Eco-Ambassador Program History
In the Fall of 2008, we launched a pilot program on the Medford campus that connected staff and students to the sustainability resources on campus. Eco-Ambassadors participated in 6 sessions during the Fall semester and learned about current and past initiatives on campus; energy generation and use on campus; recycling; communicating the ‘green’ message; and opportunities for greening on campus.
In response to feedback from the 2008 participants, we began a year’s worth of programming for interested staff members in September 2009. One extended (noon to 2 PM) lunchtime meeting took place once a month, covering a wide range of interesting and practical eco-topics. Meetings were open to all interested staff members, but those who attended 8 sessions or more received official recognition as an Eco-Ambassador and were eligible to apply for funds to green their office.
The Eco-Ambassador program was designed with the goals of:
- Reducing the environmental footprint of Tufts’ administrative operations
- Enabling staff to play a direct role and have a personal stake in greening efforts
- Building a sense of community by networking like-minded staff around a shared commitment to sustainability
- Enabling us to use energy and other resources more efficiently, and save money
- Generating new ideas, test conservation strategies, and incubate best practices for sustainability
- Helping Tufts meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals