Here’s a list of student groups on campus that relate to sustainability. Click on the links to see more information about each organization.
Community Service
Engineers for a Sustainable World
Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) is a national, non-profit service organization that aims to address the challenges of global poverty and sustainability by harnessing the energy and creativity of young engineers. ESW approaches engineering-based challenges of developing communities through partnerships that foster cultural, educational, and technical exchange.
The Stanford Chapter of ESW was founded in 2003, and has since then hosted numerous events and projects including workshops, international internships, networking events, design projects, and conferences. ESW seeks to educate the Stanford community about sustainable practices through workshops such as the annual Biodiesel Workshop, the Slow Sand Filter Workshop, and the Water Quality Testing Workshop. Other events hosted by ESW include film screenings and alumni panel discussions relevant to our developing community partnerships.
SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability) is an education program of the Ecological Society of America. Its mission is to diversify and advance the profession of ecology through opportunities that stimulate and nurture the interest of underrepresented students. Focused at the undergraduate level, opportunities sponsored by the program include student field trips, undergraduate research fellowships, ESA Annual Meeting travel awards, and campus ecology chapters.
Students that are interested can contact Erica Fernandez (ericaf3@stanford.edu) or Mattias Lanas (mlanas@stanford.edu).
The mission of Volunteers in Latin America (VILA) is to partner Stanford students for two months with existing organizations in Quito, Ecuador that work to address the needs and promote the rights of street and working children. Furthermore, our goal is to enable Stanford students to actively engage with human rights issues, to apply this first-hand knowledge and experience to their respective disciplines, and to share what they have learned with the Stanford community. VILA aims to promote sustainable development by working, collaborating, and assisting with local community organizations, and to facilitate transparent dialogue and cross-cultural understanding through international volunteer and service-learning opportunities that encourage critical social reflection and personal growth. Applications for Summer 2012 will be posted on our website at the beginning of Winter Quarter. We encourage students of all backgrounds and various levels of Spanish proficiency to apply!
Stanford GRID Alternatives is the first campus chapter of GRID Alternatives, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing renewable energy and energy efficiency services in low-income communities.
Founded in the fall of 2007, Stanford GRID has a very similar mission to its parent organization: we are dedicated to empowering local communities in need by providing renewable energy and energy efficiency services, equipment and training. However, Stanford GRID has a unique focus based on our connection to the university and to the local community. We concentrate on providing clean energy services to the areas surrounding Stanford campus, drawing volunteers from students, alumni, faculty, and staff, and educating the Stanford community about renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Student Life
Students for a Sustainable Stanford
Students for a Sustainable Stanford is a coalition of students striving to ensure the sustainability of Stanford University. Our work comprises a diverse array of projects, which broker a harmonious relationship between the University and its ecosystem. We look at various facets of sustainability, including environmental, cultural, economic, and political. Our projects aim to reduce energy and water consumption, promote purchasing of organic and local foods, raise awareness about environmental justice issues, improve the efficiency of our buildings, and protect our natural environment.
We meet every Monday night from 9-10 PM in the DK Room of the Haas Center for Public Service.
Sustainability is a major problem facing society during the twenty first century. And, no one agrees on the best way to achieve it. That’s why the Green Living Council takes a community-based approach to saving the environment. By having at least one representative, or green living coordinator, in every dorm, the GLC encourages more sustainable lifestyles by creating a culture where it’s normal to avoid plastic water bottles, use hand towels, and replace incandescent light bulbs. By taking a position in one’s respective dorm government, glc’s have taken on leadership roles that have instille the concepts of sustainability in the spirit of entire dorms. Now in our fifth year, we have the seen the long term differences between freshmen who had glc’s in their dorm and those who did not. We have been so effective at reaching out to students that we now partner with the Office of Sustainability and Student Housing to help achieve a common goal: a more sustainable campus. Our biggest goal this year is to have a green living coordinator in EVERY undergraduate residence on campus.
Upperclassmen and freshmen alike, we need your help. Apply online or contact greenlivingcouncil@gmail.com with questions. When comparing residences with and without GLCs, one person really does make a difference.
Sustainable Fashion Collective
The Sustainable Fashion Collective aims to expand the conception of what sustainability is, and how far it can reach into our lives, specifically through the medium of fashion and textiles. We support a conscientious and DIY approach to an industry that has traditionally been less than concerned with ethical and environmental issues.
For students who want to get involved, we run an annual fashion show that students are more than welcome to submit their works for, workshops teaching the basics of upcycling and sewing, as well as trips to local thrift stores and are in the process of setting up a blog. We are also involved with the campus free store, the Union Underground, located in the basement of Old Union. To get updates about our events and meetings, email olliek1@stanford.edu and we’ll add you to our mailing list. Also check out our website showcasing photography from our show in previous years at www.sustainablefashionshow.org.
The Outdoor Education Program (OEP) exists to teach Stanford students and community members the skills necessary to travel and live safely in the wilderness. Every quarter, our experienced instructors teach a one-unit class (GES7, in the Geological and Environmental Sciences Department) involving multiple trips and classroom sessions. We also organize Back Country Workshops (BCWs), which focus on teaching a specialized skill or skill set, and usually involve 1-3 trips and 1-3 classroom sessions.
Energy
Founded in 1989, the Stanford Solar Car Project is an entirely student-run, non-profit organization fueled by its members’ passion for environmentally sustainable technology. We provide a unique opportunity for Stanford students to gain valuable hands-on engineering and business experience while raising community awareness of clean energy vehicles. The team generally operates on a two-year design and build cycle and enters the finished car in a cross-continental solar race.
Members usually join SSCP as undergraduates with little to no engineering background and gradually build their knowledge while working on a vehicle. To contact the team or to join, contactsolarcar@lists.stanford.edu.
Stanford Energy Club is a major student organization that strives to bring together Stanford students, scholars and local professionals, of all levels and across all disciplines, for far ranging and thought provoking discussions and actions on energy topics. The Club aspires to facilitate and enhance student involvement and leadership in the rapidly developing energy domain.
Services
Stanford Students Environmental Consulting
Stanford Students Environmental Consulting (SSEC) is a student-run organization with the goal of promoting sustainable practices that emphasize environmental, financial and social performance. We provide consulting services for NGOs, non-profits and companies working with or interested in adopting sustainable practices. Our members have a diverse range of backgrounds, including engineering, management science, economics and public policy. Leveraging this diversity helps SSEC provide practical, multifaceted sustainable solutions to tough problems.
Students interested in joining SSEC should visit our website for additional information on our past projects and application, and/or contact us as at ssec.contact@gmail.com
Graduate Involvement
The Stanford Environmental Law Journal (ELJ) was founded in 1978 and has gained prominence as one of most prestigious and widely read environmental law periodicals in the US. ELJ is comprised of students who are eager to explore environmental issues, improve their writing skills, and be actively involved in academic discourse. Like most law journals, there is no peer review process; rather, students choose pieces for publication and edit articles for substance, language, and proper legal citation.
ELJ publishes articles on a variety of issues in natural resources law, Native American law, environmental policy, law and economics, international environmental law, and other topics relating to law and the environment. ELJ accepts submissions from academics, practitioners, or other writers, as well as students, throughout the year. We publish in March and June.
In addition to publishing articles, ELJ participates in campus-wide environmental activities and programs. ELJ, Environmental Law Society, and the Energy Society often join forces to raise awareness, promote sustainability on campus, bring in speakers, and plan events that focus on environmental issues.
GSB Energy Club
