Pennsylvania State University
EN-3: Student Life

Advanced Vehicle Team - For more than a decade, the Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team has participated in Advanced Vehicle Competitions similar to EcoCAR 2. The goal of these competitions is to encourage innovation and to train the next generation of engineers in the automotive, energy and technology sectors

Ag Advocates - Ag Advocates are undergraduates who have been chosen to represent Penn State and the College of Agricultural Sciences at activities throughout the year. Ag Advocates help to inform the public about the college and the diversity of the agricultural sciences.

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers - A student run pre-professional engineering club at Penn State, University Park for students interested in Agricultural and Biological Systems.

American Solar Energy Society - The Penn State chapter of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) was founded in 2010 at Penn State's University Park campus. Our mission is to advance all things solar at Penn State. Our parent organization is supported by more than 8,000 energy professionals and grassroots supporters.

American Water Resources Association - The mission of the AWRA Penn State Student Chapter is to collect, organize, and disseminate ideas and information in the field of water resources; provide a means of interaction within the water resources community; perform and participate in community service projects; represent membership in the campus community; and provide information about the organization to incoming and current undergraduate and graduate students.

Beekeepers Club - The Beekeepers Club exists as a space for beekeeping-enthusiasts and for those simply interested in learning about/sharing the beekeeping hobby. They promote the importance of honeybees through various activities.

The Bridge Initiative - The Bridge initiative is a group of volunteer consultants who are the “bridge” between local organizations in need of volunteers and passionate students who strive to make positive changes in society. Their mission is to promote collaboration among students, school and local communities to execute socially beneficial projects to raise the public awareness of societal problems.

Bridges to Prosperity - American Society of Civil Engineers - Bridges to Prosperity is a non-profit organization that seeks to build footbridges over impassable rivers in impoverished rural areas across the globe. Through construction of bridges, residents of these communities are provided with better access to healthcare, education, and economic market opportunities. The Penn State chapter was founded in the Spring of 2013 and is composed of a dedicated core of engineering students.

Community, Environment, and Development Club - The Community, Environment, and Development Club is networking and community service based club focused on the local community of State College. They strive to build relationships with community members and community organizations to enhance the sustainability and economic development of State College and its surrounding areas.

Community Food Security Club - The Community Food Security Club explores nutrition and confronts issues of nutritional health by emphasizing environmentally sustainable practices. Through educational campaigns, they are committed to raising awareness of the hunger and food insecurity issues faced by 50 million Americans.

Community Garden at Penn State - Student club that coordinates the usage and maintains the 98-plot community garden at the Sustainability Experience Center

charity: water - The mission of charity: water Penn State is to assist the non-profit organization, charity: water, by creating awareness of the ongoing water crisis in developing nations and to raise funds to assist charity: water’s mission to bring safe, clean drinking water to those in need.

Collegiate 4-H Club - Collegiate 4-H is a student organization committed to the leadership development of its members, doing community service that makes a difference, and continuing our support of the Pennsylvania 4-H program.

Council of LionHearts - The purpose of the Council is to advance community service at Penn State and to create interesting and engaging opportunities for all students at Penn State to become service volunteers. The Council leads Friday Night Lights Out, which organizes student volunteers to turn off lights in classroom buildings on Friday nights during the school year.

Cycling - A student-powered organization (club sport) that seeks to provide opportunities for cyclists of all levels and interests.

Dharma Lions - The mindfulness and meditation community at Penn State.

Earth House - Earth House provides academic support and an enjoyable diverse living environment for those interested in agricultural and environmental topics.

Eco Action - Since its foundation as Penn State’s first environmental organization in 1972, students have breathed life into the environmentalist movement, working as one to transform Penn State into an ultimately sustainable university. Past campaigns have included Quit Coal, An Environmental Bill of Rights, and many others.

Ecology Graduate Student Organization - The EGSO provides a forum for graduate students in the Penn State Ecology Program to engage in activities related to academic aspects of the program, recruitment, mentoring and professional development, special activities and events, outreach to other groups at PSU and the broader community.

Eco-Reps - Eco-Reps are first-year students committed to creating a culture of sustainability at Penn State. These paid positions are open to students from diverse majors and backgrounds to encourage sustainable behaviors in the residence halls through fun activities. Some of the program's successes include East Halls going "Zero Waste" and the energy savings from the energy challenge each spring.

Energy, Business, and Finance Society - The Energy Business and Finance Society offers students within the EBF major, or those with interest in the major, with a different array of venues to learn about the opportunities that come with the program.

Engineers without Borders - Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is a non-profit, humanitarian organization that partners with developing communities worldwide to improve their quality of life through the implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while fostering leadership skills, technical ability and a global outlook in students of any major. Engineers Without Borders-Penn State has been a recognized chapter of Engineers Without Borders-USA since the spring of 2010.

Engineers for a Sustainable World - ESW strives to promote sustainability throughout the engineering process. We do this by working on various projects throughout the semester. In addition, we host guest lecturers who have a hand in sustainable practices, and we go on field trips to local places that demonstrate various aspects of sustainability.

Environmental Resource Management Society - The ERM Society's mission is to join the students of the Environmental Resource Management major to stimulate interest in the environment. They provide further awareness of environmental issues through professional events, speakers, discussions, etc.

Environmental Society - Society is for all students interested in the environment. Meetings provide students with the opportunity to meet faculty and alumni in an informal setting and broaden their understanding of environmental issues.

Fair Trade Penn State - Fair Trade Penn State was founded in 2009 with the goal to increase awareness among consumers about the manufacturing processes of major industries. FTPSU sponsors events to encourage informed, ethical buying practices that support human rights. FTPSU also promotes campaigns of other nonprofit organizations that identify human needs.

Food Recovery Network - Food Recovery Network unites students on college campuses to fight waste and feed people by donating the surplus unsold food from their colleges and donating it to hungry Americans.

Fossil Free PSU - The mission of Fossil Free PSU is to urge Penn State University to freeze any new investments in fossil fuel companies, and to divest within five years from direct ownership and from any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds.

Global Architecture Brigades - The Mission of Architecture Brigades is to collaborate with rural communities in Honduras to alleviate needs in health and education infrastructure through design and hands-on construction projects. Projects include designing and constructing schools and health centers for rural communities.

Global Business Brigades - Global Brigades is the world’s largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. Since 2004, Global Brigades has mobilized thousands of university students and professionals through nine skill-based programs that work in partnership with community members to improve quality of life in under resourced regions while respecting local culture.

Global Environmental Brigades - The mission of Environmental Brigades is to empower rural communities in Panama to reverse degradation and preserve their environment through reforestation, sustainable agriculture, waste management and education programs.

Global Human Rights Brigade - Penn State's chapter of Global Human Rights Brigades is a chapter of Global Brigades, the largest student-run sustainable development organization in the world. Members of HRB work with in-country lawyers and social workers to improve access to legal counsel, legal education, and human services in Panama's rural communities during 8-day trips throughout the year.

Global Medical Brigades - Global Medical Brigades provides a holistic model for sustainable health care in under-served rural communities by conducting preliminary needs assessments, treating patients to the highest ethical standards, sponsoring referrals to those with needs beyond our capability, recording data for the production of quantitative reports, and working with other GB programs to improve the water, sanitation, and economic infrastructures.

Global Water Brigades -Global Water Brigades (GWB) is a movement of passionate students and professional volunteers from around the world dedicated to improving access to clean water and sanitation. GWB designs and implements water systems to increase access and quantity of water to the communities it services, and to prevent communicable illnesses in communities with limited access to clean water.

GlobeMed - GlobeMed aims to strengthen the movement for global health equity by empowering students and communities to work together to improve the health of people living in poverty around the world. GlobeMed at Penn State partners with ACUDESBAL, a grassroots organization working with 29 communities in Bajo Lempa, El Salvador to strive for social, economic, political, and environmental justice.

Habitat for Humanity - Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Throughout the year, Habitat at Penn State has a constant presence and is actively involved in projects around campus as well as in the community.

HealthWorks - HealthWorks is a peer education/outreach program in University Health Services that aims to promote health among Penn State students.

Helping Across the Community - The Helping Across the Community Interest House, located on the first floor of Beaver Hall, is focused on enhancing ourselves and our community through service learning and service leadership.

Horticulture Club - The Horticulture Club is an organization for all university students interested in plants, gardening, and landscaping. It is the goal of the club to educate both its members and the public on sound horticultural practices, new plants, and new techniques.

Innoblue - Innoblue is a community of artists and hackers, coders and designers, innovators and makers, who want to change the world for the better.

Interfaith Power & Light - Interfaith Power & Light strives to connect religion with healthy environmental practices by mobilizing a moral response to climate change.

Minorities in Agriculture and Natural Resources Association - As a chapter of the national society for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences, MANRA pledges to work for the inclusion, achievement and advancement of all people in the agricultural sciences.

Net Impact (Graduate Chapter) - PSNI focuses on a collaborative learning environment where all members help educate each other. We discuss topics related to social entrepreneurship, socially responsible investing, sustainable supply chains, sustainable growth and development, corporate citizenship, social marketing, green building, and community economic development.

Net Impact (Undergraduate Chapter) - Penn State Net Impact Undergraduate (PSNIUG) is a newly formed and fast growing student organization in the Smeal College of Business. We are affiliated with Net Impact National, a nonprofit organization with over 50,000 students and professional leaders in over 300 volunteer-led chapters across the globe.

Nourish International - Nourish is a global movement through which students make a sustainable impact on extreme poverty and create opportunities for change. They envision a world in which all people are able to meet their basic human needs.

Penn State Outing Club - The Penn State Outing Club is a student run organization that is dedicated to experiencing the outdoors in every possible capacity. Club members organize backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and trail maintenance trips from the Catskills to California. PSOC is dedicated to helping the community through extension programs at Shaver’s Creek and the surrounding trail maintenance groups.

Public Health Brigades - Working side-by-side with community members, volunteers improve the overall infrastructure within the home through the construction of five projects - eco-stoves, latrines, water storage units, showers, and concrete floors – to reduce preventable diseases caused by poor in-home health infrastructure.

Recreation, Park, and Tourism Student Society - Unites all recreation education majors at the University, fosters and maintains high standards of professional qualifications, and disseminates information concerning the activities and interests of the Society.

ServeState - ServeState is a student run service and philanthropy organization who aim to better Penn State and the surrounding community. They have a membership minimum of 25 hours of service per semester.

Society of American Forestry - The Penn State Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters seeks to advance the science, technology, education, and practice of professional natural resource management and to use the knowledge and skills gained to benefit society.

Society of Energy Engineers - Penn State was the first university to create the Society of Energy Engineers for its students majoring in energy engineering. Objectives are to provide students with a forum to discuss various academic, research, and professional opportunities; to provide enriching educational experiences; to network with peers and industry professionals; and to educate prospective students and employment recruiters about the skill set of energy engineering graduates.

Society of Environmental Systems Engineers - We provide a forum for the concerns and interests of EnvSE students. Goals include publicizing ENVSE to industry, corporations, and the general public, creating awareness of EnvSE at Penn State, encouraging student involvement, participating in campus outreach projects, and professional development through industry and government speakers.

Society of Women Engineers - SWE’s mission to “stimulate women to achieve as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity.” The Penn State Student Section of SWS was founded in 1975 and has grown to become the largest and most active engineering organization on campus.

Students Engaging Students - They aspire to enrich our campus community and encourage student involvement by: facilitating leadership development, promoting community service, fostering civic engagement, and supporting student organizations.

Supporting Women in Geography (SWIG) - SWIG's mission is to promote the participation of women in the discipline of geography and to empower women who are pursuing academic and professional careers in geography. We provide regular opportunities for women and supporters of women to come together for intellectual, professional, and personal support, and to develop a network of information and resources.



Students Taking Action to Encourage Recycling (STATERs) - Starting in 2005 as a casual group encouraging tailgaters to pitch it into the right bin, STATERs has grown to continue doing that and more. Today, we offer our help to big campus events such as football games, THON, the Eisenhower Patio Party, Friday Night Lights Out, and various sustainability conferences.

Student Society for Indigenous Knowledge - We’re a brand new student group and are looking for members who are enthusiastic and interested in indigenous knowledge and who want to help plan and implement the direction our club will take in the following years.

Students for Environmentally Enlightened Design (SEED) - SEED was founded by three Department of Architecture students in 2009 to promote student-supported initiatives, as well as existing work in environmentally sustainable design.

Student United Way - The Penn State Student United Way (PSU SUW) is a student-run branch of the Centre County United Way. We are a group of student volunteers devoted to lending our time and talent for the benefit of our surrounding community. Additionally, we work closely with Centre County United Way to provide continuing support for its 40 partner agencies.

Sustainable Agriculture Club - The Sustainable Agriculture Club strives to help the Penn State community better understand the importance of sustainable agriculture through hosting educational speakers, community programs, and activities. The club gives students the opportunity to engage in activities and discussions that explore today's food system at a farm level.

Take Back the Tap - Take Back the Tap at Penn State (TBTT) is an organization that promotes the use of reusable water bottles and education on the dangers of bottled water consumption. TBTT strives to kick disposable water bottles off campus and support clean and healthy drinking water for all.

Vegetarian Club - As ambassadors of a vegetarian lifestyle, we invite Penn State students and the dynamic State College community to partake in the benefits of a plant-based diet for the sake of health, the animals, and the planet. Through outreach, education and social events, we act as catalysts in the veg movement.

The Wildlife Society - The Wildlife Society (TWS) has a wide range of activities in professional development, recreation, fund-raising and recruitment, and community service. In the past these have included short courses at Shaver's Creek such as Project WILD and Pennsylvania Songbirds, Bird Box building, trips to bat caves and T n D Cats, and a variety of guest speakers at meetings, to name a few.

Undergraduate Students in the Department of Geography (UnderDoGS) - The UnderDoGS at Penn State are a group of undergraduates in the Department of Geography who represent the commitment of the students in the Department of Geography to not only excel in their studies, but also in contributing to their fellow students and to society.

UNICEF - Whether it's providing food, medicine or simply a blanket, UNICEF is there where a child is in need. UNICEF Penn State helps UNICEF reach their fund raising and awareness goals by holding various events throughout the year.

The Student Farm at Penn State was established in spring 2016. The farm is a space for people with a diversity of backgrounds and interests to learn about where our food comes from, as well as to apply their unique skills and experiences to a farm setting. Students studying topics from communications, to marketing, architecture, and more can find exciting ways to contribute to the farm.
http://sites.psu.edu/studentfarm/about/

Related to the above is the Student Farm Club, whose purpose is to organize, engage and involve students with the Sustainable Food Systems Program and Student Farm Initiative (SFI) through club meetings, outreach and educational events, interaction with the Sustainable Food Systems Program Steering Committee, work on the Student Farm, and other related activities.

The 98-plot, student-managed Community Garden promotes organic, effective, and environmentally sound ways of controlling pests in the garden through the use of integrated pest management (IPM). As an official student club, the Garden reserves at least 50% of its plots for students each year.

Crop Mobs, a project started by a small group of Penn State students in the fall of 2013 and supported by the Reinvention Fund, connects the community and farmers in a fresh and creative way. A “mob” of volunteers heads out to a farm to help with a normally laborious and time-consuming project. In-turn, the students learn from the farmer from shared stories about life on the farm and the practices they are integrating to work with the ecosystems around them, as well as a communal meal supplemented with fresh products straight from the farm. The goal is to link those who grow our food with members of the community in a way that leads to learning, growing and sharing.

Innoblue is a community of artists and hackers, coders and designers, innovators and makers, who want to change the world for the better. Innoblue was established in April 2010 by two Penn State students, David Adewumi and Jon Tornetta, dedicated to starting and supporting innovative business, civic, and social ventures in State College. Innoblue has grown to include a team and large advisor pool with multidisciplinary backgrounds, who all work together to oversee and catalyze the progress of early stage ventures.

In Fall 2015 the Student Farm Club Production Committee harvested and delivered the first student run CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) on campus to 19 faculty and staff. In a CSA, customers pay an upfront cost and receive deliveries of product from the farm on a regular basis throughout the growing season. Earlier in the semester the first round of production was sold to Food Services for Local Food Night. The 2015 CSA relied on hydroponic production; in 2016 the CSA expanded to include production from the newly established One-Acre Student Farm. Profits from the 2015 sales were used to expand production in spring semester, and continue the CSA program. http://sites.psu.edu/studentfarm/2016/01/06/first-csa-harvest-a-success/

Penn State Global Business Brigades (Microfinance Brigades - Student Governed) volunteers work with a local network of “Community Development Funds” to empower rural communities by establishing savings and credit cooperatives and teaching community members basic financial literacy. Volunteers provide rural communities with the educational, financial, and organizational resources necessary to sustainably drive their own economic development. A 10-Day Microfinance Brigade provides volunteers with the opportunity to gain first-hand micro-lending experience and perpetuate the movement to alleviate poverty worldwide. Volunteers participate in real micro-lending transactions and also engage in the daily lives of the actual borrowers.

Penn State has an annual Colloquium on the Environment Speaker Series, open to students as well as faculty/ staff. Speakers that have been hosted by the university include: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Christine Todd Whitman, William McDonough, Amory Lovins, David Suzuki, Bill McKibben, Majora Carter, Lisa Jackson, and Naomi Oreskes.

An annual Earth Week celebration is held to recognize the sustainability achievements of students, faculty, and staff. The 2016 events on UP campus included an all-day Water Symposium highlighting water-related scholarship at Penn State; tree planting; film screenings; food waste demonstration; a local food night; seminars; an alternative vehicle display; a symposium on Reinvention Fund projects, including student projects; and many more: http://sustainability.psu.edu/2016-earth-week-penn-state

For the past 3 years (2014, 2015, 2016) Penn State has hosted the Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium's annual conference on the University Park campus. The conference gives students the opportunity to present, and to learn, about what is happening on the state's college and university campuses to energize engagement with sustainability.

A sustainability-themed film series was initiated in fall of 2015, organized by staff at the Sustainability Institute. Examples of the films presented include: Merchants of Doubt, This Changes Everything, Glacial Balance, After Coal and Age of Consequences. Panel discussions with faculty and others have followed each film.

There are many other speakers and symposia throughout the year with topics related to sustainability. The total number of sustainability-related events on University Park campus was: 357 events in 2014, 417 events in 2015, and 430 events in 2016.

Penn State hosts a variety of sustainability-related cultural events that have students as one intended audience. Some example include:

In April 2015 was a week-long visit by The Nile Project, which uses music to raise awareness of the cultural and environmental challenges along Africa’s mighty river. The highlight of the visit was a concert by musicians from 11 countries.

In 2015, the student union gallery (HUB-Robeson Galleries) hosted an exhibit by the Farmland Preservation Artists of Central Pennsylvania, whose paintings depict local farms and rural landscapes. The group's mission is to promote the preservation and appreciation of farmland by portraying the beauty of rural landscapes, local farms and their agricultural products; highlighting farm life and local food markets; and illustrating the issues that affect farmers and our communities.

"Storied Images: Marcellus Shale" is a series of juried student photographic exhibitions documenting the environmental, social, and economic impacts of Marcellus Shale. The prints were produced by students participating in Photo 402 Photographic Narratives and Photo 497D Photography and the Environment during the spring and summer 2014 semesters.

Cultural Conversations was created in March of 2007 to foster and promote new works dealing with themes of local and global diversity. For playwrights, choreographers, and visual artists, this festival is an opportunity to workshop and show new works. For PSU students and faculty, this festival is an opportunity to work with national and international playwrights outside of our program.

An art education professor hosted a water filter workshop to teach students how to make clay pots that filter water in response to the global water crisis.

An art exhibit in 2014 featured large-scale sculptures made from cardboard to create a dialog between art and the natural world. There was a similar exhibit around plastics and waste in 2016.

The word "aurora" refers to the dawn, as well as to the natural electrical phenomena of colorful streams of light in the night sky — usually near the magnetic poles. Similarly, AURORA Penn State Outdoor Orientation Programs offer a powerful start to a student’s Penn State experience. These five exciting programs — ORION, POLARIS, RIGEL, URSA, and VEGA — offer first-year students a unique entrance into Penn State life — forging friendships and unforgettable adventures to carry with them always. These programs fall under the purview of the Penn State Shaver's Creek Environmental Center.

“The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World” was chosen as the common book for the 2015-16 Penn State Reads program, a collaborative initiative for first-year students. The book, by author and Wall Street Journal senior energy reporter Russell Gold, explores the rise of fracking in the U.S., how it impacts everyday citizens, where energy will come from in the future and what price it may cost. The Penn State Reads program provides a shared reading experience to help facilitate conversation, connection and understanding among the University community.

The website below describes Penn State programs designed to deliver transformative educational experiences that prepare participants to become leaders of positive change—in their studies, their workplaces, and their personal lives. http://sustainability.psu.edu/live/students
One of these is the Ecoreps program, which provides peer-to-peer training in sustainable living to first year students living in selected residence halls. http://sustainability.psu.edu/eco-reps
During Spring semester, Penn State resident students have had the opportunity to participate in No Impact Week, a one-week experiment in sustainable living, which allows them to experience the difference lowering their impact can have on their quality of life, their community and their planet. Special events have focused on local food, energy use, reducing consumption of bottled water, and recycling.

The Sustainability Institute offers paid internships during the school year and summer. These offer students the opportunity for sustainability-focused experience.
In addition, support units such as the Office of Physical Plant, and Housing, Food Services & Residence Life often offer sustainability-related internships.
The sustainability.psu.edu website lists student work opportunities on campus, in the community, and beyond.

Penn State does not have a graduation pledge at this time.

Student Sustainability Advisory Council (SSAC) - The Penn State Student Sustainability Advisory Council provides consultation and advice on Penn State sustainability planning, programs, and initiatives. The Council meets bi-monthly for discussions and planning. The Council is comprised of students with experience and interest in studying, advancing, and promoting sustainability.

Earth House - EARTH House is an enjoyable and diverse living environment for students interested in agricultural and environmental issues. Academic support including tutoring and study groups is also part of EARTH House. Activities include hiking trips, clean-up at Shaver's Creek, volunteer projects, and trips to agricultural events such as the Pennsylvania Farm Show. EARTH House is located in North Halls.

Council of Lionhearts - Established in 2004, the Penn State Council of LionHearts is an affiliate student organization and is comprised of student representatives from Penn State’s most active volunteer and community service student organizations. Generally, two representatives from each group are invited to sit on the Council. The president and primary service leader of each organization are those delegates. Previous Council members are also invited to continue to serve as emeritus leaders.

IFC (Sustainability Chair) - Sustainability Chair for the InterFraternity Council at Penn State is tasked with merging concepts of sustainability into fraternity life.