Sustainable Students in the Spotlight
Green Office students Emma and Floor about sustainable awareness, confrontation, and collaboration with Avans University of Applied Sciences
In this article, we spotlight two students from our member organization Green Office (GO), Avans. Emma and Floor are both studying International Business at Avans in Breda. This is a primarily economics-oriented program that frequently connects to sustainability. Since September, they have each been working eight hours a week for the Green Office Avans, where they are committed to raising awareness, promoting sustainable projects, and motivating students. They approach their work with great energy and dedication, though they sometimes struggle with complex procedures and setbacks within the educational institution.
Who work at Green Office Avans?
Emma joined the GO through a personal invitation and is now responsible for communications. She regularly links sustainability to another issue close to her heart: women’s rights. For example, she writes articles about the downsides of battery consumption, which requires a wide variety of raw materials. “How do we get students, especially international students, involved in Avans’ sustainability initiatives again?” is a question that has been asked for some time.
From women's rights to communication
Emma joined the GO through a personal invitation and is now responsible for communications. She regularly links sustainability to another issue close to her heart: women’s rights. For example, she writes articles about the downsides of battery consumption, which requires a wide variety of raw materials. Women face increased risks in mining these resources worldwide. With these articles, as with her role at GO, she aims to raise awareness among students about the injustices faced by women and how Western countries often play a role in this.
Black Friday, meat consumption and other confrontational campaigns
Floor applied to GO herself. Her job is to raise awareness. Not always easy, but inspiring and necessary. For example, she worked on a Black Friday campaign last November, focusing on overconsumption.
And that’s not all: Vegan January is on the agenda, complete with weekly vegan recipes and promotion to encourage students to consciously choose plant-based diets.
In addition, she and the GO are working on a project that aims to address meat production and animal welfare, displaying information on these topics on six large panels. “We want to demonstrate that our interactions with animals are not only harmful to them, but also impacts human health, the climate, and the environment,” explains Floor. The cow was chosen as a symbol because of the significant impact of livestock farming on greenhouse gases. But next to this confrontational side, they also give tips on how you change your own behaviour to create a positive effect.
Confrontation really works
GO Avans’ campaigns can sometimes be perceived as intense. While some fear this will discourage students and make them look away, Floor and Emma see the opposite happening. Students who initially “buried their heads in the sand” often become curious after being confronted and even make more sustainable choices.
It’s also clever that the GO regularly launches two campaigns simultaneously on the same theme: one ‘softer’ and one a bit ‘sharper’. This allows different groups of students to be reached with content that resonates more with them, thus raising awareness.
Struggling with the way things are going
But not everything runs smoothly. Floor and Emma’s biggest frustration? The bureaucracy within Avans. Placing ads for events or campaigns on the school’s digital screens proves to be an administrative hurdle, taking up a lot of time, as each screen is managed by a different person.
The result: half of their working time, intended for sustainability work, is consumed by internal communication, regulations, and consultations. A waste of time, you might say. Emma and Floor wonder if other Green Offices experience the same obstacles. And if so, how do they deal with them?
Looking ahead: sustainable clothing in the new year
Despite the challenges, Floor and Emma are brimming with ideas. In the new year, they want to launch more campaigns around clothing consumption and give the topic a more prominent place in education. The need is great, and so is the motivation.
Thanks to Emma and Floor from Green Office Avans for your story, experiences and thoughts.
Would you also like to share your experiences, projects, and questions with other member organizations of Students for Tomorrow? Don’t hesitate to contact us! We’d love to hear from you.