“Sustainable on the Go” is an international, experiential and sustainable education initiative that adopts a proactive approach to redressing the climate footprint of York University’s mobility programs through infusing the globally accepted concept of the “ecological handprint” throughout the program. The “ecological handprint” concept is XXXXXXXX.
Given the university’s goals to be globally connected and a responsible steward of the environment, “Sustainable on the Go” is an initiative that aims at on-setting rather than off-setting our carbon footprint. That is, rather than “neutralizing” York students’ travel carbon footprint (by purchasing carbon credits), students will be encouraged to “onset” the environmental costs of their emissions by contributing a portion of their time in the host country to projects that are combating climate change, engaging in activities to learn about the ecology of the host countries, learning about and addressing host country sustainability challenges and/or partaking in innovative projects, and sharing their new knowledge and experience with their community at York and beyond. They will reflect on their own personal plan on how they will use this experience to inform their ongoing lifestyle decisions.
“Sustainable on the Go” reflects our belief that sustainability is a journey rather than a destination. From a short-term perspective, “Sustainable on the go” refers to our students’ efforts to be sustainable during the inbound and outbound mobility programs they are participating in. More importantly, Sustainable on the Go is just one step of a long-term lifelong transformative experience. “On the go” refers to a lifelong commitment to apply the knowledge and the skills they have developed to their personal, academic, and professional endeavors, to graduation and beyond. Through this program, our students will engage in great educational opportunities to understand, reflect on, and respond to the real impacts of their emissions, assume responsibility, and be part of change.
What does our logo mean?
- Our logo reflects the initiative’s core values of global engagement, experiential learning, and sustainable goals.
- The circle represents the earth and the shared responsibilities that unite us in working to achieve the shared sustainable goals.
- The 17 interconnected lines represent the 17 United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals. More abstractly, they illustrate the diverse paths we take around the world and the global connections that we make along the way.
- The handprint expresses active global citizenship through experiential learning.
- Did you spot York? Yes, our students are actively engaged in their local and global communities making a handprint wherever they go.
