As many of us here know, sustainability, as a practice, is rooted in the concepts of equity and justice, as no system or society is truly sustainable without them. For decades, environmental justice advocates and sustainability leaders have pushed to make this undeniable reality a core principle of sustainability practices, particularly in higher education institutions. As challenges persist against equity and environmental justice, PERC wanted to take a step back and consider the sustainability-equity-justice nexus from the student perspective.

Viewing current actions and today’s event as a unique window of opportunity, PERC invited current students and recent graduates to utilize this time to share with you, our institutional sustainability leaders, how they view this intersection and what they are looking for from you. In collaboration with the Spark Pixel production team, PERC is proud to debut our short film: Stories of Sustainability and Equity We hope you take this opportunity to expand your understanding and connect with Pennsylvania students.

PERC thanks each of our student and recent grads for not only taking the time to participate, but also to be vulnerable in sharing their experiences with all of us. The opportunity to speak with key leaders like those that attended this event is pivotal. From PERC’s perspective, we are dedicated to not only uplifting our students’ voices, but also ensuring equity and justice’s place in sustainability on our campuses and beyond.

Stories of Sustainability and Equity (Video)