Sustainability: educating, communicating, and implementing

Abstract

To achieve global sustainability, we must start in our own communities. Using the Global Goals for Sustainable Development and acknowledging the three pillars of sustainability - Environment, Society and Economics as a foundation, this thesis explores how integrating sustainable knowledge and skills with individual passions creates a chain reaction that supports and enriches our communities and connects sustainability actions from individuals to small towns to the entire world. When supported through interdisciplinary programming, knowledge and skills open up doors to leadership opportunities in our own communities allowing for sustainability to be integrated in even more impactful, innovative and effective ways. Over the past three years at New Paltz my education gives an example of what a non-traditional, interdisciplinary learning approach can become. Through the opportunity to be a Sustainability Ambassador, taking sustainability classes, having different leadership positions, and working to implement sustainability in many different sectors of our campus, it is clear to me that sustainability is everywhere, and it is in everything. However, it is evident that this sentiment is not widely known or shared. My thesis question centers upon how I can effectively work to help integrate sustainability across our campus? What are effective modes of communication and education about sustainability while implementing specific action projects? By developing posters dedicated to each of the seventeen Global Goals, establishing a Sustainability Zine Library, creating sustainability zines, working as a Team Leader for our Bike Friendly Campus initiative - in conjunction with my other work in leadership positions - I provide a framework and model for communicating and educating about sustainability at New Paltz to help our community become stronger, more sustainable and more resilient. Keywords: Environmental Studies, Sustainability, Community, Education, Leadership, The Global Goals, Communication, Global Connections