Eco-Reps

Mission 

The Dickinson Eco-Reps program creates a network of leaders who work to empower others to make sustainable changes in their lives and in their communities through peer education, programming, and outreach.  The program engages students, faculty, and staff who are passionate about working with others and promoting action for social justice, economic opportunity, and environmental sustainability. 

Program Goals

• Help Dickinsonians gain a better understanding of sustainability at Dickinson and how to connect these opportunities to their lives.
• Create a more sustainable campus through peer education.
• Develop a peer education system and structure that allows Eco-Reps to learn, teach, and lead.
• Develop student, faculty, and staff leaders that can effectively educate others and be proactive agents of change.
• Make resources for promoting sustainability at Dickinson more accessible.
• Educate peers about how certain choices affect their environments, including natural resources, finances, and their communities.
• Empower constituents to make sustainable decisions through peer education and programming.

The Eco-Reps program is administered by the Center for Sustainability Education (CSE). We hope this program helps Eco-Reps obtain the following compentencies through their peer education experiences.

• Think critically about problems of improving the human condition equitably in this and future generations, while conserving environmental systems necessary to support healthy and vibrant societies;
• Solve problems by applying sustainability concepts and principles;
• Communicate effectively to raise awareness, increase understanding and motivate action for sustainability;
• Collaborate with others, working with and leading groups to advance shared sustainability goals.

Program History

The Eco-Reps program was launched in 2009 and it has continued to grow in significance and influence.  As Dickinson's commitment to sustainability grew, so did the need for peer educators working for sustainability.

From 2009-2014, the program focused on the residential experience at Dickinson, with Eco-Reps only for campus residence halls greater than 48 students. In 2014, the Athletic Eco-Reps program was added when Dickinson became a founding member of the Pennsylvania Collegiate Green Sports Consortium (PACGSC). In targeting the Dickinson athletic community and empowering those students to become leaders and educators for sustainability, we again saw success in supporting this strategic initiative of the college.

In Fall 2015, the program was redefined entirely. Now open to students, faculty, and staff, Eco-Reps can now serve as peer educators for sustainability in a community of their choice (residential space, team, club, office, department organization etc.). Providing all campus communities access to the Eco-Reps program, strengthening the sustainability education workshop series, and creating forums for students, faculty and staff to work together on these issues has taken the program to the next level.