peer-based lectures on how to set out and reach their various sustainability goals.

Another change to the program is the implementation of place-based education audits, which an Eco-Rep has to fill out every two weeks or so to see how each organization or dorm is keeping up with their distinct goals.

Eco-Rep coordinator Ivy Gilbert ‘18 said that Lyndsey Lyons and CSE interns spent the summer evaluating criticism from former Eco-Reps to develop a new manual for the program. Since the beginning of the fall semester, Gilbert has worked with Lyons to implement the new program guidelines with the Eco-Reps staff.

Gilbert said that many former Eco-Reps were critical of staff meetings, and that this year’s program will introduce a new meeting format. The new meetings will begin with a short lecture about a sustainability topic such as water conservation or social justice organizing. After the lecture, Eco-Reps will break into small groups to discuss applications of sustainable practices on Dickinson’s campus and develop action plans for their buildings.

“We want people leaving these meetings feeling empowered, like they can accomplish things and like they have the resources to do that,” Gilbert said.

With the re-launch of the program, Gilbert hopes to see an Eco-Rep on each of the different sports teams, clubs, Greek organizations and academic departments around campus. She said that the CSE hopes to expand its current staff of 22 residential Eco-Reps to more than 50 volunteers representing campus buildings.

“I want everyone with a green bone in their body to feel empowered enough to take on a leadership role on this inclusive campus,” said Gilbert.

Both Brangwynne and Gilbert are excited for the new program. Gilbert explained that these changes are not likely to occur overnight. 

“I think it’s a very important step to moving our way to become a more sustainable campus. Sustainable living can be practiced anywhere and does not have to necessarily be [in residence halls],” said Brangwynne.

To learn more about the Eco-Reps program, visit www.dickinson.edu/ecoreps.