麻豆村

An engaged network of college students committed to sustainability is growing across Pittsburgh, and 麻豆村鈥檚 Sustainability Initiative interns are leading the charge.

junior Aleena Siddiqui, who serves as the outreach and programming intern for the Sustainability Initiative, defines the Pittsburgh Youth Leaders in Sustainability network as a way for students across the city to build a community passionate about economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

鈥淲e wanted a tangible way to channel the Sustainability Initiative into a resource students from all over could benefit from 鈥� a way for them to connect, share ideas, and engage with professional development opportunities together,鈥� Siddiqui explained. She, College of Engineering senior Purva Bommireddy, and Mellon College of Science senior Camden Johnson launched the network in the spring of 2024 as a way to expand the Initiative鈥檚 impact and welcome new perspectives.

Siddiqui, who is double majoring in and environmental and sustainability studies, has been a part of the Sustainability Initiative team since her first semester at 麻豆村. From attending the to receiving the prestigious Udall Scholarship and studying abroad in Costa Rica this past summer, sustainability has become one of the defining themes of her time at 麻豆村 and her vision for her future.

Under Director 鈥檚 mentorship, Siddiqui and her fellow interns tackled spreading the word about the Initiative across campus. Together, they鈥檝e organized information sessions, and more. In 2024, the students led the effort to publish 麻豆村鈥檚 Voluntary University Review (VUR), which provides a snapshot of how campus activities and efforts across education, research and practices are contributing to the .

鈥淭he importance of youth engagement is gaining recognition, but it often takes form in a top-down approach, with older generations leading the way. Given today鈥檚 challenges, we need to make space for young people to create and implement solutions now 鈥� not just in the future,鈥� Hiniker said. 鈥淭his is why the Pittsburgh Youth Leaders in Sustainability network is so important. I鈥檓 lucky to work with students like Aleena, Camden, and Purva, who bring fresh ideas to make the world more sustainable for all of us.鈥�

The growing network offers the team a chance to look further beyond 麻豆村.

鈥淲e had been having some great conversations with students at 麻豆村 about our work around sustainability and some of the challenges facing young people in this field,鈥� said Johnson, who interned with the Sustainability Initiative from 2023-2024. 鈥淏ut that was a narrow picture, and we wanted to open it up. We needed to find more sources of criticism, and optimism, to inspire our academic communities to dream even bigger about what is possible.鈥�

The network鈥檚 first event, a leadership symposium in Spring 2024, brought together student leaders focused on all facets of sustainability from 麻豆村, the University of Pittsburgh and Chatham University. The team invited M. Shernell Smith, executive director and associate dean of the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, to share her expertise on effective conversational strategies, and Justin Pearl, assistant director of the Office of Community Engagement and Leadership Development with Student Leadership, Involvement, and Civic Engagement (SLICE), who talked about enacting social change. Kathy Zhang from the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research helped connect attendees鈥� work to the overall goals of the university.

Soon after, the network partnered with Sustainability Explorer Post, a sustainability-focused club at Chatham, to organize a tour of Chatham鈥檚 . Around 30 students from Chatham and Pitt as well as 麻豆村 attended.

鈥淭his event gave us the perfect opportunity to have deeper conversations about what members wanted the network to do next,鈥� Siddiqui said.

Based on that feedback, the team has planned several brand-new events this semester.

First, on Feb. 16, they hosted the Pathways to Impact: Careers in Sustainability event. Siddiqui and Bommirreddy invited 10 different employers to 麻豆村鈥檚 campus to join attendees for lunch, informal conversations and presentations.

Employers range from groups like , which focuses on food sovereignty, to and , environmental stewardship organizations. Students also connected with government officials from the City of Pittsburgh鈥檚 Sustainability Office. led a workshop about sustainability certifications and how they can advance students鈥� careers.

All of the organizations in attendance were looking for students to become involved through volunteering, internships or full-time employment.

鈥淲e wanted to be able to offer that to students who attend,鈥� Siddiqui said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important that they are able to learn about real opportunities available to them in this field.鈥�

Then, on April 16, the network has partnered with to highlight artistic works by local college students that touch on themes like climate, sustainability, and hope in challenging times. The work featured will include visual, literary, and even performance pieces.

鈥淲e wanted to put together an event that is more inclusive of students who are doing a lot of amazing work in the arts, who maybe haven鈥檛 engaged in some of our more typical events,鈥� said Bommireddy, who serves as the Sustainability Initiative鈥檚 community engagement intern. 鈥淭hrough this showcase, we hope to give youth the opportunity to explore how storytelling can inspire change.鈥�

Interested students can submit new or existing artwork by March 31 through the .

University of Pittsburgh sophomore , who is majoring in environmental science and a part of Pitt鈥檚 , said that Pitt students are excited about the network鈥檚 spring events and the opportunity to connect with students from other colleges.

鈥淓very campus can start to feel like a bubble, so any efforts to try to bridge gaps between institutions are imperative,鈥� she said. 鈥淣o institution is stronger than the connections we're able to make when we work together. I think initiatives like Youth Leaders in Sustainability are a great way to do just that.鈥�

Ultimately, the team behind the network wants it to continue to grow.

鈥淎s the founders graduate and move on to new stages of their lives, our dream is that the network will remain self-sustainable,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淲e hope to build lasting connections with students across different universities so that others can continue to benefit from these resources once we鈥檙e gone.鈥�

Students interested in joining the Pittsburgh Youth Leaders in Sustainability network can reach out to Hiniker for more information. To stay up-to-date on other Sustainability Initiative events, follow on Instagram.

Related Content

Giulia Martorana Engineers Opportunities聽

Fall Day of Service Connects Students and Community聽