Cornell Student-Athletes for Sustainability (CSAS)
Title of Project Initiative:
Cornell Student-Athletes for Sustainability (CSAS), founded August, 2024
Background/Description:
Athletes are influencers. We all know famous athletes who use their celebrity to promote consumer products and brands. Cornell Student-Athletes for Sustainability (CSAS) uses their celebrity to promote campus-wide and community sustainability.
We first recognized the volume of waste, and carelessness regarding the environment, at large collegiate athletic events. Our original mission was to increase eco-responsibility of players and teams, sports fans, students, faculty, staff, and the wider community. Our mission expanded to include serving as sustainability models for our peers, helping to meet Cornell sustainability goals, and modeling responsibility for our environmental impact in the greater Ithaca community.
Our desired result is widespread attitudinal and behavioral change. We aim to achieve this through student-led projects, integration and promotion of sustainable practices, and acts of community service.
Partners Involved:
Strategic Goals:
- Contribute to the Climate Literacy goals of Cornell's ambitious Climate Action Plan, aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2035.
- Demonstrate environmental awareness and promote sustainable practices throughout university campus life, including but not limited to the athletic department
- Host sustainable and community service events throughout Ithaca for CSAS members to volunteer in.
- Improve the well-being of the wider community through leadership, engagement, and dedication to sustainability.
Measures:
- Green Games (one per semester)
- Waste diversion stations: garbage, recycling, compost
- Student volunteers at each station
- Sustainability table with flyers, trivia, and prizes
- Fall semester event: men’s hockey game, diverted waste from over 4,000 fans
- Spring semester event: men’s lacrosse game, diverted waste from over 1,500 fans
- All-Athlete Volunteer Day (one per semester)
- Collaboration with other student athlete organizations (SAAC, WOCA, Red Key) to plan a day of service at a local organization
- Fall semester event at the Ithaca ReUse Center (100+ volunteers)
- Spring semester event at Trees Up Tompkins (50+ volunteers)
- Cornell Wins the 2025 EcoAthletes Collegiate Cup (annual competition)
- Participants can be from anywhere. Download the Climate Games App and select one of 29 colleges around the country to join
- From March 10th - April 22nd, individual participants track workouts (walking, running, swimming, cycling) that are converted into a currency that funds coral restoration projects
- Sponsors: Ocean Conservancy and Earth Day Network
- Beneficiary: Coral Gardeners
- Cornell logged 2,400 workout hours and planted 1,050 corals
- New ENVS 4941: “Sustainability in Athletics” Course (Fall 2025)
- 1.5 credits (S/U)
- Led by student Emily Pape and three faculty advisors
- Course content: exploring the intersectionality of sustainability in athletics through guest speakers, assigned readings, and weekly reflections
- Received grant from Cornell’s Einhorn Center for Community Engagement to fund speakers to present in person
Successes/Challenges/Lessons Learned:
- Successes:
- CSAS gained over 150 members since August 2024
- Won “Organization of the Year” Award by Campus Sustainability Office (CSO)
- Collaborated with multiple on and off campus organizations
- Challenges:
- It is a relatively new initiative, so buy-in and adoption of sustainable practices has been slow and tedious
- Because CSAS can’t make drastic, systemic changes, it’s relying on individual and collective action from students, which can sometimes feel powerless in the grand scheme of things
- Lessons Learned:
- People do care!!!
- We have to celebrate the small “sustainable victories” we have everyday
- Partnerships are important
Conclusion:
Our mission is to unite the college athletic community as influencers over a shared passion for sustainability. We believe all college students should use their unique skills and passions as a platform to make positive change. We are confident that our club’s enthusiastic participants will ignite others’ enthusiasm, and will carry on a legacy of leadership and service. We will continue to engage the community in sustainability, to ensure the longevity of a healthy planet for generations to come.
Contact Information to Learn More:
Instagram: cornellsas_