What guides us
Strengthen students' commitment to creating a more environmentally and socially responsible world by providing them meaningful opportunities to foster change on campus and in our community.
Our office has two professional staff members, but as a Student Sponsored Organization (SSO) we are student-driven at heart. Every year, students brainstorm, plan, implement, maintain, evaluate, and improve dozens of projects and programs that create a more environmentally and socially responsible community.
Our staff and student team members fulfill the mission of the Environmental Center through four dimensions of our work:
We run a team-based applied learning program that engages students to tackle environmental and social problems. Explore our EC Initiatives for more information on the work our students are doing--work that includes local food security, land stewardship, climate action, and zero waste projects.
We advance campus and community sustainability efforts through coordination and collaboration as well as integrating our work with that of the Campus Sustainability Council.
We support academic pursuits related to environmental, social, and sustainability issues. Most notably, this includes our library of donation-based environmental and social sustainability books, videos, and other resources.
Faculty who are interested in utilizing the EC to support their courses or research should read our quick guide to working with the EC. You can connect with us on applied research opportunities, guest lectures, or utilizing our spaces.
Students can intern with us for academic credit or utilize our professional staff for support on class projects and research.
We maintain a network of connections between students, the FLC campus, and the community. These connections provide students with opportunities and experience while strengthening a culture of environmental and social responsibility on campus and in our greater community.
Community members interested in working with us should read our quick guide to working with the EC.
Stay connected by subscribing to the EC Digest, following us on social media, or coming by our office to chat in person!
Our values provide the foundation for everything we do and guide our interactions with each other, our campus, our greater community, and the world.
At the EC we believe that the path to change is through positive action. The enormity of the challenges faced by our planet can lead to despair and apathy, and working to create change can lead to guilt and defensiveness in others. While some chose to only focus on the problems, at the EC we believe that everyone can be part of the solutions. The EC works to inspire, activate, and empower.
Change must be built upon integrity. We are committed to holding ourselves to the principles that we wish to see in the world. We strive to apply social and ecological awareness to every aspect of our lives. We don’t judge others, but encourage awareness and support so that we can all act in ways that support healthy bodies, healthy communities, and a healthy planet.
Communities are all about connections. Connections exist between individual people, between groups, between societies, and between all the living things that share this planet. We strive to always be aware of these connections and celebrate the relationships that make life meaningful. As humans, we strengthen our connections through honest and compassionate communication.
Solving major problems requires thinking creatively. One of the most amazing things to come out of the natural world is the human imagination. Only by unleashing this imagination will we be able to develop innovative solutions to the worlds biggest challenges. Creative expression itself is an inherently revolutionary act.
The EC is a place for discovery. We learn facts. We gain skills. We nurture and test different values, beliefs, and philosophies. We constantly strive to learn from our experiences. Most importantly, we learn about ourselves so that we can be more effective leaders and more grounded human beings.