Sustainability Ambassador Program
Are you passionate about sustainability and contributing to a sustainable campus? If so, we encourage you to get involved with TMU’s Sustainability Office through the Sustainability Ambassador Program.
About the program
The Sustainability Ambassador Program is a volunteer leadership program open to undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in promoting a culture of sustainability at Toronto Metropolitan University through peer-to-peer education, engagement, research and action.
As a Sustainability Ambassador, you will work with a team of like-minded peers to lead and inspire students, staff and faculty by organizing projects, initiatives and campaigns that promote sustainability. Work will be conducted in close collaboration and guidance from the Sustainability Office and broader university staff, researchers, students, and partners. The goal of the program is to enhance engagement and participation by offering opportunities to gain knowledge and skills while supporting a network of sustainability leaders across campus.
What you’ll gain from the role
- A deeper understanding of sustainability and learn how you can turn that knowledge into action.
- An opportunity to build leadership skills, relationship-building skills, event coordination and presentation skills, to name a few.
- An opportunity to receive mentorship and networking opportunities, as well as be a part of a growing sustainability community.
- Experience to build your resume and demonstrate your capability in tackling sustainability issues.
- Experience to build your resume and demonstrate your capability in tackling sustainability issues.
Earn a Level-Up Badge and Boost your Co-curricular Record!
The Sustainability Ambassador program is part of Level-Up, TMU’s official co-curricular program. Level-Up helps students be recognized for their involvement outside of the classroom and presents an official record to prospective employers and graduate schools to complement their academic transcript. By fulfilling the requirements of the ambassador program, students will automatically receive a badge that can be displayed on their resume and/or Linkedin profile to demonstrate knowledge of sustainability.
Eligibility
We are seeking part-time or full-time undergraduate and graduate students in any faculty at TMU who:
- have a positive attitude with a passion for sustainability
- are prepared to be professional and reliable as a Sustainability Ambassador and peer educator
- have the ability to take the lead and work cooperatively in small and large teams
Commitment
Sustainability Ambassadors are expected to:
- Attend one mandatory orientation/training session (approximately 1.5 hours)
- Attend at least four (4) bi-weekly team meetings to connect, collaborate and share knowledge
- Engage and educate a minimum of 150 peers per term and contribute to the overall program goal of engaging with 20-25% of the campus student population
- Fulfill two out of three (3) team focus area requirements:
- Zero Waste Team : Promote waste reduction, 5Rs and proper waste sorting through conducting at least 3 waste monitoring sessions/tabling
- Events Team: Support at least 3 events or campaigns (e.g planning, day of support, photography, etc.)
- Educators Team: Conduct at least 2 classroom presentations, student group/club presentations, or residence presentations.
Focus areas
Our aim is to direct the time and efforts of our sustainability ambassadors to help support:
Zero Waste education
Sustainability Ambassadors help to educate the campus community on proper recycling and composting practices and the importance of reducing waste on campus. As part of the zero-waste team, we’ll train you on all you need to know about zero waste, waste management on campus and how it differs from the way waste is sorted at home. We’ll then work with your availability to strategically place you at designated waste stations at events across campus. We’ll also equip you with knowledge about our unit so you can speak more broadly about what the university does to advance sustainability. By joining the zero-waste team, you can make a tangible impact in reducing waste and improving diversion at TMU. You will also gain an improved understanding of the operational efforts related to sustainability in the context of a large higher education institution.
Educational outreach
Sustainability Ambassadors can also join our outreach team and help increase education and engagement on campus about all things sustainability. As part of the outreach team, you’ll have the opportunity to present information to students in class and develop implementation plans to collaborate with student groups, faculties and departments who are looking to improve their sustainability practices. With experience on educational outreach, you’ll be able to gain valuable leadership skills and knowledge of best practice engagement strategies to motivate and inspire behaviour change.
Campus events
Sustainability Ambassadors can also support ongoing events that take place throughout the year. As part of the team, you’ll be able to provide extra support to help make events a success. We are always interested in supporting the special talents or skills you may have to offer or assign you a role based on your particular interests.
Apply now
To apply, complete the Sustainability Ambassador Program Application Form.
Note: The process may take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
Questions?
If you have questions about the Sustainability Ambassador Program, please contact Sharmilla Raj, sustainability engagement lead at sustainability@torontomu.ca or 416-979-5000, ext. 6273.