With endeavors to create sustainably sentient cultures all around the world at an all time high, local efforts of students in Dover, Delaware have been creating major buzz, establishing a sense of leadership in green practices for not only Delaware State institutions but Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the nation.

In September 2009, Delaware State University through its then acting president Dr. Claibourne Smith pledged its time and dedication to “Going Green” by becoming a signatory of the American College and Universities Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Since then, DSU has elected its 10th president, Dr. Harry Lee Williams who has continued pushing sustainability efforts faster than anticipated with the launch of countless initiatives through the University’s “Think Green” campaign including the establishment of a task force composed of over 80 members representing the Universities Board of Trustees, executive administrators, faculty, and Student Government Association (SGA). Through sub-committees, the initiatives focus on “green” environmentally friendly and climate neutral measures that relate to the universities procurement and fundraising activities, its building and facilities, academia and curriculum, as well as its public relations/marketing to educate and energize the campus as well as surrounding communities of its efforts. DSU’s secret weapon in sustainability wasn’t however the administrative supporters of this initiative, but rather the student group that came months after the climate commitment signing.

“The Green Ambassadors” which I, Terrell Davis, established in November, 2009, is a student led organization dedicated to heightening community awareness and participation of environmentally responsible behavior. Our purpose is to create interest in establishing student supported standards and procedures that the University and the entire state of Delaware can partake in. I serve as the founder and current president of this organization with my board consisting of students serving in the Student Government Association (SGA), Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS), Residence Hall Association (RHA), and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. We also partner with The Recycling Initiative, a sub-group under the Green Ambassadors specifically dedicated to University recycling and The Rotaract Club, an international service group serving as liaison of global green projects that our group can get involved with.

The short-term goals of “The Green Ambassadors” are to represent the student’s voice in the University’s Go Green Campaign, promote environmentally conscience ideas amongst students at DSU, and ensure DSU students do environmentally conscience service learning projects on/off campus. The group is also devoted to assisting Delaware State University in developing courses to prepare students for green jobs in the future, as well as launching a sustainability garden project across the entire campus. The long term efforts of our organization is to share “The Green Ambassadors” program with other institutions of higher education, as a result becoming a leader in student sustainability initiatives; establishing annual student summits and conferences that will increase green efforts in institutional communities around the world.

The aspirations of “The Green Ambassadors” may seem a bit extensive and difficult to achieve but in all actuality, hasn’t been complex to grasp and in some cases have already been attained during the first year of our program. With the extended help of Delaware State University and the Earth Day Network, “The Green Ambassadors” was able to launch our University’s first celebration of Earth Week coinciding with the national celebration of planet earth back in April, 2010. During this week of festivities, we hosted an array of events beginning with the cleanup of surrounding highways in the Dover area. Students were then treated to a uniquely advertised “Green Eggs and Ham” continental breakfast hosted by our University’s dining services and Student Government Association that included a variety of Green materials for review at each table in our dining hall. The list of festivities was then followed by a tour of our University’s Aquaculture Pond and Research Demonstration facility by the College of Agriculture and Related Sciences.

Establishing sustainable trends now creates a more green conscience community tomorrow thus getting our University’s Lab School children involved in earth activities was a conscious fundamental part in the planning of Earth Week at Delaware State University. Children ranging from ages 3-5 participated in a playground beautification project, cleaning the play area in which they themselves use often. This event was then followed by an Earth Day exhibit and panel discussion headed by various green conscious officials at our University. We then engaged students in a “What If” segment of Earth Week with green movie presentations of “The Day After Tomorrow” directed by Roland Emmerich and “An Incontinent Truth” by Al Gore.

The highlight of the Earth Week festivities however, was by far the launch of Delaware State University’s Sustainability Garden project. With this garden; established on the global day of action, “The Green Ambassadors” is hoping that this will serve as an outdoor learning laboratory for students for years to come. The garden will also double as a source for fruits and vegetables that will be served in the Village Cafeteria and sold at the DSU’s Farmer’s Market.

The Green Ambassadors have become nationally recognized for our involvement in sustainable causes by a number of media outlets including the JET Magazine, the HBCU digest, the Dover Post, the Delaware State News, and the Black College Today. Projects from “The Green Ambassadors” continue to prosper during the summer months with the launch of our student led recycling program at the 61st annual Delmarva Chicken Festival and green service ventures for the incoming freshman during their orientation visits as well as welcome weeks. Future “green” efforts for the Ambassadors include participating in the HBCU Environmental Game Show competition, as well as the launch of the Green Ambassadors’ sustainability student summit. Ideas of an alternative Spring Break in the Gulf and a green homecoming are also in its planning stages. Through my leadership, Delaware State University students are engaged to support and create green projects througout the campus and in their everyday lives.