Joining the Sustainability Movement
One student tells how she got involved in the cause to go green on campus.
By Angelica Jackson, Junior, Indiana University Southeast
For years, I have been interested in the movement to create a green sustainable earth. I believe we have to all unite, educate, and get back to basics so we can increase our ability to preserve our Earth. And it’s been a goal of mine to bring this cause to my school, Indiana University Southeast (IUS) in New Albany.
How I Got Involved
My history with volunteering began when I was a freshman at Jeffersonville High School in Indiana. I joined the Jeffersonville Youth Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and served as the president for three years. At one of the NAACP conferences, I learned that disadvantaged minorities and third world countries are often afflicted with cancer, diabetes, and other aliments due to their environment and nutrition.
I was deeply affected by this, so I began working with Global Interventions Ventures in Education (G.I.V.E.). During the summer of 2011, G.I.V.E. offered an Organic Gardening Summer Enrichment Camp, which used a math- and science-based curriculum to teach youth ages 8-12 how to grow organic produce anywhere from a window sill to a front yard pot.
Green Ambassadors
I took what I learned during the summer to my campus and, working with other IUS organizations including the Multi-Cultural Student Union, I formed The Society of Green Ambassadors for Holistic Lifestyles. The group is a call to action for all students.
“It is better to do something than nothing at all,” explains Angela Calbert, the president of the Multi-Cultural Student Union.
Our group educates students on how to reduce waste, reuse, recycle, and re-think how they interact with nature. For example, we explain that to reduce plastic consumption, you can reuse a washable water bottle. This December we are holding our first Trashin’ Fashion Show at IUS as a fundraiser and environmental awareness event. Students will transform items such as old grocery bags or used T-shirts into stylin’ garments. You can motivate students on your campus to be more green with similar events.
ANGELICA JACKSON IS A BIOCHEMISTRY PRE-MEDICINE MAJOR AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTHEAST. HER PASSION IS SHARING HER STORY AND ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS THAT ARE BEING DONE TO THIS PLANET.
Find Out More
Click for more info on how you can get involved from Global Interventions Ventures in Education.