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Sustainability Education and Young People in Sustainability

The Institute for Sustainability (IfS) an American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Technological Community has partnered with SustainUS to form the Youth Council on Sustainable Science and Technology (YCOSST).  YCCOST's mission is to create an understanding about sustainability issues and principals, raise awareness of the science and technology behind sustainable choices, and develop grass root campus efforts.

The organization is focused on promoting sustainability education in schools at all levels and encouraging the involvement of young people in sustainability careers, research, and organizations.

The activities of YCOSST include an active network of students and mentor partners from numerous disciplines—engineering, environmental science, chemistry, physics, social sciences—who work to implement sustainability concepts into undergraduate research projects and curriculum across disciplines and provide information of sustainability-related majors and careers. They are also interested in outreach activities to educate the public and youth on sustainability. IfS has also been involved in the NSF curriculum development project, Active Chemistry where members have developed a new high school chemistry curriculum which includes sustainability concepts.

Announcement from YCOSST Chairs

YCOSST will be participating at the 9th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo (NSDE) this year and you should too! The expo will be held April 19-21, 2013, at the National Mall in Washington D.C. and is open to the public.

Come join hundreds of students, scientists, non-profit organizations, and feds as they showcase their innovative ideas for achieving a sustainable future.

Each year, YCOSST also recognizes and awards one P3 team who has shown significant contribution in the sustainability effort and has demonstrated the importance of sustainable choices. If you are a student involved in sustainability research, we strongly encourage you to participate in the EPA P3 competition.We hope to see you there!

More information about the NSDE and EPA P3 can be found here.

YCOSST Co-Chairs

  • Jeffrey Seay, University of Kentucky
  • Sarah Widder, PNNL

YCOSST Award at EPA P3

All students involved in sustainability research are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information, click on the links below.

YCOSST Awardee Webinars

Beginning in 2012, YCOSST invites award-winning teams to present a webinar that is published on the AIChE ChemE on Demand archive. Check out this webinar presented by Appalachian State University:

YCOSST Goals

  • Enhance the capacity of emerging students
  • Bolster existing educational infrastructures
  • Provide resources to fill existing gaps in sustainable science and technology curriculum
  • Utilize innovative organizational structure and national network to disseminate resources
  • Establish interdisciplinary connections between students, faculty, and administrators

Find YCOSST on Facebook

www.facebook.com/YCOSST

YCOSST Student Handbook

The following section of the YCOSST Student Research Handbook was created by 2005 EPA P3 Award Winner & MIT Student, Jacqueline Tio. Students can use this handbook as a guide to planning and implementing sustainability research.

Sustainability Majors & Curricula

IfS has put together a list of the leading academic programs (undergraduate and graduate) for careers related to sustainability and the environment.

Green Job Resources

This page offers job titles to look for, companies that offer careers in these areas, lists and job boards that are specific to sustainability-related chemical engineering jobs, and tips for identifying and landing the job that you are looking for.

Join YCOSST

Your YCOSST involvement and membership is crucial to the building of grassroots efforts that will influence curriculum and ultimately lead to the incorporation of sustainability concepts in all research.