As big as MSU may seem, Spartans represent a mere fraction of the world’s population. Carla Iansiti and Laura Young have started two student leadership groups, Ecoreps and the Student Sustainability Leadership Council, with an eye toward helping MSU students make an outsize contribution to the world beyond East Lansing.

The Eco Reps program was started in 2018 by Iansiti, and is now a part of Student Life and Engagement. The Eco Reps are student volunteers who focus on behavior change, specifically in the residence halls. The students have opportunities to engage in networking, fun activities, and resume building in addition to enriching the students’ Spartan story throughout the year. Eco Reps attend student government meetings, help with projects, present important topics of change and sustainability to campus leadership, and more. This experience helps them gain the skills they need to advocate for a better future.

Eco Rep Dani Vincent states, “I have learned so much about campus sustainability and being able to not only continue learning more about it myself but teaching others can lead to more environmental awareness for all student endeavors throughout their undergraduate experience and beyond.”

An advisory group to the Office of Sustainability at MSU, the Student Sustainability Leadership Council (SSLC) consists of mostly undergraduates and some graduate students. SSLC collaborates on projects important to students, such as working with groups like Sustainable Spartans and creating spaces for pollinators with Bee Campus USA.

Laura Young founded SSLC after she realized the value in education outside the classroom. The group gives students the chance to connect with stakeholders in the community, focusing on best practices and sharing information.

SSLC member Benjamin Adams argues that “collaboration is key” both on and off campus. “When helping each other [student groups at MSU], everything we do is more successful,” he says.

Not only are the Eco Reps and SSLC stepping up for MSU, but they are also making an impact beyond campus. Their work aligns with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Specifically, the Eco Reps’ and the SSLC’s activities fit into SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities).

Groups like the Eco Reps and the SSLC provide a voice to the students, one that organizers hope will continue to reverberate well after they graduate.