Empowering Students to Lead Green Initiatives at MIT Communication

Creating an environmentally-conscious educational environment is increasingly vital in today's world, where the impact of climate change and environmental degradation is more visible than ever before. Higher education institutions, as centres of knowledge and innovation, have a unique opportunity - and responsibility - to lead by example in promoting sustainability and environmental awareness.

This Story also Contains

1. Importance of student involvement in green initiatives
2. Top Tips for making students ambassadors of green initiatives
3. Conclusion

An environmentally conscious educational environment fosters a culture of sustainability among students, faculty, and staff, instilling values and practices that extend beyond the classroom at MIT Communication. By integrating green practices into campus operations, such as energy-efficient building, waste reduction programmes, and sustainable transportation options, institutions model the principles of environmental stewardship. These hands-on experiences not only demonstrate the importance of these practices but also prepares students to implement similar strategies in their future roles, outside of college.

Incorporating environmental consciousness into the educational environment also enhances institutional reputation and attracts students and faculty who value sustainability. It reflects a commitment to social responsibility and can drive funding and support from donors and organisations that value and work towards green initiatives.

Including student voices in college green campus initiatives is essential for creating a sustainable and environmentally conscious educational environment. Engaging students in green initiatives not only enhances the effectiveness of these initiatives but also fosters a sense of ownership, pride, and responsibility among the students.

In other words, fostering an environmentally conscious educational environment helps cultivate future leaders who are well-equipped to address pressing environmental challenges locally and globally, making it a crucial endeavour for higher education institutions aiming to contribute positively to both the society and the planet. This article explores the importance of organising environment-related events on campus and provides top tips for making students ambassadors of green initiatives.

Importance of student involvement in green initiatives

Empowering student voices

Students represent a significant demographic within colleges, and their perspectives are crucial in shaping effective sustainability strategies. As students become aware and form opinions about the environmental concerns around them, they would expect their university or college also to endorse and support activities that demonstrate the institution's values and vision on environment and sustainability. This expectation from a university's most important stakeholder is an opportunity for higher education institutions to actively involve students in decision-making processes related to environmental policies and practices.

Enhancing a green-culture on campus

Incorporating student voices into green initiatives cultivates a campus that truly values sustainability. When students participate in environmental events, they not only learn about the ecological issues but also develop a desire to contribute positively to a social cause. These activities help to instil a sense of community and shared purpose among students.

Driving institutional change

Students can serve as powerful advocates for change within their institutions. By organising events and campaigns, they can raise awareness about pressing environmental issues and push for more sustainable practices on campus. When students take the lead on these issues, their actions have the power to influence administrative policies and create a more environmentally-conscious campus.

Top Tips for making students ambassadors of green initiatives

1. Create leadership opportunities

Universities can encourage student leadership by creating positions, clubs or committees focused on sustainability. This can involve appointing student representatives to university's sustainability councils or allowing them to lead specific environmental projects. Empowering students in leadership roles is a great way to enhance their involvement in and make their voices heard on the institution's green initiatives. At Manipal Institute of Communication, the media and communication college of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, the environment and sustainability club called the NEEM conducts environmentally-focused events entirely conceptualised, planned and managed by student members of the club. One such event, the Water Bodies Day had street plays, performances, and art installations from the club’s members.

2. Integrate sustainability into academic programmes

Incorporate sustainability topics into various academic disciplines and co-curricular activities to engage a broad range of students across the university. Such an interdisciplinary approach allows students from different fields to contribute unique insights into the environmental issues that matter to the university. For instance, Environmental Science is one of the core subjects that students of first year BA media and communication students at Manipal Institute of Communication, Manipal study. As part of this course, students work on producing a weekly photo-essay that draws the readers and viewers focus to important local and global environmental issues.

3. Create collaborative platforms

Universities can facilitate collaboration between different departments and school, students, faculty, and administration on sustainability projects. Establishing forums where ideas can be shared encourages innovation and ensures that diverse perspectives are considered in decision-making processes. Recently at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal Institute of Communication collaborated with MAHE’s Centre for Disaster Management, Centre for Wilderness Medicine, Kasturba Medical College's vertical for Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights and the Department of Emergency Medicine to host a short film competition on the theme, natural disaster risk reduction. The winning film, Hands of Hope was a collaborative project by a media and communication student and an intern at the department of Emergency Medicine.

4. Celebrate achievements

Institutions must recognise and celebrate student contributions to sustainability efforts. Doing so motivates other students to get involved and doing so consistently fosters and inculcates among the students a strong culture of leading and contributing to green initiatives. For instance, when the student council at Manipal Institute of Communication decided to observe a week-long cleanliness-awareness drive on campus as part of the nation-wide Swachtha Hi Sahi (Clean is Right) campaign, they ran a contest for the best out of waste for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of the college. The winning class’ creation was awarded certificates and got to take home an upcycled trophy.

Conclusion

Including student voices in college green campus initiatives is not just beneficial; it is essential for fostering a culture of sustainability within educational institutions. By organising environment-related events and empowering students as ambassadors for green initiatives, higher education institutions can create an engaged community that prioritizes ecological responsibility. Through collaborative efforts between students, teachers, and administrators campuses can become models of sustainability that inspire future generations.

Disclaimer: The content is sourced from the official press release shared by Manipal Institute of Communication and published as a part of the Careers360 marketing initiative.