Given the labels put on environmentalists— “tree huggers, vegans, hippies” Carrot Wang, a student at The Ohio State University, aimed to engage and provide more accessibility into the sustainability movement for people from all backgrounds.
Dr. Stephen John Quaye
“Like many of us, I was hopeless about the scale and scope of the issues,” said Wang. “But after involving local advocacy, I have come to realize the power of acting on a problem that's right in front of us that's impacting our daily life because we can drive change from the ground up.”
Those changes can include growing more community gardens, preventing the instillation of power plants and celebrating diverse cultures within local communities, she added.
Wang is among many college students who participate in advocacy efforts.
In the past, college campuses were often the birthplace of social movements, according to Dr. Noah Drezner, a professor of higher education at the Teachers College, Columbia University.
“I am really interested in higher education as a public good,” he said. “And I believe that social movements, philanthropy, volunteerism and other social behaviors can stem from and support that public good that higher education at its core is supposed to be.”
