Sustainability Student Leaders Symposium - Office of Sustainability

About the SSLS | Governance | Past Symposia

Join us at Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday, November 7, for the 2026 Student Sustainability Leadership Symposium!

Interested in presenting? Submit your idea before October 9, 2026.

Click here to register!

"It was great to learn about where other students were coming from in terms of background and experience with environmentalism and activism. I had a great time presenting about my experience taking part in Project Green challenge and answering questions."- 2019 Symposium Attendee

Group of student pose for a picture at the Sustainability Student Leaders Symposium

Tufts University students attending the 2022 SSLS at Umass Dartmouth

What is the Sustainability Student Leaders Symposium?

The annual SSLS (née Eco Rep Symposium) brings together Student Sustainability Leaders from many different colleges and universities in the Northeast to learn and be inspired by each other during a half-day conference. Peer-to-peer sustainability education and engagement programs (sometimes called Eco Reps) are commonly found at colleges and universities with sustainability programs. These students promote environmental stewardship by raising awareness about ecological issues and encouraging environmentally conscious behavior. A list of other names for similar programs can be found here.

The SSLS is a great opportunity for students to learn and be inspired by each other through presentations, workshops, and round-table discussions. The structure of the symposium allows students from different schools to lead sessions on a variety of topics, providing valuable presentation experience as well as facilitating the spread of ideas between schools. Sessions are typically grouped by broad topics, or tracks, such as “engagement,” “building a program,” or “communications.” The symposium typically includes opportunities for students to meet each other and share ideas informally.

The symposium provides an opportunity for attendees to be part of an active community of like-minded individuals striving for positive environmental change on their campus. It also gives students the mobilizing and facilitating tools to create grassroots peer-to-peer environmental education in their communities after they graduate. After attending the symposium, students should feel empowered in their work as sustainability leaders and feel like they have been given new tools to help them overcome barriers they may face in their work.

Click here for best practices and useful resources for hosts!

Governance

Since 2014, the Symposium is guided by a Board of Curators made up of sustainability staff from colleges and universities in the Northeast. Its mission is to make sure the annual Student Sustainability Leaders Symposium continues to exist and flourish. It meets a few times a year to choose host schools and discuss other matters related to the symposium.

Current Members:

Name	Title	School
Lisa Tornatore	Sustainability Director	Boston University
Natalie Berland	Director of Sustainability	Bentley University
Tina Woolston	Sustainability Program Director	Tufts University
Kevin Snyder	Associate Professor	Southern New Hampshire University
Jamie Jacquart	Assistant Director of Campus Sustainability	UMass Dartmouth

Past Symposia

2025 - The 2025 SSLS was held in the spring at UMass Dartmouth with the theme "What If We Get It Right?"

2023 - The 2023 SSLS was held on October 29th at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts with the theme "Intersectional Environmentalism: Bridging Perspectives for a Sustainable Future."

2022 - The 2022 SSLS was held on November 5th at UMass Dartmouth in Dartmouth, Massachusetts with the theme “Careers in Green Industries." View photos from the symposium here.

2021 - 2022 - The 2021-22 SSLS was hosted by UMass Lowell in Lowell, Massachusetts.

2020 - The 2020 SSLS was hosted by Southern New Hampshire University on November 8th, 2020. More information can be found in the 2020 SSLS website.

2019 - The 2019 SSLS was hosted by Boston College in Dover, Massachusetts.

2018 - The 2018 SSLS was moved to spring 2019 and hosted by Brandeis University & Wellesley College in Waltham, Massachusetts.

2017 - The 2017 SSLS was hosted by Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Satellite locations included Champlain College in Burlington, VT and Emerson College in Boston, MA.

2016 - The 2016 SSLS was hosted by UMass Amherst in Amherst, Massachusetts.

2015- The newly renamed Student Sustainability Leaders Symposium was hosted by Connecticut College.

2014- The #EcoSympo was hosted at Tufts University.

2013- The symposium was hosted by Boston University and GreenerU.

2012- Brown University and GreenerU hosted the symposium.

2011- Symposium was hosted by Babson College and GreenerU.

2009- Tufts hosted the first Eco-Rep Symposium and with the class Environmental Action: Shifting from Saying to Doing hosted a half-day conference for college students region-wide to share best practices in peer-to-peer education.