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Sustainability Student Leaders Program

Energy Assessment Bootcamp 2025 studentsThe Sustainability Student Leaders Program is a high-impact experiential learning and professional development opportunity open to all undergraduate students at the University of Dayton.

Through team-based work, Student Leaders address real sustainability challenges facing our campus and community, ranging from food justice and waste diversion to energy efficiency and circular economy practices. Each team operates with its own mission and area of focus, but all are united by a shared commitment to advancing sustainability through peer education, campus partnerships and hands-on projects.

Student Leaders gain valuable professional experience, deepen their understanding of sustainability's interdisciplinary nature, and receive mentorship that helps them explore their vocation. The program is rooted in student agency and leadership, equipping participants with the tools to shape both their learning and the future of sustainability at UD.

Key Components

  • Team-Based Collaboration: Students are placed on teams that address practical and pressing sustainability challenges on campus. Current focus areas include food systems, zero waste, residential energy, education and circularity.
  • Individual Project Development: Each student is required to design and complete a personal project on a sustainability topic of their choice, building skills in project planning, implementation and evaluation. Projects are often aligned with team goals and are presented at the end of the school year.
  • Paid Campus Employment: Students are hired into hourly campus positions and contribute meaningfully to the university's sustainability efforts through applied, peer-led work.
  • Academic Integration: Participants enroll in a 1-credit weekly mini-course focused on leadership development, sustainability project management and reflective practice.
  • Interdisciplinary Reach: Open to students from all majors, the program emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration and systems thinking within the field of sustainability.
  • Student Leadership: Returning students may serve as Student Director s— peer leaders who help coordinate programming, mentor fellow Student Leaders and advance program-wide initiatives in communication, campus partnerships, community engagement and impact reporting.
  • Mentorship: Each student has the opportunity to be paired with a professional mentor in the sustainability field to support vocational exploration, skill development and personal reflection.
Meet the Teams

Food Systems

The Food System Team's mission is to promote food justice and food security to students by leading initiatives that provide individuals with fresh produce grown on campus and redistribute excess food from dining services to both campus and community partners. We guide students to resources that increase their ability to access food, encourage waste reduction, and prioritize eating nutritious food as a standard in their daily lives. We foster positive relationships with our campus partners, volunteers, and local businesses that sustain local food systems.

Program
  • Food Recovery Network
Additional Projects and Initiatives
  • Flyer Farmers Market
  • Local Grower/ Business Spotlight
  • Campus CSA Program

Education

The Education Team's mission is to engage students of all backgrounds on the topic of sustainability by providing them with educational materials and facilitating meaningful dialogues. Our focus on peer-to-peer education encourages students to prioritize sustainability in their daily lives, understand how sustainability is relevant to their academic discipline, and contribute to the growth of sustainable communities within and beyond campus.

Program
  • SAP Peer Education Program

Residential Energy

The Residential Energy Team's mission is to improve residential energy efficiency in the Student Neighborhood. We do so by educating residents on how their individual actions and built environment impact the energy efficiency of a house. We engage with students and professional staff to analyze energy consumption data and recommend energy infrastructure improvements. Ultimately, we hope to use this increased consciousness around the complexities of residential energy to raise awareness of energy justice and its impact on individuals lives.

Program
  • Sustainable Flyers Residential Energy Program
Additional Projects and Initiatives
  • Energy Assessment Bootcamp

Zero Waste

The Zero Waste Team's mission is to reduce the amount of waste that is being taken to the landfill through waste diversion initiatives. We reduce waste by educating the student and staff community on zero waste initiatives and practices, sort waste at campus events, and provide the infrastructure to divert organic and recyclable waste. Ultimately we hope to not only improve waste management on campus but also to positively change how individuals view their interaction with waste systems.

Program
  • Office and Neighborhood Composting Program
Additional Projects and Initiatives
  • Zero Waste Events

Circularity

The Circularity Team's mission is to develop and support programs that promote and implement circular practices on campus. This includes organizing events focused on reuse, repair, and swapping, as well as consulting student-run businesses on how to adopt circularity principles. We are guided by the values of refuse, reuse, repair and recover, and we implement practices or programs that guide students on how to apply these principles in their everyday lives. Our goal is to support individuals and organizations in shifting from a linear approach to consumption and embracing a circular model.

Programs
  • Clothing Swaps
  • Flyer Enterprise Sustainability Consulting
Additional Projects and Initiatives
  • Catholic Ethical Purchasing Alliance
Contact Hanley Sustainability Institute
300 College Park
Dayton, Ohio 45469 - 2950
937-229-3295 email Hanley Sustainability Institute Blog