Get Involved!

There are many ways for UofL students, faculty, staff, and friends to contribute to our sustainability efforts - from individual action to research to group activities.

Individual Actions Matter!

  • EcoReps T-shirtBecome an Eco-Rep! This program through the Sustainability Council offers in-depth campus sustainability training for all students, faculty, and staff willing to take a leadership role and become a point-person for peer-to-peer mentoring about sustainability in their building, unit, department, club, or residence hall. Eco-Reps also participate in on-going service opportunities. Full details here, or Follow on Facebook. Contact Eco-Reps Director, Brian Barnes at 502-338-1338 or brian.barnes (at) louisville.edu.
  • Volunteer! The Sustainability Council can put your skills and interests to work. Meeting schedules for the Sustainability Council and all of its Committees are available here. Students, faculty, staff, and friends are always welcome. For questions contact UofL's sustainability coordinator, Justin Mog, 502-852-8575.
    Our standing weekly service opportunities include:Melissa Sternberg, EcoReps Intern
    1. Fight food insecurity and climate change by keeping leftovers out of the landfill with the Food Recovery Network - UofL Chapter, and the Cardinal Cupboard free campus food pantry in SAC W312!
    2. UofL's Community Composting Project needs volunteers every Sunday, Noon-2pm, 240 E. Bloom St. (one block north of Cardinal Blvd. between Brook & Floyd Streets - map here). Follow on 
    3. UofL Free Store in SAC W303C is run by volunteers who help process donations and keep the store tidy and organized in support of the project to help keep useful items out of the landfill while meeting the needs of their peers. Follow on Instagram or
    4. Help manage UofL's Campus Gardens! The Garden Commons has weekly group workdays year-round or you can stop by on your own time to help out. Sign-up here to stay informed and follow on Instagram or
    We also encourage you to get involved in one of the many Local Organizations promoting sustainability in our community!
  • Participate in some of the many UofL Sustainability Events  throughout the year!
  • Pledge! Take the Cards Go Green! Pledge to increase your personal sustainability!
    Graduating? Take the Sustainability Graduation Pledge to make social and environmental responsibility part of your life after UofL, too!
  • Take Action! Use these tools to help inform, sustain, and track your personal actions for sustainability: Joulebug (sustainability mobile app), GoingGreenToday (personal green coach), Energy Efficiency Mobile Apps.
    >> See our Green Tips page for more ideas about what you can do to lead a more sustainable life and help improve our community right here in Louisville.
    >> The Louisville Climate Action Network offers many more Simple Steps, Bigger Steps, Civic Steps, and Sharing Steps to help you on your journey to greater sustainability!
  • Understand your impact! Use these online tools to calculate your Ecological Footprint (an estimate how much land area it takes to support your lifestyle) and calculate your Carbon Footprint (an estimate of your greenhouse gas emissions) and learn how to be part of the solution!
  • Offset your carbon emissions through a service such as Climate Vault, which uses your donation to buy carbon pollution permits on government regulated cap & trade markets and then use them to fund highly vetted, government regulated projects that remove carbon from the atmosphere. Other options include Patch (official partner of the Carbon Commitment/Second Nature), Carbon Footprint Ltd, Native Energy, CarbonFund, TerraPass, or for free (through commissions) with UCapture.
  • Donate here to support our work through the Green Fund for UofL! Your contributions directly support our sustainability initiatives! Select the "Green Fund for UofL" under Designations when contributing to the university - or simply click here for a pre-filled form.

Join a Campus Sustainability Group

Join a Student Group

Sustainability Community Canoe Trip

UofL's 2013 Solar Decathlon team of students designed and built the fully-powered Phoenix House! Read more about the team's success in the national competition here!

    Faculty Involvement

    • Courses: Consider weaving sustainability themes into the classes you teach or offering new courses focused on sustainability. Our Green Threads program can help you get started.
    • Research: Because sustainability concerns are interdisciplinary and universal, there's no end to the possibilities for you and your students. Whether your focus is off-campus or helping make UofL a living laboratory of sustainability, our Research page will give you some resources and ideas to get started.
    • Lead By Example: Faculty are mentors to the next generation. Students learn not only from your lectures and assignments but by observing your actions. "Walk the talk" by following these Green Tips for more sustainable behaviors!

    All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to get involved in UofL's Sustainability Council at any time!
    Updated meeting schedules for the Council and all of its Committees are available here. All are welcome at all meetings. New members can come to any meeting and introduce yourself. We look forward to seeing you!