Contact Us

Office of Sustainability 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016-8163 United States

Find out how you can get involved

There are numerous ways to get involved with sustainability on campus whether you are a student, staff, or faculty member here at AU. Explore the drop-downs below for more information.

Students

Join a Student Organization

There are numerous student organizations dedicated to waste, gardening, beekeeping, energy, and the environment:

AU Zero Waste Club
Beekeeping Society
Community Garden
Net Impact at Kogod School of Business
International Development Program Student Association
Email sustainability@american.edu to have your student organization added to this list.

Become a Student Sustainability Educator

Student Sustainability Educators serve a critical role in the Office of Sustainability by working with students across campus to expand sustainability awareness and increase engagement. The part-time, paid interns connect students with institutional sustainability initiatives, create connections with the Office of Sustainability, and inspire personal behavior change in the AU community. Students work 5-10 hours per week, including mandatory weekly meetings and at least two hours in the Office of Sustainability. Tasks include event planning and outreach, in addition to general office work as needed.

Students receive training in sustainability topics such as green buildings, zero waste, carbon neutrality, and energy efficiency, as well as strategies for developing outreach campaigns and engaging peers effectively.

Staff

Become a Green Office

The Green Office Program supports and rewards offices that adopt sustainable practices within their team. Through the completion of three checklists, offices progressively expand their commitment to advancing university sustainability initiatives.

The intent of the program is to:

Establish a culture of sustainability.
Build a community across offices.
Provide tangible guidelines for sustainability focused actions.
Offer sustainability education for the university community.
Establish an opportunity for staff and faculty do their part to meet the university's sustainability goals.
Since 2011, nearly forty campus offices and more than 600 staff and faculty have participated.

Faculty

Sustainability in the Curriculum

Request a sustainability tour, guest lecture by Office of Sustainability Staff, or data on campus sustainability by emailing sustainability@american.edu

Ecollaborative

American University's Environmental Collaborative, ECOllaborative.

Green Teaching Program

The Center for Teaching, Research and Learning manages the Green Teaching Certificate. Faculty members at American University can qualify for a Green Teaching Certificate by answering a number of questions about their efforts to make their courses more sustainable.