Join today to be part of our group that is working to create an engaged and sustainable campus and community!
The Climate and Sustainability Ambassadors
What We Do:
The Office of Sustainability Administration Hub proudly sponsors the Climate and Sustainability Ambassadors. The Ambassadors are an initiative started by Dr. Ryan Fogt in the spring of 2019 alongside the launch of the Sustainable Administration Hub.
The Ambassadors spend Fall semester participating, promoting, and hosting events on campus promoting a more sustainable Ohio University.
In the Spring semester the Ambassadors are still on campus, but focus on outreach in the surrounding communities in Southeast Ohio.
Entering Spring semester 2023, we are excited to partner with area organizations, like Community Food Initiatives and Athens City Schools to maximize our involvement in community operations dedicated to improving life and action toward environmental action goals!
We are always excited and inspired by the work that we are able to do throughout the school year! Here are some of our highlights from the last year:
- We welcomed 34 new Ambassadors over the last three semesters!
- With the help of our new and continuing Ambassadors, we volunteered at 24 events and counting over the last two semesters!
- Those 24 events of volunteering always turn out to be a great time, and between the people that volunteered, we counted 296 total volunteer hours!
The Ambassadors are active and always welcoming new members who want to be part of change and action in the area!
How we Work:
- We are not a club; we have no elections or formal leadership structure.
- We have business meetings no more than once a month.
- We ask that participating community members attend 3 events (excluding business meetings) every semester.
- We are available to volunteer for on, or off-campus events promoting a greener future for Ohio and the planet.
- We primarily communicate via a Friday email and our OneDrive Shared Space (you can find the link below!).
- Members decide what events they want to participate in and there are always opportunities for every interest and schedule.
- Some activities are available to students and non-student community members! Apply to inquire.
Listen to our new Sustainability Series Podcast here!
Ambassador Spotlights
Morgan Snyder
Year: Second-year
Major: Environmental Studies
Academic interest: I am passionate about human-environment interactions. The ways people engage with the physical environment, from urban planning to outdoor recreation, are so important for our quality of life and the quality of our environment. I care about sustainability on every scale, from city planning to environmental politics.
Why I decided to join Ambassadors: I wanted to find an organization that put sustainability into practice on campus, and CSA is just that. Bringing actionable change to OU students and the surrounding Athens area, the Ambassadors show the community what sustainability means.
What I found valuable about Ambassadors: I feel connected to a community of like-minded people through Ambassadors, both at OU and in the Athens area. Last year’s Earth Day festivities are a great example of this—so many of us came together to create a fun atmosphere central to our mission. I also enjoyed volunteering with the Office of Sustainability at the Pawpaw Festival last year and loved getting our message out there in the community!
How it has connected me to other on-campus ventures: Last semester, my friend Riley and I took the idea of stewardship and created a club focused on trash collection. It is called OU Weekend Clean-up Crew, and each Sunday we go out and collect trash around campus. I have also gotten very involved with Outdoor Pursuits, and will soon be training to lead backpacking trips!
Celia Hawk
My name is Celia Hawk and I am a second-year environmental studies student within the Honors Tutorial College. I am pursuing minors in Outdoor Recreation and Education as well as Political Science. I am very interested in the political dimensions of climate change policy. I am also interested in sustainable agriculture and food access. I decided to join the Ambassadors during my first week on campus as a freshman. I wanted to learn more about sustainability on campus and connect with other people who had the same passion for sustainability as I do. The Ambassadors organization has been very valuable for me because it has helped me learn about volunteer opportunities surrounding sustainability on campus and in the community. The Ambassadors program introduced me to organizations such as Community Food Initiatives - a group I love to volunteer with and support. My experience has been very fulfilling. I get to spend time getting directly involved with sustainable initiatives, instead of just learning about them in class. The Ambassadors group has also helped me meet many sustainably minded people from campus and the community which has helped me develop connections for personal sustainable projects such as the club I co-host: the Athens Hub of the Sunrise Movement.
Allie Krieger
Hello! My name is Allie Krieger! I am a junior Environmental Science and Sustainability major with a specific interest in agriculture. I decided to join the Ambassadors because I was looking for a way be a part of the sustainability movement on campus. The most valuable thing about being an Ambassador is the rewarding feeling you get after helping others. This group has allowed me to meet really cool people from my major as well as connected me to different organizations that align with my career goals.
Ellen Edwards
I am a sophomore majoring in Environmental Science and Sustainability with a Communications minor. I knew I wanted to become an Ambassador when I saw the table at my Bobcat Student Orientation before I was a freshman, as I was searching for environmental science clubs. I reconnected again with the Ambassadors at the Involvement Fair when I was officially a freshman on campus. I’ve enjoyed participating in meaningful sustainable work while being an Ambassador. I appreciate the way the group is orchestrated, as events are posted throughout the semester, so you can plan and see what events you want to be a part of. Events like green games, where you divert recyclables from the trash during a sporting event, feel extremely impactful to our campus. I also feel that I’ve learned a lot about what sustainability can look like on a college campus. The most important way to encourage sustainability really is to communicate with others and get involved!